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Pre-School Children 317
Attending Infant and Junior Schools 297
Attending Senior Schools 107
TOTAL 721
Reasons for referral of new cases: —
For diagnosis
131
Known to be deaf, examination before admission to
Blanche Nevile School
1
Immigrants to borough, known to be deaf
2
Partially hearing, advice as to placement
1
Auditory training
2
"At risk"
102
Transfer from hospital outpatients dept.
8
Advice as to placement where deafness might be
the cause of backwardness
4
TOTAL
251
51 of these referrals were from other boroughs.
Audiometric and Vision Screening
Routine audiometric and vision screening is carried out by three full-time audiometrician testers. Vision
testing in school by the Keystone apparatus is combined with audiometric screening in junior and secondary
schools and an additional vision screening test is given to children in their fifth year at senior schools.
Audiometry is carried out for any child who is referred by his family doctor and the result is sent to the doctor
so that he may carry out any necessary further investigations unless he specifically asks for these to be carried out
at the Audiology Unit.
In infant schools vision testing is carried out by the school nurse at periodic inspections and the orthoptists carry
out screening procedures for discovery of latent squints.
A senior audiometrician/vision tester has supplied the following report: —
"With the opening of more nursery schools and nursery classes, and the admission to school of most "rising 5's",
many more children under 5, including those in day nurseries, are being given annual hearing tests. Audiometry
in the special schools for handicapped children has been most successful and we appreciate the help and the
co-operation of the school staffs concerned. The percentage of these children who fail the test is higher than in
the other schools and a number of children have been issued with hearing aids.
Routine hearing tests continue in all other schools of the children in the following age groups: in the first and
last year in infant school; once in junior school; in the first year in secondary school.
The standard for passing screening tests is set purposely high and a high proportion of those who fail are found
to respond to simple corrective measures.
At the Audiology Unit we have been fortunate to obtain an impedence meter for measuring middle ear
pressures, which is used for diagnostic purposes.
373 ear mould impressions were taken at the Unit in 1972 with much improved results.
Vision screening tests with Keystone equipment continued as in previous years for children in the age groups
9-10, 11-12 and 15-16 years."
During 1972, the follow-up by orthoptists of Keystone screening "failures" gave the following results: —
Junior Schools
Senior Schools
Number
% (of
Keystone
"Failures")
Number
% (of
Leystone
"Failures")
Keystone "Failures" referred to
Orthoptist
521
_
277
—
Confirmed as failures by Orthoptist
390
74.8
242
87.3
Already receiving treatment
97
18.6
105
37.9
Minor defects not requiring treatment
127
24.4
87
31.4
Referred to ophthalmic clinic for
investigation
166
31.9
50
18
81