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102
Audiology
The joint audiology service with the London Borough of
Merton continued to expand. The partially hearing nursery unit
continues to provide for a very real need and plans are well advanced
to open a similar unit for children of primary school age at
accommodation at a school in Tolworth. It is expected that the
new unit will open in September 1972.
Dysart School
By virtue of the Education (Handicapped Children) Act 1970,
responsibility for Kingston Junior Training Centre was transferred
from the Health Committee to the Education Committee on 1 April 1971.
The Centre was renamed Dysart School and the 54 children in attendance
will continue to receive the whole range of health services available
to school children.
St.Philip's School
Younger children continue to be admitted to this school at
the age for normal school entry. They gain in confidence as a result
of receiving education with their equals. If they were to attend an
ordinary school with much larger classes, they would be likely to drop
rapidly behind others in the same age group, become frustrated and
discouraged, which not infrequently causes many other problems.
Bedelsford School
The work of this school continues and there were 68 children
attending at the end of the year. Over the years the nature of the
handicapping condition for which a child is admitted has changed. This
is due in part to immunisation against poliomyelitis which has
significantly reduced the incidence of the illness, ans also to improved
surgical techniques in overcoming congenital abnormalities.
Health Service Reorganisation
The uncertainty of the future administration of various sections
of the work of the School Health Service caused much disquiet and doubt
both in health and education circles during the year. No guidance
however, materialised.