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145
was maintained between the Educational Psychologists and the
Medical Officers in Department. A third Educational Psychologist
has been appointed and is warmly welcomed to the Service.
Audiology Service
Two Medical Officers have particular responsibilities in this
field and I am happy to submit this report which can be considered
as follows:—
This is the first year in which an attempt has been made to
otter all entrants a sweep audiometer test at their routine medical
examination and this introduction to earlier sweep testing has
been accepted enthusiastically by all concerned, including the
children only a few of whom have been unable to co-operate.
A number of cases of catarrhal deafness was confirmed in this
age group, and there was one child found to have monaural deafness
with a complete and irreversible deafness in one ear of which
neither parents nor the child was aware.
Cases of catarrhal deafness are followed up and those which
are followed up and those which fail to resolve spontaneously,
which in our experience constitute the minority, are referred
through their General Practitioners to our local consultants or to
consultants in the London teaching hospitals with all of whom a
good liaison is maintained.
Routine testing of vision and hearing continues to be carried
out at the eight year level and in certain schools sweep tests of
hearing are included routinely at the intermediate and leavers
examinations also. The Youth Employment Service is notified
of any permanent handicap on form Y9 which is completed at the
leavers examination.
At the Audiology Clinic we continue to hold weekly sessions
run jointly by medical officers and teachers of the deaf. Infants are
referred from clinics for failure of their hearing tests. Children
from school may also be referred and those school children with
established hearing losses are regularly followed up.
Details of attendances at the Audiology Clinic are as
follows:—
Number of sessions held 38
No. of
children No. of
seen attendances
Over 2 years of age 87 109
Under 2 years of age 42 49
129 158
On the principle that handicaps rarely occur singly, and where
it is felt, necessary, a comprehensive assessment is made of infants
and children visiting the Audiology Clinic, and this search for