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27
cases because the patients themselves, both adolescent girls, did
not wish to continue further—in one because the mother was unco-operative,
and in 2 because the patients left the district. 12 cases
were still under treatment at the end of the year. '
Centre Staff.
The appointments foreshadowed at the end of 1945 were
made when the Uxbridge Road premises were opened in February,
1946. The Centre now has :
Psychiatrist 2 2-hourly sessions per week
Play-Therapist 5 sessions per week.
Psychiatric Social Worker Full-time.
It, also has the invaluable assistance of the Educational
Psychologist, Miss Lewis.
As pointed out in the previous report, the Centre is now
equipped to deal with about 100 cases per annum. (The number
of cases seen in the Centre slightly under-estimates the extent of
the work, a good deal of which, especially the Psychiatric Social
Worker's, is advisory, and often of value to cases who do not actually
get referred to the Centre). It can be supposed that the Centre
will have at least 150 cases per annum to deal with, or even a larger
number in future years. Although 450 cases is about the maximum
number which one Psychologist can see in the year, in the
Educational Psychologist's first year there has been a special
emphasis on the ascertainment of backwardness. In the future,
therefore, a higher proportion of those seen by her may be referred
to the Centre.
At present treatment interviews can be provided for 13 or 14
children each week, with the result that 27 children can be treated
in the year. (The average case making about 25 attendances).
V
Table II. Symptoms.
Owing to the screening done by the Educational Psychologist
the number of those referred to the Centre for backwardness is
only half as great as last year. 8 children with I.Q.'s below 70
were referred, and 27 with I.Q.'s below 85, i.e., educationally
subnormal. This is accounted for by the fact that many children
referred present more than one symptom, and our advice is often
sought on a behaviour problem in a child who is also of less than
average intelligence.
Delinquency, including stealing and lying, now heads the list
of the remaining symptoms, although the incidence does not differ
appreciably from last year. " Difficulty in management at home,"
though less high, is still a serious problem. These problems indicate
the need for discovering such children earlier.