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The number of children with additional
handicaps is increasing, so arrangements were
made this year for a physiotherapist to visit the
school for 2 sessions each week in order to ensure
that these children had adequate treatment.
Physiotherapy was provided for 3 children with
hemiplegia and 4 with other congenital orthopaedic
defects in addition to the breathing and relaxation
exercises given to children with chest complaints.
Some 40 children have speech defects and from
the Autumn term it was possible, following
recruitment, to restart the visits by a speech
therapist which had been discontinued because of
resignations.
Weekly visits are made by a medical officer to
provide general medical supervision and for
consultation on specific problems as they arise
among the pupils. Leavers' conferences with the
Head Teacher and Youth Employment Officer
are held twice yearly and the medical officer of
the Mental Health Department is consulted where
it is thought that some follow-up and guidance
after leaving school may be necessary. The school
maintains contact with the Kitson Youth Club for
Handicapped Persons which is run by a former
pupil of the school.
Townhill Park (Southampton)
This residential school for educationally
sub-normal girls between the ages of 6 and 12
years has accommodation for 55 pupils. The
majority of the girls are not from the Borough of
Hounslow but from areas where the population is
more scattered and where day-school facilities are
inappropriate in view of the travelling involved.
The school itself is on the outskirts of
Southampton and children enjoy the countryside
around the school as well as the ponies kept in
their own field.
In December 1967 there were 38 girls at this
school and came from:—
London Borough of Brent 1
London Borough of Ealing 1
London Borough of Haringey 2
London Borough of Hillingdon 1
London Borough of Hounslow 2
ILEA 1
Buckinghamshire 3
Hampshire 23
Warwickshire 3
Wiltshire 1
Aftercare of handicapped pupils
Case conferences are called by the head teachers
of the special schools and the Principal School
Medical Officer concerned to discuss the special
problems which arise when handicapped children
reach school leaving age. The Youth Employment
Officer and representatives of the Welfare
Department attend and, where appropriate, those
representing voluntary organisations such as the
Spastic Society and Fellowship for Poliomyelitis
are also invited. Arrangements are fully discussed
with the parents and where assistance from the
Ministry of Labour's scheme for disabled persons
is required this is arranged by the Youth
Employment Officer.
Martindale School is fortunate in having a
further education unit which provides largely for
its own pupils who, on reaching the age of 16,
require further instruction before they can
satisfactorily be placed in employment. It has
now become possible for pupils from the Marjory
Kinnon and Busch House schools to share the
facilities which this unit offers.
There remain always some children who are so
severely handicapped that no employment is
possible, and for these particularly the Welfare
Department is able to provide help.
Education otherwise than at school
Consideration is given to providing home tuition
to handicapped children awaiting admission to
special schools, children having a long
convalescence following acute illness, and others
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