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SPEECH THERAPY.
Therapists working in the Borough at the end of the year were: —
Miss K. S. Buckman (Senior).
Mrs. M. M. Pletts.
Miss E. Reed.
During the year 266 children were treated, their ages ranging from 2½—17 years.
The very young children were kept under observation and advice was given to the
parents.
Sessions were held at the following clinics:— Essex House, Barnes; Mortlake;
Windham Road, Richmond; Kings Road, Richmond; Ham; and Twickenham Child
Guidance Clinic. In addition regular visits were made to Oldfield House School for
Maladjusted Children, Hampton; St. Hilda's (E.S.N.), Barnes; and during the early
part of the year, Clarendon (E.S.N.), but unfortunately when Mrs. Thrift resigned,
sessions at this school were discontinued. Children were also treated at St. John's, St.
Elizabeth's and Darell Road Infants — all Richmond schools in close proximity, each
of which had pupils in need of regular and frequent therapy.
As a general rule it is preferable for treatment to take place at clinics which are
more suitably equipped than schools, and also a closer relationship can be formed
between parents and therapists. There are however, a few children in the Borough
who through defective speech are seriously handicapped, and such pupils need frequent
therapy — daily if possible. Parents who are often both working, or a mother who has
several young children at home, cannot get to a clinic more than once or twice each
week. For this reason consideration may have to be given to the possibility of forming a
small class in a primary school, for all children in the Borough who suffer from severe
speech difficulties. These children would then have regular speech therapy, and would
work in a small class by themselves, with a teacher who could consult the therapist as
to special ways of helping them. It will be understood that children with severe speech
disabilities cannot learn to read or write without special help, and some aphasic children
do not fully comprehend speech. It would be suitable if a group of such children
could be attached to an ordinary school, so that they would be stimulated by joining
many activities with normal pupils.
Owing to changes of staff during 1967, progress has been somewhat hampered.
Mrs. Thrift left in the early part of the year, and we were sorry also to lose Miss
Patricia Knight who went in May to live in Greece. They were replaced by Mrs.
Pletts, a therapist experienced in both Hospital and School clinics, and Miss Elizabeth
Reed, a newly qualified young therapist who joined the department in mid-September.
Mrs. Pletts had to undergo an operation early in November which necessitated absence
of three months. She expects to return early in 1968 and to make a complete recovery.
With a full staff of three therapists, the present work of the Borough can be
accomplished efficiently. However, the opening of the new Clarendon School (E.S.N.)
involving an increase in the number of pupils, and the establishment of the Junior
Training Centre at Harle House, Feltham, would necessitate thinking around the case
for the addition of another speech therapist.
Speech therapy consists not only in treating the children, but in making contact
with their parents and others concerned in their welfare. During 1967 at least twenty
schools were visited — some on more than one occasion. Homes were visited, and talks
at Parent-Teacher Meetings given as required.
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