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15
PART II SPECIALIST SERVICES
AUDIOLOGY SERVICE
Mr. J.C. Oakley, Peripatetic Teacher of the Deaf
During 1970, 1,304 children were tested in the Audiology Clinic by
pure tone audiometer, this included routine follow up cases, cases referred
by School Medical Officers and 619 Sweep Test Failures. Regular clinics
were held at Lodge Road, Croydon; Parkway, New Addington; and Whytecliffe
Road, Purley. The pre-school children requiring regular auditory training,
were seen at the Lodge Road clinic, or at home. Extra speech training was
given by the Speech Therapists. 4 extra Speech Training machines were received
during the year.2 being provided by Croydon Corporation and the other
2 presented by Friends of Croydon High School and St. Jude's Young Communicants
Guild. Speech Training machines were loaned to all parents of preschool
children.
89 children were seen either by Mr. Parsons or Mr. Stewart, the Corporation's
Consultant Otologist, who held regular sessions at Lodge Road,
Kingsley Road Nursery, Infant and Junior Partially Hearing Units and the
Riddlesdown Senior Partially Hearing Unit. 12 hearing aids were recommended
during the year, 2 of these were National Health Service Medresco' aids and
the other 10, Commercial aids paid for by the Corporation. Commercial aids
are considered necessary if the hearing loss is greater than the range covered
by the 'Medresco' aid, or if there is a sharp perceptive loss in the higher frequencies.
The 'Medresco' aid has no automatic volume control and cannot be
tolerated by children with such a loss, as the hearing for the lower frequencies
is often normal and general amplification of sound causes a considerable
amount of distortion and pain. Towards the end of 1969, the children in the
Riddlesdown Partially Hearing Unit wearing 'Medresco' body worn aids, were
issued with the 'Medresco' post aural version, but this proved to be disappointing,
as in almost every case, the. children themselves asked to return to the
body worn aid because the degree of amplification was not sufficient to meet
their requirements.
116 babies were seen at the special clinic, held in conjunction with
Dr. Morgan, for the early assessment of deafness in young babies. It was necessary
to hold 7 extra clinics during the year to keep pace with the waiting list.
This increase was attributed to the screening tests now being carried out by the
Health Visitors. This special clinic, now well established, has been very
successful in diagnosing deafness and E.N.T. conditions in young babies,
enabling a hearing aid or hospital treatment to be prescribed and where necessary,
auditory training and parent guidance commenced with a minimum of delay.
During the year, all Infant schools were visited at least once and apart from
absentees and unco-operative children (598), all children newly admitted to
school during the year were tested. Of the 7,871 children tested,681 (approx 8.8%),
failed the test and were referred to the Audiology Clinic for further assessment.
For further additional statistical details, see Appendix B Page 51.