View report page

No. treated Cured
Stammerers 16 4
Defective Speech 17 5
Total 33 9
The parents of the children were seen and given suggestions
as to home treatment. Very young children, however, are unable
to exert the concentration and mental effort necessary for their
cure. Consequently it is found inadvisable to admit them to
the classes until they are eight years old. In the autumn a circular
li tter was sent to the Head Teachers of all the schools asking
for the names of any new children with defective speech. As a
result of this all vacancies were tilled and ten cases still await
treatment.
The work of the Speech Clinic is of the greatest importance.
Treatment of this nature not only has the greatest hearing on
the educational progress which the children are able to make in
school, but also has a profound influence on their ultimate chance
of obtaining suitable and remunerative employment.
Stammering is considered a neurotic symptom, and relaxation,
and the gradual building up of the child's self-confidence
is the basis of treatment. Defective speech is the inability to
pronounce certain sounds, and includes cases of lisping, tailing,
cleft palate, and retarded speech. Here, treatment is phonetic.
The formation of each sound is explained and progressive exer
cises are practised, until the sound can be introduced into speech
without difficulty.
I am indebted to Miss Crickmay and Miss Gardner for the
above particulars of the year's work.
9. OPEN AIR EDUCATION
There are no Day Open-Air Schools nor Residential OpenAir
Schools in Wimbledon. Where ciromstances permit in the
summer months some of the classes in the schools are conducted
in the open air.
Another holiday camp was arranged during the year by the
Wimbledon Rotary Club. Twenty-one boys from various
Elementary Schools in the district were selected and sent away
to Swanage for two weeks. The children were weighed and
medically examined before leaving Wimbledon.
Sixteen boys were re-weighed after their return. Whilst a
few of the boys were found to have lost weight the average gain
was 1½ lbs. Besides having a very enjoyable holiday the boys
improved considerably in health.
Fifty-five scholars from the Central Girls' School were
medically examined before leaving for a fortnight's stay at
Sandown in June.
96