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and chronic ear troubles aggravated by lack of parental care was sent to a residential
open air school in an effort to improve his general condition and ensure regular treatment
for the otorrhoea. This family requires visits from either the school medical
officer or the school health visitor before any co-operation can be obtained. Two
families with behaviour difficulties were visited at home. One child required an
operation for an orthopaedic defect. She saw the consultant without her parent and the
home was visited later.
The c-hildren who come from long distances in Essex and where parents are difficult
or neglectful, are referred to the Forest Division Health Department and their
co-operation in seeing that treatment is secured for the children concerned is most
helpful.
EPILEPSY
This is not a cause of much anxiety in the school generally as the cases are all
well controlled with the exception of one girl who was recommended for home tuition
after the summer term. Her fits became so frequent and so prolonged that she spent most
of her time in the sick bay, and the almost daily occurence was very disrupting to her
school mates and the teaching staff. This girl has been in hospital several times and
is under constant medical care, but she has steadily deteriorated mentally and seems
to be resistant to treatment. She makes a little progress with the home teacher but the
outlook is not a very happy one.
One boy admitted some weeks before the end of 1962 on trial has settled down fairly
well and the staff are hopeful that he will be able to stay. He has temporal lobe
epilepsy, possibly brain damage of some kind, and has been a difficult boy since the
age of 5 years. Dr.Barnardo's Homes requested that he be given a trail in Harrow Green
as no one else would keep him. It looks as if it might be a success though he can be
excessively difficult at times.
COMMUNITY CARE
Now that the parents' consent has to be obtained before a child can be referred
for Community Care to the Local Mental Welfare Authority there have been several children
leaving school who, because of parental opposition, have been without the safeguard
for the future that this referral could give. One boy whom school and medical staff
alike knew would not keep in work has been drifting around for 6 months now. He could
be in the Senior Training Centre if his parents could have been persuaded to agree. He
has been recommended for the Disabled Persons Register but this does not really cover
his difficulties.
Four other children were also recommended for the Disabled Persons Register, one
spastic girl, one girl partially sighted and partially deaf, one boy with epilepsy and
one girl with epilepsy.
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