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82
Spef.ch Clinics.
Mrs. M. Walker, the Senior Speech Therapist, reports on the work of
the Speech Clinics during 1958 as follows:—
" The Speech Therapists in the Ilford Area are as follows:—Mrs.
Walker —full-time— Valentines Clinic.
Mrs. McGill — 6 sessions per week—Mayesbrook Clinic.
Mrs. Pretious— 6 sessions per week—Cerebral Palsy Unit.
4 sessions per week— Manford Way Clinic.
1 session per week— Fairlop School.
This year has seen more pre-school children referred for speech
therapy than ever before. One obvious result is the possibility of
preventing a more severe form of speech disorder developing, as has
happened so often in the past when parents waited for spontaneous
improvement or confused the child with too frequent correction. It
has also given the opportunity for greater experiment in group treatments
for the under-fives, and in most cases this has proved much more
satisfactory than the somewhat unnatural one-child, one-adult therapist
situation. Also it gives many of these children the only opportunity
during their week to play with other children of their own age and
interests. Each child, of course, has a short individual session during
the group period with the therapist.
At the other end of the age scale several boys have been recommended
for speech therapy. These boys apparently had been known to
stammer for 2-4 years and had not been referred for speech therapy until
they had become severe psychogenic stammerers; by then they were
generally in, or approaching, adolescence. This is recognised as being
the most notoriously difficult period in which to attempt treatment.
The importance of not waiting for children to grow out of their
speech difficulties is stressed once again. Consultation between the
parents and the speech therapist at an early stage could preclude the
need for some of these children to receive treatment in the actual clinics
at all."
The defects treated were as follows:—
Stammer 53
Dyslalia 130
Retarded speech and language 13
Hearing losses 7
Cleft Palate 6
Dysarthria 4
Neurological 1
Treatment not needed 4
Others 9
96 children of school age were discharged from the Clinics during the
year. In 63 cases the speech was normal. Of the remaining 33 cases, 13
left the district. 1 improved, 7 ceased to attend, 6 left school, 2 were referred
elsewhere, 4 did not require treatment.