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parents of a succeeding generation have attained for themselves good mental
health in its full implications, and thoroughly assimilated the knowledge
of the life of childhood which mak.es for happiness in the child, the family
and ultimately in the community.
Speech Therapy Clinic.
Miss J„R„ Vokins, Speech Therapist, presents the following report on
the work of this clinic:-
"During the year 1953, 59 new cases were referred to the Speech
Therapy Clinic, and the total number of attendances was 1,569.
The majority of cases receiving regular treatment have been Dyslallcs,
a term covering almost any type of articulation defect. These cases
varied In degree from an inability to say 's' to a severe defect in which
the child's speech was quite unintelligible and he appeared to be speaking
a language of his own. Dyslalla is often accompanied by reading and
writing difficulties and, in many cases, advance in these subjects has been
accelerated as the child's speech has Improved. Good progress has been
made In almost all cases where the parents have been co-operative and the
child has been at least of 'low average' mental ability.
Other attendances have included a fairly high proportion of stammerers,
2 cases of speech defects accompanying a hare-lip and cleft-palate, and
several cases of Rhlnophonia. The latter term refers to voice defects in
which there is either insufficient or excessive nasal resonance in the
voice, often rendering speech Indistinct.
The practice of gradually reducing the number of therapy sessions for
the improved cases until their discharge from the clinic, has been continued:
this is to prevent any recurrence of the speech defect which can
result from an abrupt cessation of treatment. In some cases, treatment
in the speech clinic has been temporarily postponed until after treatment
in the Ear, Nose and Throat, Child Guidance or Dental Clinics.
Approximately one session per week has been devoted to school visiting.
The purposes of these visits are;-
(1) To check up on a scholar's progress and speech in school.
(2) To give the teachers any advice they may ask for in regard to
assisting the children with speech defects in school. This
may include indicating the way to overcome very slight defects
which do not require regular treatment.
(3) To check up on children who, for various reasons, have not been
attending the clinic.
(4) To get further insight into a patient's behaviour and difficulties.
(5) To ensure that the school and clinic are working together and not
against each other in helping the child.
It is regretted that the complete absorption of the number of available
working hours by cases requiring regular treatment has prevented any home
visiting.
There was a change of Speech Therapist during the year when Miss
Glover completed her service with the authority at the end of July,
During December the speech clinic was transferred from Shrewsbury Road
School to the Manor Park Clinic extension where our work is being continued
In pleasant and more convenient surroundings."