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38
THE FIRST ANNUAL REPORT
for the
Year ending 31st December, 1934,
on the
WORK IN CONNECTION WITH ABNORMAL CHILDREN.
Up to the year 1934 a summary of the work done in connection with these children was
incorporated in the body of the Report.
Abnormal Children.—Under this category are included the following classes of children:
Merely dull or backward, mentally defective (feeble-minded), imbecile, moral defective, idiot, physically
defective, blind or partially blind, deaf-mute or semi-mute or semi-deaf and epileptic.
These cases are reported to the Authority by parents, Head Teachers, Health Nurses, School
Attendance Officers, Hospitals and similar institutions, voluntary societies and private medical
practitioners. They are submitted to a special medical examination and are placed in a Special
Day or Residential School or ordinary elementary school, according to the character and degree of
the abnormality.
During the year 1934, 1,213 special children were examined or re-examined. Of the 392
original examinations included in the 1,213 examined, 80 were found to be physically defective, 20
mentally defective, 8 blind and partially blind, 35 dull and backward, 215 anaemic and debilitated,
17 defective speech, 6 deaf and dumb, 2 epileptic, 3 unstable, and 6 cases of behaviour problem.
Leinster Mentally Defective School.—The certified accommodation at this school is
for 140 children and during the year under review the average number on the roll was 126. The
actual number on the roll at the 31st December, 1934, was 128. The average attendance for the
year was 110. There were 4 children awaiting admission to this school at the end of the year owing
to want of room on the school omnibus.
The staff consists of one Head Teacher, one full-time Assistant Master and four full-time
Assistant Mistresses. There are in addition three part-time Instructors—one for boot-making, one
for handicraft and one for domestic economy.
Five children were allowed to leave school before reaching the age of 16 years ; 8 children were
notified to the Middlesex County Council, which is the local authority under the Mental Deficiency
Acts, 1913-27, as requiring supervision or guardianship and 5 were transferred to Residential Institutions.
The Certifying Medical Officer visits the school weekly for the purpose of revision of classification
and for medical examination of the children. 108 such examinations were made during 1934.
The school dinners are brought from Furness Road Feeding Centre and served in the school hall.
On an average 75 children take the school dinners and the remainder bring their own meal.
During the year routine medical inspection of all the children attending this school was carried
out. 109 children were examined, 7 of whom were found to require medical and 29 dental treatment,
and the following table gives a return of the defects found at medical inspection:—