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Report of the Principal School Medical Officer for the Year 1967
105
Category B—Partially Sighted
Here again, the figure is not very great and there has been little variation over the years. Unfortunately,
the nearest day school for partially sighted pupils is at Hammersmith (the John Aird School)
and I understand that there is now great pressure on places at this particular school.
I feel that a reappraisal of the provision for partially sighted pupils should be made on the basis of
the Greater London area as a whole.
Categories C—Deaf, and D—Partially Hearing
With the facilities available through the routine audiometry scheme, and the excellent provision
made at the Heston Hearing Clinic, I feel that all those children with a serious hearing defect are
known. The figures have not varied greatly over the years.
Category E—Educationally Subnormal
There is little doubt that there are many educationally subnormal children who are accommodated
in ordinary schools, but these will be offered more suitable provision with the opening of the new
Hedgewood School and the facilities already offered at the Meadow School, which has been functioning
now for two years. As one can see from the figures available for previous years, there has been a gradual
increase in the number of children ascertained as educationally subnormal and needing education in
special schools.
Category F—Epileptic
In view of the excellent co-operation with the hospitals I think that most of those children with
epilepsy are known. There has been little variation in the figures over the years, and in fact most of
these children attend ordinary schools.
Category G—Maladjusted
There has been no great variation in the figures for the past three years, but one feels that there
will be an increase in the number of ascertained maladjusted pupils when further provision is available
for them.
As I stated in the 1965 Report, there is a small number of children who show severe mental illness,
especially in the age group 12 to 16. There is an urgent need in the London area for a hospital unit
which will cater for in-patient treatment of these children. They are neither suitable for the paediatric
department of a general hospital, nor should they be placed in the adult wards of a mental hospital.
This type of problem does not occur very often, fortunately, but when it does it is a serious one which
taxes the resources of the medical and education departments to the utmost; in fact, the solution is
usually a very inadequate compromise, almost always to the child's disadvantage.
Category H—Physically Handicapped
The facilities for the physically handicapped child are good, with the co-operation of the Martindale
School at Hounslow and our own St. Michael's School for Physically Handicapped Pupils at
Eastcote. The figures have been fairly constant for the past three years, but there are times when there
are pressures for places at the two schools mentioned.
Category I—Speech Defect
Most of these children are receiving speech therapy at local clinics whilst attending ordinary
schools. The figures are dependent on the number of therapists available, and during 1967 there were
three full time therapists. Consequently, the numbers attending for treatment tend to be high.
Category J—Delicate
This is the residual category, and most of these children are accommodated in ordinary schools,
being excused physical activities or allowed to go at their own pace. The figures have varied little during
the past three years.
Children With Multiple Defects
The problem of the child suffering from multiple handicaps is an increasing one, and there is a
grave shortage of suitable educational facilities for these children throughout the country.