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The total number of attendances during the year was 2,187.
Miss P. A. Older, L.C.S.T., Speech Therapist, has submitted
the following report in regard to her clinic at Marks Road
Annexe:—
Full-time speech therapy at Marks Road Clinic commenced
in Mid-August, 1961. During the ensuing period from August
to December much initial groundwork was necessary in the
establishment of a clinical programme.
Three sessions each week were devoted to the visiting of day
nurseries, infants, junior and secondary schools in addition to
home visits and establishing contacts with the Medical Officers,
the Educational Physchologist and the Physiotherapists.
By the end of December 44 children were receiving treatment
on a weekly, bi-weekly, or fortnightly basis; and in all 443
attendances at the clinic had been made.
The majorty of these children came in the 4-9 years age group
and included cases of:
dyslalia—(defective articulation or slow development of
articulatory patterns arising from deficient intelligence;
emotional disturbance or immaturity; or imitation of
abnormal patterns of articulation)
dyseneia—(defective articulation arising from defects in
hearing)
dysarthria—(neuro-muscular articulatory disorder with incoordination
of phonation, respiration and articulation)
dysphasia—(incomplete language function due to impairment
of the dominant cerebral hemisphere subserving the
special intellectual functions concerned with the use of
language)
and structural defects.
The first four months culminated in a party for children who
attended the clinic, and was held on the Saturday preceding
Christmas Some thirty children between the ages of three and 11
attended. Therapeutically this endeavour proved of great value.
Those with only slight handicaps gained confidence to find others
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