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Prom time to time also, a meeting of the ascertainment team is called at the
Audiology Clinic to discuss and make recommendations regarding referrals for wider
investigations, school placement and extra educational provision. Children
discussed at these meetings are often additionally handicapped either in themselves
or in their environment.
We also have the assistance of the Welfare Officers for the Deaf and the
Special Services Officer for the Handicapped, in providing vocational guidance for
the hearing handicapped child.
b) The Unit for Hearing Impaired Children has been included in a study on the
extent to which it is practicable to educate severely deaf children in ordinary
schools. This is being conducted for the London Institute of Education by Dr. Dale,
Senior Lecturer in teaching of the deaf and partially hearing children, and
supported by the Ewing Foundation. (Three other Boroughs are included in the survey
and also children of a similar degree of deafness already placed in schools for the
deaf.)
The study provides a consultation service and a six monthly record of speech
and language development, educational and social progress. These tests are conducted
by Dr. Dale and his research associates.
There are twenty-two children in the Unit - the majority are severely deaf.
One who has only moderate hearing loss is now almost full-time in the normally
hearing class and returns to the Unit only for spoech and language. There is also
one partially hearing child in the Infants who has some speech training help from
the Unit.
Also under the heading "Audiology Service" I am grateful to Mr. D.R. Barraclougl
Chief Education Officer, for the following report on the service for the hearing
impaired childs-
The Borough Unit for hearing impaired children was transferred to new,
specially equipped premises at the Darrick Wood Schools in September 1969* By
December 1969 number of children there were as followss-
Nursery Groups : 8
Infant Class : 6
Junior Class : 8
These children are integrated as much as is practicable with hearing classes
in the Infant and Junior Schools, and the two heads and their staffs have worked
hard for the success of the Unit. No children over the age of 8 attend the Unit as
these have previously been placed elsewhere.
Thirteen children attend day schools for the deaf or partially hearing units
outside the Borough. Seven attend residential schools for the deaf. The Borough's
Peripatetic Service arranges for special help for 8 pre-school children, for 40
children with hearing aids at ordinary schools and for 44 children with hearing
defects who do not wear hearing aids but who attend ordinary schools.
The two Peripatetic Teachers of the Deaf have weekly sessions at home, in
schools or at the Audiology Clinic with 20 children. They also attend fortnightly
clinics taken by the Medical Officers in Department with special responsibility
for the deaf child for assessing new cases and reviewing old ones. This has been
very helpful for co-ordinating the medical and educational aspects of the work.
Meetings to consider particular problem cases have continued, attended by Dr. Dale
of London University, the Educational Psychologists and other members of the
Authority's staff.
The Connevans group hearing aids at the Part.ally Hearing Unit have been taken
into use. The Peripatetic Teachers have acquired among other items a Phillips'
Russaid radio-microphone for use in the Langley Park Boys' School by a severely
deaf 11 year old and his teachers. This new development in communication for
hearing impaired school children is proving successful, and it is hoped to acquire
more Russaids in the future.
The practice of purchasing individual commercial hearing aids on otologists'
recommendations has continued, also the arrangements for maintaining these and
National Health Service (Modresco) aids.
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