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159
A wide variety of training courses .has been held in both
boroughs for professional and lay workers.
During 1969 a partially hearing nursery unit attached to a
normal primary school is to be established in Merton. This will be
staffed by a qualified and experienced teacher of the deaf assisted by
a nursery helper, and will serve both as a diagnostic and teaching unit.
Children attending special schools and units outside the
borough attend special clinics, in order that their educational placements
can be reviewed. School leavers were also seen at special
clinics in conjunction with the social welfare officer for the deaf, so
as to establish close co-operation between the school and post-school
services for these handicapped children in adult life.
The service is staffed by a medical officer specially trained
in this work who is assisted by two audiometricians and two teachers of
the deaf. All pupils have a routine hearing test between the ages of
six and seven and again on entry into the secondary school.
Details of the work undertaken in schools:
Children sweep tested - Primary 1,491
Secondary 2,046 - 3,537
Children who failed test - Primary 88
Secondary 57 - 145
Result of investigations by school medical officers:
No significant hearing loss on clinical examination 46
No significant hearing loss, but child appears
mentally retarded 2
Hearing loss confirmed and attributed to:
(i) Catarrhal condition (with or without
(inflammation of ear) 34
(ii) Old Otitis Media 10
(iii) Injury
(iv) Other causes 26
(v) Undetermined causes 14
Investigations incomplete at end of year 10
Investigations not possible - left district or
otherwise unavailable for examination 3