View report page

quite as high as those we obtained. On the other
hand, in such areas, although the attendance rate
would be lower, the failure rate concerning the
number of defects would probably be higher. One
should also consider that although pre-school
audiometry may initially involve additional effort
and resources, it would eventually produce a
considerable saving as it may well reduce the
number of re-tests needed in school audiometry
with all the advantages of earlier diagnosis. The
high rate of attendance can be attributed to the
fact that parents are especially receptive at this
critical stage of their child's development and are
eager to ensure that the child's entrance to school
should not be hampered by anything which may
adversely affect him. Therefore this is probably
the best time to ask parents to bring their children
for a test.
We would suggest therefore that these figures of
14 out of 162 children, that is 8.6%, being found
to have a significant hearing loss should encourage
us to take a closer look at the possibilities of
discovering hearing defects in children about to
enter school. Perhaps the testing of hearing by
means of pure tone audiometry may in future be
incorporated in some wider programme of
screening the pre-school child for other defects, or
if this is not possible, that local authorities should
give serious consideration to introducing an
individual programme of this kind.
This investigation has proved that pre-school
audiometry can be carried out effectively and is a
feasible proposition. It has shown that it is possible
to discover a significant number of young children
with a hearing loss which may cause serious
difficulties for them in the classroom situation if
it had remained undiagnosed and untreated. It
seems the time has come to introduce a screening
audiometric programme for all children before
they enter school.
Summary
In the summer of 1967 a small pilot scheme of
screening pre-school children for hearing defects
by means of pure tone audiometry was undertaken
at the Hearing Clinic, Heston. Out of the 162
children tested 14 were found to have a defect,
i.e. 8.6%, all previously unsuspected. We suggest
that these figures should encourage us to look into
the possibility of screening for hearing defects as
part of a wider programme of screening the
pre-school child for other defects, or if this is not
practical, to encourage local authorities to
undertake an individual programme of this kind.'
Medical Advisory Unit
The extensions to the Medical Advisory Unit
were opened by Her Royal Highness Princess
Margaret Countess of Snowdon on 9th March
1967. Her Royal Highness showed considerable
interest in the work of the unit and watched some
of the children at work in the physiotherapy room
and receiving treatment in the hydrotherapy pool.
After opening the unit, Her Royal Highness
toured the school to the great delight of the
children and staff.
There was a steady referral of cases to the unit
during the year for diagnosis, assessment and
recommendation about future educational
placement. Thirty-six pre-school children attended
for out-patient physiotherapy during the year. Of
these, 11 had cerebral palsy, 15 had spina bifida
and 10 had other physical defects. Effective liaison
exists with the hospitals in the region and by
arrangement with the consultants concerned
children attending these hospitals usually have
physiotherapy at the Medical Advisory Unit.
Calipers and walking aids are also provided in
this way.
One additional physiotherapist was appointed
during the year. Her sessions, which were shared
between one of the orthopaedic clinics in the
borough, a junior training school and the Medical
Advisory Unit helped, incidentally, to maintain
useful links between these establishments.
The physiotherapists continued to take a very
active part in organising sports and swimming at
the school. Children took part in the British Sports
for the Disabled at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for
the second year in succession. An inter-school
sports day was organised by the head teacher and
his staff at Martindale School with the help of the
physiotherapists between the four London schools
for physically handicapped children. The school
also took part in the London schools swimming
gala for handicapped children. All children at the
43