London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hounslow 1967
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hounslow]
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communication between the social services and the
schools. The report on persistent non-attendance
is expected to be ready in the summer of 1968.
'Finally, 1967 has seen the continuation of a
number of projects started in previous years. A
short course of six lectures was arranged for
teachers on 'educational diagnosis'. The lecturers
included Dr P Calwell, consultant psychiatrist,
and Dr M Tyson, senior psychologist to special
schools and units. The work on reading study
groups continued on a joint basis with
Miss P Bartlett (English adviser). The meetings
offer teachers an opportunity to discuss problems
of teaching reading, as well as the chance to
examine new methods and books. A number of
meetings were held between the senior psychologist
and Mr E Heimler, social work organiser and
adviser on health education, on matters connected
with the Hounslow Project.
This liaison has proved of considerable value to the service in planning preventive approaches to backwardness and maladjustment.
| Referral sources | Type of problem | Action | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head Teacher | 275 | Behaviour | 152 | Referred to Child Guidance Clinic | 79 |
| Medical Officer of Health | 86 | Learning | 242 | Individual remedial therapy | 21 |
| Education Department | 63 | Assessment for | Remedial reading at reading centre | 57 | |
| Parents | 14 | School Placement | 66 | ESN school recommended | 18 |
| Family Doctors | 7 | Alternative school placement | 38 | ||
| Probation Officers | 2 | Follow up | 124 | ||
| Others | 13 | *No further action | 123 | ||
| Total referrals | 460 | 460 | 460 |
* In every case the head teacher has been advised of the educational findings.
NB—The waiting list for the school psychological service is 30.
Handicapped Pupils
The Education Act places on local education
authorities the duties of ascertaining which pupils
in their area are handicapped and of providing
special educational treatment for such pupils. The
several categories of pupils requiring special
educational treatment are defined in the
Handicapped Pupils and Special School
Regulations as follows:—
Blind
Partially sighted
Deaf
Partially hearing
Educationally
sub-normal
Epileptic
Maladjusted
Physically handicapped
Suffering from speech
defects
Delicate
For the purposes of these regulations,
ascertainment applies from the age of two years.
A blind or deaf child must be educated at a
special school unless the Minister approves
otherwise.
Special educational treatment for other
handicaps may be provided in an ordinary school
with the stipulation that the special educational
treatment must be appropriate to the disability.
The number of handicapped pupils and the
arrangements made for their special educational
treatment are shown in the table overleaf:—
58