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63
"Early in the year the Education Authority supplied the
school with the latest model of the Multitone, a radio set
especially built for the deaf. Each child is supplied with a
headphone, fitted with a control for intensity and attached
to a separate cabinet which regulates pitch. This cabinet is
connected up with the main radio set. The teacher speaks
into the loud speaker and the human voice is greatly magnified,
the high notes being specially emphasised.
"This instrument is proving to be of great value to any
child who has the slightest patch of residual hearing, as it is
now possible to train and educate that patch, later to correct
speech faults and also to obtain more fluent and natural
speech.
"In cases where a child has never heard speech before,
much time is spent getting him accustomed to the human
voice, then to individual sounds, and on to words and short
sentences.
"The ordinary radio programmes can also be made useful
to deaf children. At first the difference between a piano,
organ, orchestra, singing—both solo and choir—had to be
recognised. This was not done until after many weeks' work.
"The school programmes are not of a great deal of value
at present, as the speech is far too rapid for the deaf, only
an occasional phrase or sentence being appreciated. However,
with the help of the teacher, the Nature and History
Talks have been of some educational value.
"This work with the Multitone is only in its experimental
stage, and in the future much more may be done which will
be of great value to the deaf."
(iii) Physically Defective School.—Your Authority provides
a Physically Defective School with accommodation for
80 pupils of both sexes.
Co-operation of Orthopædic Clinics.—The large majority of
new cases referred to the Clinic continued to be from the
Infant Welfare Centres.
The arrangement whereby the Welfare Masseuse and the
Health Visitors attended each clinic were continued. The
close liaison has proved very valuable.
The additional quarterly clinic sanctioned by the Maternity
and Child Welfare Committee to deal with the large number
of children under five years of age, has been continued.
The statistical report which follows shows the scope of the
work and the increase in the number attending.