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68
filled, only one speech therapist has been undertaking the work
since that time. In consequence of such radical reduction in staff,
two alternatives were open :—
(1) To cut down the number of children attending and
thereby continue to give each child the same amount of treatment
as he had received when there were two speech therapists
practising; or
(2) To cut down the length of treatment each child
received per week, taking suitable stammerers of a similar
age and the same sex in small groups.
The second alternative was adopted, as it seemed preferable
that a comparatively large number of children should receive
treatment—though their rate of progress would be slightly slower—
rather than that a smaller number received treatment, resulting
in a very long waiting list. (It is emphasised that some defects
tend to become intensified where treatment is deferred).
The following figures show the number of cases dealt with in
1947 as compared with the previous year :—
Children under treatment at the end of December,
1946 122
Children under treatment at the end of December,
1947 101
Children discharged during 1946 60
Children discharged during 1947 42
Student assistants from the West End Hospital for Nervous
Diseases have been attending two days per week during May, June
and July ; and three days per week during the months September
to December, 1947.
The new clinic premises at the High Road Baths became
available on April 21st. They comprise two rooms and are a great
improvement on the unsuitable premises in schools previously
available.
In October it was no longer possible for the speech therapist
to have the accommodation previously available in Goodall Infants'
School, and it then became necessary to transfer to the new clinic
at High Road Baths the children who had been attending Goodall
School. In view of the greater distances of certain schools from
the clinic premises, in cases where the parents could not accompany
the children arrangements have been made for them to be accompanied
by school helpers or speech therapy students.