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System of Referral
Children are referred for speech therapy from various sources, including health
visitors, heads of schools, child guidance clinics, hospitals, general practitioners and
routine school medical inspections.
All children referred for speech therapy are first seen by the medical officer who
is in charge of the service, and who holds clinic sessions alternately at Ealing, Acton
and Southall. A hearing test is carried out routinely before the child is seen by the
medical officer, and at the examination particular reference is paid to the functions
of lips, tongue and palate and the condition of tonsils and adenoids. Any behaviour
problems are noted and such investigations necessary are initiated.
Diagnosis

Treatment
Treatment is individual, but sometimes children are seen in a group. The latter
is preferred for the pre-school child who is unused to mixing with other children or
for the child who is very self-conscious about his speech. In the group, he meets
other children with similar difficulties. At school age, the children are usually
treated individually once weekly. If a child needs more treatment, the therapist
will arrange this.
Treatment of children at special schools is carried out by a speech therapist
attending the school for this purpose. Three sessions per week are given at Talbot
School and one at Acton Special School.
School Visiting
This is one of the primary methods of screening. The speech therapist visits the
schools of the Borough once a year; she makes an appointment with the head
teacher who, prior to her visit, collects the names of any children about whose speech
he is doubtful. The speech therapist then examines the child at school and decides
whether he needs treatment.
Home Visiting
If a child repeatedly fails appointments or attends too irregularly to benefit from
treatment, arrangements are made for a health visitor to call on the parent or
guardian and enquire about the non-attendance. The speech therapist sometimes
finds it necessary to visit a family herself to obtain a fuller picture of the case.
Speech Class
A special class for speech defective children is held at a normal infants school, the
school being Brentside School, Hanwell. The class caters for up to 10 pupils with
severe speech defects. The majority of the children who have passed through the
class have been severely dyslalic or aphasic. There has been an occasional dysphonic
child. The ages range from approximately four to seven years.
An intelligence quotient assessment is carried out on all candidates and they are
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