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begin with two classes were taken between 12.30 and 2 p.m. As
particular faults became identified, one class was allocated to general
vowel and other training, and the other for individual training.
Since the immediate need was to correct the diction of boys shortly
leaving school, treatment was concentrated on the third form and
above.
Mr. Stirrup goes on to state that one interesting result of the
experiment has been to indicate the need for orthdontic and
possibly medical treatment in some cases. The availability of a
speech recorder was most valuable in recording progress.
Miss C. M. Borthwick, L.C.S.T., reports as follows:—
"The figures for the annual report have been set out in a
somewhat different manner this year, the chief change being that
cases under observation are shown. This includes those attending
for interview and advice only and those returning for check-up
following treatment. The classification of speech defects has also
been simplified and clarified.
"An innovation this year has been an afternoon meeting of
mothers, to whom a talk on speech therapy was given. Between
twenty and thirty mothers attended. This was only a small percentage
of those invited, but nevertheless enough to make the
meeting a success. Considerable interest was expressed and it did
encourage one or two to request private interviews with me. I
hope to make this meeting an annual event.
"We have now a new tape recorder, a Vortexion. This is a
far superior machine to any we have used before and will prove a
great asset to the clinic."
Miss J. A. Rasor, L.C.S.T., reports:—
"An examination of the figures shows a distribution of cases
similar to that of last year; however, it is interesting to note that
the introduction of the new analysis of speech defects reveals that
a fair percentage of stammerers have varying degrees of dyslalia.
"Although not shown in this analysis it is also a feature of
other stammerers to have an accompanying voice defect. The relief
of these, cause or effect, symptoms has in many cases led to the
successful removal of the principal difficulty of stammering.
"Discussion with parents and head teachers has brought to
light the increased incidence of nervous behaviour, such as enuresis
and nail biting, accompanying even very slight speech defects and
the general characteristic of 'nervous' mumbling is still a very
common mark of the old dyslalic patient.