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40
THE FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT
for the
Year ending 31st December, 1938,
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 1938, 1,124 special children were examined or re-examined. Of the 315
original examinations included in the 1,124 examined, 59 were found to be physically defective, 16
mentally defective, 2 partially blind, 20 dull and backward, 168 anaemic and debilitated, 23 defective
speech, 4 deaf or partially deaf, 12 normal, and 11 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 114. The
actual number on the roll at the 31st December, 1938, was 121 (including 33 children from the Middlesex
area). The average attendance for the year was 98. There were no children awaiting admission
to this school at the end of the year.
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, 2 children were
transferred to residential institutions and 6 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.
The Certifying Medical Officer visits the school weekly for the purpose of revision of classification
and for medical examination of the children. 101 such examinations were made during 1938.
The school dinners are brought from Furness Road Feeding Centre and served in the school hall.
On an average 70 children take the school dinners and the remainder bring their own meal.
During the year routine medical and dental inspection of the children attending this school
was carried out. 92 children were medically examined and 82 were dentally inspected. Nine were