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assistance of a working student who can herself treat another 4 carefully
chosen children per session.
In spite of this there was an almost constant waiting list of about
40 for this clinic and about 30 for Maysebrook. A part-time Therapist
was therefore employed at Mayesbrook Clinic in October for a
probationary period of one year. The position at present is:—
Full time Therapist—8 sessions per week at Valentines
3 „ „ „ „ Mayesbrook
Part time Therapist—3 „ „ „ „ „
The hoped for result has obtained only at Mayesbrook: at
Valentines Clinic the apparent increase in speech difficulties has kept
the waiting list at its high level. This increase may be real, or may
be due to the fact that (1) parents are more readly accepting the offer
of help for their children, and (2) that both the Ilford Speech Therapists
accept pre-school children. It is important that these children
be referred to the Speech Clinic as soon as the parent shows any
anxiety, for this in itself may produce a severe difficulty in a child
with originally only a mild defect. Reassurance and advice to parents
at this early stage may preclude the child's attendance at the Speech
Clinic. Moreover, defects are often easier to correct at an early age
while the speech mechanisms are still plastic.
It is interesting to note that in the majority of cases of dyslalia
(substitutions of speech sounds, or baby speech, with no organic
cause), unfavourable home conditions and emotional disorders similar
to those affecting stammerers obtain.
Group treatment was found to be particularly useful with the
under fives. These are often only children, or children who for some
other reason have little or no other opportunity to mix with their own
age group. In these cases Speech Therapy is completely indirect and
the latter part of each session is usually spent in group or individual
play while Therapist and parents discuss home treatment and associated
problems. Parents are co-operative on the whole.
Attendance during term time is generally good (75%—80%) but
is extremely poor during school holidays (30%—50% maximum), even
by many children who are spending holidays at home.
Head teachers and class teachers have been most helpful both in
their information about the children, and in their co-operation, where
possible, with treatment. In cases of mild dyslalia help could be
given by teachers during reading lessons, and this could be undertaken
in co-operation with the Speech Therapist.
The Speech Clinic was given the use of a Grundig Tape Recorder
for a short period. It was found to be invaluable in the treatment of
stammerers. With dyslalics the recorder was an excellent aid to eartraining.
The full time use of a Tape Recorder would probably shorten,
to a great extent, the period of treatment required.
During the year the innovation of regular visits to this and other
Clinics by Dr. Gross, to discuss problems and to ensure a better linkup
between various departments dealing with the same children, has
proved a great asset.
The following is a statistical analysis of work undertaken during
the year."
By the end of the year, 147 individual children of school age had
received speech therapy at the Clinics making a total of 2,542 attendances.