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2
Vision Defects
The problem of long waiting lists for hospital eye clinics necessitated
parents being offered the alternative of treatment by opticians. A survey
after 6 months showed that most parents had accepted the offer and the
children had been treated.
Audiology
Co-ordination with the Child Health Service for the earliest possible
ascertainment and treatment of hearing defects was vigorously pursued.
Re-organisation of school facilities to meet the needs of profoundly hard
of hearing children made good progress. The department co-operated in a
research project to determine the importance of rubella as a cause of
deafness. Results are awaited.
Educationally Subnormal Children
A new school (St. Nicholas) serving the southern half of the Borough
was opened. The long waiting list of children for intelligence tests was,
thanks to the help of the Educational Psychologists, almost eliminated.
Despite the virtual doubling of school places for E.S.N. pupils a waiting
list of children still remained at the close of the year.
The Education (Handicapped Children's) Act 1970
This Act was effective from April 1st 1971. The Junior Training
Centre which the Health Committee had called "Coldharbour School"
became a responsibility of the Education Committee and entitled to its
name. The need to exclude these children from the educational system
as "unsuitable" ceased. The remedial services available at the school
were increased by the provision of physiotherapy.
Maladjusted Children
A threefold increase in the number ascertained in comparison with
previous years was in anticipation of the opening in September of the
Sir Cyril Burt School for maladjusted and autistic pupils. The intake of
scholars proceeded satisfactorily, but the report on the school for
1971 is obviously limited.
The Reception Centre for Immigrant Children
In common with many other areas of the country, a skin test to show
exposure to tuberculosis was introduced into the routine medical examinations,
with follow-up chest x-rays of the families of those found to be
positive. It is too early to comment on results.