London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Ealing 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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59
SPEECH THERAPY
The work of the Speech Therapy Department continued at a slightly increased volume during 1956:-
| Number on Roll at 1.1.56 | |
| New cases during the year | 76 |
| Number discharged | 44 |
| Number of attendances at Speech Therapy Clinics | 4 092 |
| Number on Roll at 31. 12. 56 | 238 |
The percentage frequency with which each type of defect occurred was as follows:-
| (1) Dyslalia - Mixing or missing out of consonants | 45% |
| (2) Aphasia - Absence of speech | 15% |
| (3) Dysarthria - Defects due to disorders of the articulatoiy muscles or soft palate | 14% |
| (4) Stammering | 2% |
The department's work is largely with school children
but in many instances pre-school children are referred.
This is of course valuable as treatment can be commenced
and sometimes a defect remedied before the time the child
goes to school. During last'year the division into preschool
and school children was as follows'-
School children 85%
Pre-school children 15%
The service the department offers is widely known and
during 1956 referrals were from the following sources.
Doctors 66%
Teachers 29%
Parents 5%
The satisfactory diagnosis and treatment of speech
defects may require co-ordination of the services of Ear,
Nose and Throat Surgeon, Plastic Surgeon, Neurologist and
Educational Psychologist. The close liaison between the
Assistant Medical Officer in charge of Speech Therapy and
the Speech Therapists facilitated this co-ordination.
Each child has an initial medical examination to enable
the type of defect to be diagnosed and a plan for treatment
to be formulated. Regular speech therapy is then
given either at clinics or at school. This may include
play therapy, exercises, or advice both to the child and
parents on the means of overcoming the defect. Progress
is reviewed at periodical medical examinations.