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(3) The setting up of a unit under the control of a suitably qualified
teacher to cater for children with emotional and behaviour difficulties for
whom boarding provision would not be recommended but for whom day
provision would be considered the most appropriate form of specialist
educational treatment. The unit will cater not only for children already
identified as needing this provision but will also be invaluable as a holding
unit for very short periods for children awaiting placement in a suitable
boarding school. This unit is sited in an ordinary primary school in order
to allow gradual integration into a normal class as the individual child's
progress permits.
Circular 12/70, dated 30th July 1970, asked authorities to review their
provision for children with serious impediments of sight and hearing. Only
two children come into this category—one was already attending a
residential school and one was under school age.
The above circular was followed later in the year by a joint circular
from the Departments of Health and Social Security and Education and
Science concerning the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.
This circular dealt with the provision of special educational treatment, so
far as is practicable, for children suffering from the dual handicap of deaf/
blindness, autism and other forms of childhood psychosis and acute
dyslexia. Special remedial reading facilities are already provided for
children diagnosed as suffering from dyslexia. These facilities are either
available locally at the Child Guidance Centre or Word Blind Centre in
London.
It is also proposed to open a small unit for severely emotionally
disturbed children (that is, children displaying some symptoms defined as
autistic) at the Whittlesea Road School.
A further provision in special educational treatment in the Borough
will be the setting up of a unit for partially hearing children. This unit will
be in a classroom in a primary school in order to provide the necessary
integration with children and teaching staff alike. The provision of this
unit will in addition provide a big advantage in the reduction of time that
children will have to spend travelling to school.
During the year, the Department was asked by the Special Services
Branch of the Department of Education and Science to help in a survey of
physically handicapped children attending ordinary schools. The purpose
of the survey was to determine.:
(a) How many physically handicapped children are there in ordinary
schools?
(b) What is the nature and degree of their handicap ?
(c) Do they absorb too much of the teacher's time at the expense
of non-handicapped children?
(d) Are they deriving at least as much educational benefit and
receiving as much medical and nursing attention as they might
do in a special school?