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73
disposition, and some to physical defect; but there remained many
which could not be attributed to either of these causes. With the
increase during recent years in knowledge of child psychology it
has been found possible to find a remedy for many behaviour
problems which were formerly considered to be untractable.
Child guidance work is a fairly recent development; and,
whereas its application is making steady progress, its methods
have by no means reached a final stage. All children are subject
to moral and social training in varying degrees. Child guidance is
not a substitute for such training, but it does help the training to
be more effective in cases where it has failed. Most children can
adapt themselves to any environment, some (mental and moral
defectives) find it impossible to adapt themselves to any environment,
and many can adapt themselves only to the environment
particularly suited to their constitution. It is the function of child
guidance to deal with the last category. The chief difficulty in
the application of child guidance is inability to exercise adequate
control over unsuitable parents. Whereas other environmental
factors are controllable, the most important factor (parentage) often
presents difficulty and obstruction which is difficult to overcome.
SPEECH THERAPY.
For some years past the work of the Speech Therapist has been
regarded as primarily educational, and the majority of those
employed by Local Education Authorities have in fact been recognised
or approved as specialist teachers under Schedule I (6) or II
(5) of the Code of Regulations for Public Elementary Schools. When
they were engaged full-time in or in connection with the schools
their service has been counted as contributory service under the
Teachers (Superannuation) Acts.
Recently, however, there have been certain changes in the
courses of training for Speech Therapists and in the actual work on
which they are employed. In England the training is now given
in four Training Schools, each of which is maintained by, or conducted
in close association with, a hospital and comprises instruction
in anatomy, physiology, neurology, pathology of the ear, nose and
throat, phonetics and speech therapy. It does not include training
in teaching, in handling classes of children or in school practice.
Correspondingly the work which the Speech Therapists have to do
has been decreasingly educational and more curative. It is carried
out, in part at least, under medical supervision; and the only persons