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Miss Laquer and Miss Marshall each give two talks per annum
to Health visitors in training at Dagenham Technical College,
these talks having similar aims.
The training of Mental Health Students continues. Two
students at a time, for six months each, carry out their practical
work at the Centre, attending three times per week.
During the year a student Psychologist, in training at
Birmingham University, spent a month at the clinic with Miss Smith,
and did some testing in schools, and two students from the
Tavistock Clinic spent a month with Miss Marshall.
Children Under Five:
It is gratifying that this year there has been an increase in
the number of children under five referred to this clinic.
Our experience has always suggested that treatment in this
age group holds out the best prospects of success. This impression
has been confirmed as a result of our follow up enquiry, which we
have carried out on 56 children seen at West Avenue Infant Welfare
Centre between the years of 1952 and 1956. 56 questionnaires were
sent out, and 32 replies were received. The remaining 24 children
were untraceable, in spite of attempts at home visits, etc. Of the
32 children about whom information was obtained it was found that
the original symptoms had persisted unchanged in only one case.
they had disappeared completely in 17 cases, and partially in 12.
Home behaviour was reported to be improved and satisfactory in all
but one case, and school progress was said to be satisfactory in
every case.
Although the small numbers involved, and the high proportion
of untraced cases, make it impossible to attach any statistical
significance to these results, they nevertheless seem to suggest
that treatment of the children in the under 5 age group is usually
very rewarding.
Miss E.M. Smith.. Educational Psychologist, reports as follows
By the establishment in September of a fourth special class
for children needing a slower learning pace and a more individual
approach. 60 children from Junior Schools are being given this type
of help. The selection of children for these classes, together with
supervision and assessing, their progress is a time consuming but
interesting part of the psychologist's work.
During the year 109 visits were paid to schools, 336 children
being given individual intelligence tests. 76 of these children
were referred to the Child Guidance Centre, for a variety of
symptoms of mental ill health. It is relevant in this connection to
suggest that teachers should be alive to these symptoms and bring
such children to the notice of the psychologist even when symptoms
appear mild, rather than wait for some crisis of behaviour to