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132
at the Child Guidance Clinic, evolved her own special way of
working with the children. She is about to start a family of her own.
We are very grateful to Mrs. Pym for establishing the classes and
for initiating in them a method of working which we value very
highly. We were very lucky that it was possible for Mrs. McGrath,
who like Mrs. Pym has taken the diploma course in the teaching of
of maladjusted children at London University Institute of Education,
to join the staff of the classes in September with a view to taking
over from Mrs. Pym when she left a term later. This overlap meant
that the children were able to get to know Mrs. McGrath and to feel
at home with her before Mrs. Pym left. This continuity is extremely
important in work with maladjusted children as changes of staff, or
indeed any changes, arouse their feelings of insecurity and instability
and if such a change can be made gradually, they are much
less disturbed by it. Mrs. McGrath achieved this aim, of gradually
working herself in, very smoothly and is carrying on with the valuable
work. Mrs. Shaw is still providing individual tuition for a number of
children who cannot respond to teaching in a group and is also very
much a part of the classes.
Mrs. Bowman's observation group has now been going long
enough for us to have reached decisions about the problems, needs
and probable future placement of some of the children. Out of seven
children, two are thought suitable for E.S.N, school, one is probably
ineducable and two seem to be above E.S.N, level in
intelligence but are severely emotionally disturbed; we are not yet
sure about the other two children who need further observation. It
was quite impossible to assess any of these children properly without
a period of observation and as each one was a serious and in
some cases impossible problem in an ordinary class, the observation
class is filling a very real need in providing special facilities for
the children so that they can be taken out of the ordinary school to
relieve the immediate pressure of the problem for child and school,
but the decision about the most suitable ultimate placement for the
children can be made without this pressure of urgency. Because
time can be allowed to study the children closely and find out a lot
about them in the observation group, the final decisions on placement
are much more sound and reliable than they would be if the
children had to be assessed without this opportunity."
New Cases 102
Follow ups for Schools 99
Follow ups for Clinic 119
Remedial Education Cases 10
Children referred to C.G.C 16