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143
Diseases and Defects of Ear, Nose and Throat
Children suffering from these defects are examined and treated either
at the minor ailment clinic or referred to family doctor or to hospital
out-patient departments for specialist advice, after prior discussion with
general practitioner.
Hearing in School Children
Gross defects of hearing are usually fairly obvious and appropriate
arrangements are made for the child's education. Lesser defects are not
so easily identified and can, if missed, interfere with a child's educational
progress. In order to find these children, audiometer sweep tests are
carried out with the following criteria:—
(1) Children to have their hearing tested three times in their school
lives;
(2) Each child to have its first routine check of hearing not later than
the age of seven;
(3) Special cases (e.g. children failing to develop proper speech,
children suffering from cerebral palsy, children failing without
apparent reason to make progress at school) to be seen as
"specials."
Children failing a sweep audiometer test are called to the school clinic,
where a full puretone audiometric test is given, followed by a medical
examination to exclude any pathologigal condition which might be the
cause of deafness. Simple conditions, such as wax in ears, are dealt with at
the clinic but a child with more serious defects is referred to hospital for
specialist opinion. In cases where no obvious cause can be found, further
investigation is arranged at the Audiology Unit at Neasden in the London
Borough of Brent.
Children Wearing Hearing Aids in Ordinary Schools
Children wearing hearing aids in ordinary schools are kept under
regular supervision. In addition, peripatetic teachers of the deaf attached
to the audiology units act as links between Unit and school, and are
also able to advise teachers over difficulties experienced with the children
in class.
Number of children wearing hearing aids in ordinary schools 45
Number of commercial hearing aids supplied during the year 2
Orthopaedic and Postural Defects
Children found at periodic school medical inspections or at the minor
ailments clinics to have orthopaedic or postural defects are referred for
specialist advice to the Harrow Hospital Physical Treatment Centre.
Cases requiring physiotheraphy are dealt with at the Centre, under
the direction of the visiting orthpaedic surgeons. During the year, 47
pupils received treatment at the Centre.