View report page

96
Diagnosis relating to the nine closed cases mentioned above
Stammer 1
Dyslalia—ranging from comparatively slight articulation
defects to unintelligible speech 7
Dyslalia plus Dysphonia 1
9
During 1950 facilities have been given to the Therapist to
help in assessing the intelligence of children. Such testing can
be of inestimable value as a child's innate intellectual ability
cannot be dissociated from his articulatory and linguistic ability
at any given age.
Work with young children is handicapped at the Bromley
Clinic owing to the fact that the room used for Speech Therapy
is unsuitable for some forms of treatment. For example, it has
been found that where the defect in young children is related to
psychological causes, treatment through play may produce
results where direct work on speech proves of little value. The
room used at the Bromley Clinic is ideal for work with
adolescents and interviews with parents but unfortunately there
is not enough floor space to make the introduction of sufficient
play material for young children possible. If such an approach
is to be used in treatment, it is desirable to have a room in which
the child has scope to express himself freely without being constrained
by the Therapist to avoid touching medical equipment
belonging to other clinics.
The Waiting List at Bromley constitutes a very serious
problem. This problem cannot be relieved to any extent until
more premises suitable for Speech Therapy are available, and
more Speech Therapists are appointed. These two factors link
together, as the introduction of one without the other would be
useless."
26 new cases were referred during the year.
EXCEPTIONAL AND HANDICAPPED CHILDREN.
74 attendances were made at the special clinic held at the
Municipal Offices for exceptional and handicapped children.
Details of handicapped children are shown in the Appendix.
Each one of these examinations demands much patience and time
of the medical officer and although the numbers appear small, the
time necessary is great. This table does not include those cases
reported for residential care as this return will be included in
that for the County as a whole.