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48
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES
Routine Medical Inspections.
There has been a further increase in the number of inspections, particularly for the 7—8 age
group, born during the peak years following the war.
Orthoptics.
In 1949 attention was drawn to the need for orthoptic treatment of school children. The
ophthalmic surgeon estimated that 70 children annually require this treatment, and only a very small number
could attend the Wembley clinic. The majority did not receive treatment because their parents could not
arrange to take them to the Western ophthalmic hospital (no local hospital held orthoptic sessions).
In June 1954 the County Council established a part-time orthoptic clinic in Willesden for two
sessions each week. Additional sessions will soon be required, employing a full-time officer.
Audiometry.
Loss of hearing in school children is often the cause of education retardation, speech defects and
inferiority complexes. About four times as many children with loss of hearing are detected by audiometry
as by the ordinary routine medical inspection.
The County Council in 1949, therefore, introduced an audiometry scheme in two areas, and then
extended it to the rest of the county; in February, 1954 testing by a pure tone audiometer started in this
area.
Children between the ages of 7—11 have a routine test, other children are examined if hearing loss
is suspected. They cannot have a complete investigation of hearing loss with the audiometer used, and so
arrangements have been made for special cases to have a further test at Ealing with a comprehensive puretone
audiometer.

Ascertainment of Handicapped Pupils.
The local education authority has a duty to examine any handicapped child over the age of 2 years,
and to ascertain children under the categories of handicapped children specified in the School Health and
Handicapped Pupils Regulations of 1953, namely:—blind, partially sighted, deaf, partially deaf, educationally
sub-normal, epileptic, maladjusted, physically handicapped, delicate pupils, and those suffering from
speech defect.
Parents, health visitors, hospitals, private doctors and teachers usually refer children for examination.
A medical officer of the authority examines them and the parent is invited to be present; a
statutory form is then completed.
The medical officer who examines educationally sub-normal children must be approved by the
Ministry of Education; a psychiatrist examines maladjusted children. The Divisional Executive ascertains
formally under Section 34 of the Education Act, 1944.
Blind or partially sighted children are placed on the blind or partially sighted register.
Handicapped children are recommended for special education, either in an ordinary school, day
or residential special schools, or at home. The county education officer arranges many of the special
placements, but the Divisional Executive arranges admissions to the two day special schools in Willesden,
the physically handicapped and educationally sub-normal.
Speech Therapy.
Daily sessions of speech therapy become necessary at the Lower Place physically handicapped school
with the admission of more spastic cases with speech defects; in addition the waiting list for children
attending ordinary schools was growing. The County Council, therefore, increased the establishment for
speech therapists by the equivalent of one whole-time officer; the two speech therapists working part-time
in Wembley were transferred from other areas to work whole-time in Area 6. Children attending Lower
Place school for physically handicapped pupils have now received much more needed attention and the
general waiting list has been reduced considerably.