View report page

48
Dr. Poole attended a course at the Royal National Throat,
Nose and Ear Hospital on the Early Diagnosis and Care of the
Deaf Child, and the provision of a pure-tone audiometer through
the Principal School Medical Officer enabled an up-to-date assessment
to be made of all the children attending the Walthamstow
School for the Deaf. It was found possible to return two children
to hearing schools, one being provided with an improved (transistor)
hearing aid, and similar aids were provided for two other children
with great benefit to them.
A campaign to ensure the early diagnosis and treatment of
defects of hearing was commenced and regular audiometry sessions
arranged, to which were referred all children in whom a suspicion
of hearing loss arose. It is hoped substantially to reduce the
residual handicap of deaf children by securing early and intensive
treatment and training.
An additional class was opened at the Margaret Brearley
School for Educationally Subnormal Pupils giving an additional
twenty places (total 120) and this has permitted some reduction of
the waiting list, but at least one more class is needed to provide
accommodation for children who are so backward as to need special
educational treatment.
In spite of serving such large areas both Wingfield House
School for the Physically Handicapped and the Joseph Clarke
School for the Partially Sighted were able to provide vacancies for
all urgent cases, including 14 from the County of Middlesex.
General improvement in the physical condition of children is
reducing the need for open air schooling but the increasing school
population of the Forest Division is leading to an overall increase in
the number of handicapped children requiring accommodation at
the Walthamstow special schools and the available vacancies at
Wingfield House are rapidly being filled.
Educationally Subnormal Children.—The records of the Education
Department include two large bound volumes containing very
full records of educationally subnormal children and dating back
to 1903. One book contains the names of 251 boys up to the last
entry in March, 1921, and the other, the names of 200 girls up to
February, 1922. These volumes are still frequently consulted in
regard to subnormal persons for whom information is required from
time to time.
Ineducable Children.— During January the Committee had
under consideration a communication from the Association of
Municipal Corporations regarding the arrangements made for
ineducable children under Section 57 of the Education Act, 1944,
and asking for the Borough Council's opinion on a suggestion that