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141
in the provision of courses for health visitors and for parents of
hearing handicapped children.
A partial hearing nursery unit was opened in Merton at
Easter 1969 equipped with modern audiological teaching aids. This
unit primarily serving Kingston and Merton provides special educational
and diagnostic equipment and is staffed by an experienced teacher of
the deaf and a nursery assistant. A primary school extension is
contemplated.
It is most gratifying that general practitioners are more
aware of the service provided and are using the facilities for
audiometric assessment, A limited service is given by the Senior
Audiometrician for adults attending geriatric clinics.
The new National Health Service ear-level aid has now been
fitted to all eligible children, in close co-operation with the
excellent service offered by the Hearing Aid Department at St.Helier
Hospital. This improved cosmetic aid has resulted in a reduction
in the commercial aids previously purchased by the local authority.
The following are details of work undertaken in the schools:
Children sweep tested: Primary 2172
Secondary 1368 3540
Children who failed test: Primary 144
Secondary 49 193
Result of investigations by school medical officers
No significant hearing loss on clinical
examination 47
No significant hearing loss, but child
appears mentally retarded 1
Hearing loss confirmed and attributed to:
(i) Catarrhal condition (with or
without inflammation of ear) 48
(ii) Old otitis media 12
(iii) Injury
(iv) Other causes 42
(v) Undetermined causes 10