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70
SPEECH THERAPY.
Speech Therapy treatment has been given in the Borough for
the last twelve years.
The school population of the borough has increased from
19,715 in 1946, to 23,370 in 1953. The number of speech defectives
is between 1½% to 2% of the school population. Thus, at present
some 450 children have to be considered.
Treatment occupying 12 sessions each week at is present given
at nine Clinics and schools where the more serious cases (200—220)
are treated at weekly or fortnightly intervals. Treatment is given
by a full-time therapist and an assistant attending two sessions per
week.
Treatment was given at the following clinics :
Mattock Lane Greenford Green Perivale
Cherington House Ravenor Park Islips Manor
Laurel House Oldfield School Northolt School
In September visits to Northolt School ceased as the numbers
did not warrant regular visits. The time saved was employed at
Ravenor Park Clinic which had the longest waiting list.
The children treated during the year fell into the following
classes:
Stammer 31
Cleft Palate 6
Aphasia 6
Idioglossia 33
Dyslalia 97
Dysarthria 8
Total 181
Discharged 60
New 104
It was possible to undertake treatment for 44 more patients
than the number that were discharged, as a number of the new
cases were treated in groups.
90% of children's speech disorders begin between the ages of
three and five years and between 1946/1949 it was aimed to clear as
many of the older children from the clinics as possible, thus enabling
disorders to be dealt with at their inception. By this method the
periods of treatment necessary were reduced.