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Children with hearing defects attending ordinary schools and partially-hearing pre-school children
Arrangements are made for the regular supervision of these children, many of whom wear hearing
aids. For this purpose, there are two peripatetic teachers of the deaf who work in close co-operation
with Dr. Fisch- one covering the London Borough of Haringey, the other the area outside Haringey served
by the Audiology Unit. The peripatetic teachers also pay regular visits to pre-school age deaf and
partially-hearing children in their homes or day nurseries for supervision and training.
Audiometry
Routine audiometric testing of school children is carried out by two full-time trained audiometricians.
Children who are due for periodic medical inspections at the ages of 5, 8 and 11 first have an
audiogram. Those children who fail audiometry have a full audiograph prepared which is made available
to the school medical officer when the medical inspection takes place. In this way, the school medical
officer is able to discuss with the head teacher-the children's school progress, to arrange a seating.
position in class favourable for hearing and to follow-up with any other investigations necessary.
During the school holidays, special sessions are held at the school clinics at which the audiometrician
is present, for follow-up purposes. The standards for passing audiometry are set purposely high, and of
the 452 children who failed first routine tests in 1966, a very high proportion were found to respond to
simple measures or not to need treatment. The percentage of children who failed 'special' tests was
high, becausethesechildren hadeither been referred specially because deafness was suspected, or were
already under treatment.
The tables below give the numbers and results of audiometry tests during 1966:-
Maintained Primary and Secondary School Population of the Borough 34195
(excluding Suntrap Residential School)