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Children with additional handicaps
The audiology clinic was as busy during this year as ever. One of the main problems is the
placing of children who are deaf and also have other serious disabilities (deaf and blind, deaf and
psychologically disturbed, deaf and low learning ability). For several of these children we were,
unfortunately, unable to find adequate placement.
We had considerable difficulty in placing not only children with additional handicaps but also
partially-hearing children especially of the pre-school age. There is need for a special nursery for
partially-hearing children, which should be placed within a normal nursery. Co-operation with day
nurseries continued. Many children with hearing difficulty are placed in normal day nurseries. The
greatest benefit from this is the enhancement of social maturation. Excellent co-operation was
forthcoming from the staff of all our day nurseries.
Insert earpieces for hearing aids
The preparation of inserts for hearing aids has caused us a lot of difficulty in the past and
during the year we commenced training our own audiometricians in the making of the inserts, which
will help us to make better earpieces and within a shorter period of time.
A number of special hearing aids were prescribed for some of the children when the National
Health hearing aid was not thought to be enough. Towards the end of the year a new. more powerful
National Health hearing aid was becoming available. Also a new aid worn behind the ear, was
issued by the Ministry, but unfortunately we were not able to obtain one of these during 1968.
Psychiatric help
A good number of children with hearing difficulty need special help to sort out the various
emotional and psychological problems arising from the child's handicap in a family. We co-operated
closely with Dr. Elithorn. psychiatrist at the Maida Vale Hospital, who is specially interested in the
problems of deaf children and is conducting research in this respect.
Other children with emotional problems and behaviour difficulty were referred to their local
child guidance clinics.
The use of hearing aids in children
We were very concerned about the various difficulties children encounter when wearing their
hearing aids. In conjunction with the hearing clinics at Heston and Neasden a survey was carried
out to find out how children used their hearing aid and what were the particular difficulties. We
found that a very large number of children did not use their hearing aids very well. Often the aids
were faulty in spite of close supervision. The reason for this, we think, is that the present type of
hearing aid was designed for adults and not for children and we will have to find a different way of
using hearing aids and possibly different designs for the instrument.
Parent meetings
Parent meetings have been held regularly with very good attendance. These parent meetings
are considered to be an important part of parent guidance and home training, and the parents have an
opportunity to express their comments.
Waiting list
We were still trying to cut down the waiting list. The average time for waiting for an
appointment was six weeks. This was in spite of additional clinics which were conducted by Dr.
Douglas. Principal Medical Officer (School Health)."
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