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SPEECH THERAPY.
The year was divided into two, the first part being a transitional period before the
establishment of the new London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. During the first
three months of the year 39 children were having treatment in Twickenham, and in the
same period 103 were attending clinics in Richmond, Mortlake, Barnes and Ham.
During the year ended 31st December, altogether 199 children attended speech clinics,
and the year ended with 170 on the registers, with 14 awaiting admission.
Miss Buckman, formerly senior speech therapist of Middlesex Area 10, was
appointed to be in charge of Richmond upon Thames, and Miss Millhouse, who previously
had worked in Barnes, Mortlake and Ham, continued as part-time therapist in
those areas. During the year two additional therapists were appointed. Mrs. Thrift
joined the staff at the end of June, and Miss Knight at the beginning of September.
The following shows the work and districts of each therapist:
Miss Buckman (Senior Therapist).
Headquarters: The Child Guidance Clinic, Twickenham. Visits
other clinics in her charge. Attends Oldfield House School for
Maladjusted Children three times weekly.
Miss Knight (Full-time Therapist).
Work is divided between Twickenham and Windham Road Clinic.
She visits also Darrell Road Infants School and St. Elizabeth's
School, Richmond.
Miss Millhouse (Part-time Therapist) working three days only.
Has clinics at Mortlake, Barnes, Ham, and visits St. Hilda's School
(E.S.N.) once weekly.
Mrs. Thrift (Part-time Therapist).
Visits Clarendon School (E.S.N.) three times weekly, and has one
session at King's Road, Richmond.
Most referrals came from school medical officers and child welfare clinics. Others
were from head teachers and a few were transfers from hospital clinics. Types
of cases were: dyslalia, delayed speech development, stammering, sigmatism, cleft
palate, dyslexia and cerebral palsy. It seems that children are tending to be referred
to speech clinics at a younger age than in the past. This is a step forward, for although
formal therapy cannot be used, the contact of parents with a speech therapist does much
to allay anxiety, which in time is passed on to the child, and often it is possible to
discover causes for retarded development of speech. When a child approaches school
age and cannot be understood parents feel he will be at a disadvantage. Many preschool
children referred to the speech therapist have been quite incomprehensible.
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