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14
PART II SPECIALIST SERVICES
AUDIOLOGY SERVICE
Mr. J.C. Oakley, Peripatetic Teacher of the Deaf
During 1972, 1,379 children were tested by pure tone audiometry, this
included routine follow-up cases, cases referred by School Medical Officers
and 688 Sweep Test Failures. Regular clinics were held at Lodge Road,
Croydon, Parkway, New Addington and Whitecliffe Road, Purley. All the preschool
children requiring auditory training were seen regularly at home,
where parent guidance was given and in some cases, speech training was
carried out by the Speech Therapists. In addition, Speech Training Machines
were loaned to all parents, for use in the home. Mrs. G.O. Moreland, peripatetic
teacher of the deaf was appointed in October to help with this work.
She will commence her duties in January 1973.
78 children were seen by Mr. Parsons, the Corporation's Consultant
Otologist, who held regular clinics at Lodge Road and visited the Partially
Hearing and Deaf Units. 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 forthe lower frequencies
is often normal and a general amplification of sound causes a considerable
amount of distortion and may become painful.
120 babies were seen at the special clinic held in conjunction with
Dr. Morgan for the early assessment of deafness in young babies, 18 of these
being referred to Mr. Parsons for further assessment. Blood tests on the
failures were continued as part of a survey held in conjunction with Great
Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, to investigate the question of
rubella as a cause of deafness and as a result of this survey, we have been
able to pinpoint the probable cause of deafness in two cases which might
otherwise have been recorded as "no known cause". It was necessary to
continue the increased number of clinics to cope with the waiting list of
babies waiting to be tested.
During the year, all infant schools were visited at least once and apart
from absentees and unco-operative children (501), all children newly admitted
to school during the year were tested. Tests were also carried out in the
Special Schools. Of the 8,564 children tested, 786 (approx. 9.1%) failed the
test and were referred to the Audiology Clinic for further assessment. We
were sorry to lose Mrs. Godderhan at the end of the Summer term, her place
was taken by Mrs. Feakins.
For additional statistical details, see Appendix B, Page 51.