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One child only was referred and admitted from the Borough to the Joseph Clarke School
for the Partially Sighted during the year. The children had routine medical and dental inspections
and the Consultant Ophthalmologist visited the School each term.
Children requiring speech therapy and physiotherapy received the necessary treatment
and where necessary consultant opinions for special defects were obtained.
17 children from Waltham Forest were recommended for and admitted to Brookfield House
School for the Physically Handicapped during the year. Because of the higher survival rate of
severely handicapped children as a result of advanced medical and surgical treatment, the children
in Special Day Schools tend to be more handicapped than previously and the less severely handicapped
who make good progress have been able to have a fuller school life in ordinary schools
with extra help.
With the early diagnosis of hearing loss and provision of aids and training at an early
age the majority of partially hearing children do not require admission to the William Morris School.
Only 7 were admitted during the year while others attended ordinary schools. The Special School
remained filled with children with dual handicaps or with the most severe hearing loss who require
special educational facilities because of their greater difficulty in learning to communicate in
speech and language. One child who was able to speak and hear too well for the Special School
but was unable to make progress even with extra help in an ordinary school transferred to a
partially hearing unit in a Secondary School in another borough. Most young children use the
hearing aid provided by the National Health Service at first but although it is satisfactory for
some it is found that others hear more clearly with one of the commercial aids. Prior to a decision
being made, trial periods are given in which the Consultant or Specialist Medical Officer, the
Head Teacher or Peripatetic Teacher of the Deaf participate and then the aid is recommended and
provided, by the Health and Welfare Department or Education Department depending on the age of
the child. 7 commercial aids were provided in 1967.
The School Health Service also played its part in relation to the schools for the Maladjusted
and Educationally Subnormal.
10 children were admitted to the Junior Training Centre, some at statutory school age and
others from Special Schools. These are children who cannot cope with general education in the
narrowest sense of the word unless presented very slowly and in a play atmosphere. The rest of
their time is spent learning to use their hands more skilfully and to progress in social graces. The
old attitude of shutting them up in institutions with others like them has gone and now they are
taught to cope with the community and become useful members of society. This the Centre aims to
do. Some have learned to read, write and count a little but all have learnt to mix better, to be
accepted by others and become as independent as possible. On the whole, these youngsters will
be happier and better orientated than many of their more gifted peers. In their handwork classes
they demonstrate what beautiful things can be made from old tins, polythene containers, match
boxes, egg shells, old paper, etc., as well as their embroidery and painting. Outings to Cafes,
London Airport, the Zoo, a Circus and shopping expeditions have been part of their training. I
joined them for the evening visit to the Circus, paid for by the local Society for the Mentally
Handicapped. Their behaviour was excellent and their interest amazing. They were a small group
in a large tent of numerous children and I saw no group who behaved better. Even on the return
journey they proved how well they could behave after a long day. From their conversation they
had noticed more than many of the more sophisticated.
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