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also been increased. The very real advantage of the Unit in being so integrated
into the normal school environment can hardly be stressed too much.
In practice this integration often requires a great deal of sympathy and
understanding from the teaching staff. The children involved may have
little or no understanding of speech and an equal difficulty in expressing
their needs and fears. The help of the teaching staff in this increased integration
is gratefully acknowledged.
The usefulness of the Speech Therapy Service to the Borough has been
reduced by staff shortage. The effective level of staff during the year has
been roughly six out of a required eight speech therapists. This trend is a
continuation of past experience, and so far as can be seen will continue,
though the situation compares well with most other London Boroughs.
It is hoped that 1969 will be a more settled year, although further
gradual changes are planned to increase the effectiveness of the Service.
WEIGHT CONTROL CLINIC
Dr. Phyllis M. Mortimer, School Medical Officer
During the past year two new groups of the Weight Control Clinic have
been formed and it is anticipated that a further one will be started before
the year ends. As on previous occasions it has been necessary to amalgamate
residual patients in different groups and, in consequence, the girls
still attending the clinic have been under treatment for varied lengths of
time.
The original format for the meetings has been maintained. The girls
are weighed and, as a group, discuss individual weight losses or gains
and any problems . This is followed by some nutritional health education
activity. Flannelgraphs, film strips, films and visiting speakers have all
been used, and in addition, a new project has been the investigation of
"taste". A series of experiments has been devised in which the girls explore
the factors which influence taste and individual variations in this.
The aim of these experiments has been to help them overcome problems
created by the lack of sugar in their diets.
As with previous groups the results have been varied, a small precentage
of girls achieve a completely satisfactory weight loss, the majority
manage to lose some weight, while there are a minority who fail completely.
One real problem still to be overcome is that created by school holidays.
Almost invariably the girls put on weight during these times, probably due
to frequent "nibbling" because of boredom, combined with lack of exercise.
The Weight Control Clinic does not lack applicants but there are still
very many girls in need of treatment who are not referred to the Clinic in
the usual way. These are youngsters whose obesity has developed since
their routine eleven year old medical, and who do not seek help themselves.
A method of offering help to them has still to be established.