View report page

148
Delicate, Maladjusted, Educationally Sub-Normal, Epileptic and
Speech Defects.
Once a child has been ascertained as handicapped surveillance
is maintained and recommendations for special educational treatment
are forwarded to the Chief Education Officer for his consideration
and action. Special appointments are arranged for the
Medical Officer to see these children, either at a Clinic or at the
child's home, depending usually on the degree or type of handicap.
Before a recommendation is made the advice of the various appropriate
Hospital Consultants, with whom there is a very close
liaison, is sought.
During the year 59 boys and 27 girls were assessed as needing
special educational treatment at special schools. Details of the
various handicaps are included in the following table.
The Borough is fortunate in possessing three day schools for
educationally sub-normal pupils, and a report on each of these
schools will be found later in this Report. The detailed discussions
that have taken place with the Education and Architect Departments,
convinces one that the new School for Physically Handicapped
at Coopers will soon appear in a concrete form.
Obtaining the best possible arrangements for the education
of the handicapped child requires time and patience, but the effort
involved is fully justified by the results obtained. It should be
stressed that the assessment of a handicapped child does not
consist merely in appraising the defects. The assets—what the
child can do, the total environment etc., must not be forgotten.
Further, there is a new approach to this often purely clinical
examination, namely an attempt to see the child in the home and
school environment because a handicap or defect can have a
different meaning to a Doctor, a Parent or a Child.
Some confusion often exists in what is meant by a handicapped
child. It is often thought that if a child has any defect it could be
termed a handicap, but the briefest consideration will make one
realise that many people have achieved incredible success in overcoming
obstacles in adapting themselves to the difficulties presented
by their disabilities, whether they are physical, social or possibly
emotional. However, under the Act a handicapped pupil is defined
as one for whom special educational provision must be made. It
will, therefore, be appreciated that there are many children in
ordinary schools with certain deformities or disabilities which do
not prevent their taking part in the full life of the school or require
special facilities for their instruction. During the year it was,
therefore, interesting to carry out an investigation into the number,
location and type of physical disability of children attending
ordinary schools. This was carried out at the request of the
Department of Education and Science, the previous investigation
having been done about eighteen years ago. Two very detailed