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Severely Subnormal
Work has continued as before, covering
assessment, liaison with staff, individual
and group work. The time allowed - one day
per week at each centre - is very little but
measurable progress is seen with a good
proportion of children.
Research Project
Once again the school summer holiday was
used to join with Dr Tyson in a project A
survey into the developmental levels of
children about to enter school was carried
out in the Chiswick area A team of doctors,
audiometricians and speech therapists
together with Dr Tvson tested hearing motor
co-ordination and language. We were fortunate
that we were able to use the new Reynell
Developmental Language scale, Dr Reynell
having invited all the speech therapists to
the Wolfson Centre to be instructed in its
use. Two hundred and fourteen children were
seen: some 65% of the total number entering
school in the area. Material is still being
garnered from the survey and children who
were found to be below the average or
suffering from specific defects are being
treated accordingly
Students
It is felt that the subject of the speech therapy
students now doing part of their clinical
training in the borough is worth mentioning
since the time taken to supervise their work
is being repaid in the interest shown in the
borough by newly qualified therapists While
most authorities have vacancies unfilled for
considerable periods, we are fortunate in
receiving enquiries as to possible vacancies
At the same time we are indebted to the help
thai students give on projects such as the
Chiswick survey.
I am grateful to Dr A M Jepson and Dr M C
Tyson for the following report on screening
of pre-school children in Chiswick - July/
August/September 1969
Following on the gratifying response to the
offer of audiometric screening during the 1967
summer holidays of children due to start
school in September 1967 in the Heston area
it was decided to attempt a similar project
in Chiswick, but on an expanded scale to
include also an assessment of speech and
motor development. With the co-operation of
the Director of Education, Chiswick School
was used during two separate weeks at the
beginning and end of the summer holiday
period for this purpose. Five medical officers
six speech therapists, three audiometricians
and one psychologist took part in the
assessment procedures and other medical
staff and speech therapy students assisted
with administration The assessment procedure
comprised:-
1) Audiometric screening test as carried out
routinely in schools
2) The assessment of understanding of language
and speech development including articulation
3) The assessment of motor development This
part of the survey was designed to demonstrate
locometer and manipulative abilities
of the children and to provide information on
laterality. The children were watched as they
walked into the room and then asked to
perform several tasks They walked along a
straight line and hopped on each foot
separately. They drew a picture and their
pencil control and handedness were noted
Information about birth history, number in
family and birth order language spoken at home,
etc. was obtained
Results:
Names of children due to begin school either
in nursery classes or in infant classes were
obtained from Head Teachers in the area, and
names of other children of appropriate age from
health visitors' lists Of a possible total of
356 children in the age range 3 years 2 months
to 5 years 4 months, 212 attended (approximately
60%)
11 aged between 3 ys 2 mns and 3 ys 9 mns
43 aged between 3 ys 10 mns and 4 ys 3 mns
45