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29
Miss Hammond, Educational Psychologist, contributes the
following report:—
The great majority of children were referred to the Psychologist
for backwardness primarily, but there were usually accompanying
symptoms.
Among the educational problems the varied causes for retardation
were evident. Dullness was the most outstanding single
causative factor. Absence from school at critical points in learning
progress, causing failures to grasp the foundation processes of reading
and numbering, was also responsible for a large number of
failures.
On the other hand it was found that many children who were
apparently failures in school work were actually working up to
capacity. Some were of Special School grade and were recommended
for admission to that school. The great majority, however,
were capable of adapting to school life and learning, when the real
nature of their limitations was understood by their Teachers, and
allowances and adjustments accordingly made. A few were found
to be ineducable.
The number of school cases and school visits had to be reduced
in 1947 as compared with 1946 because of the increased number of
children needing individual remedial teaching at the Clinic, and the
Psychologist was asked to undertake this work. During the latter
part of the year she took 16 children per week for remedial
teaching and in the earlier part of the year 15 children per week.