View report page

the psychologist and speech therapist. Others
have individual therapy The psychologist
visits twice a week and sees cases referred
to her by the headmaster and school doctor
This type of child manifests various
behaviour disorders and there are particular
problems among the children from underprivileged
homes. Several parents have
mentioned severe behaviour problems at home
which are not so pronounced at school Home
visits by a social worker attached to the
school have been of great benefit to the
parents, many of whom have little understanding
or knowledge of their child's handicap
The social worker visits the school each
week to discuss her visit with the headmaster
and school doctor.
The large amount of clinical work needs
co-ordination and this is done by welfare
assistants one of home is a state enrolled
nurse. They look after children who are ill
or have accidents, make themselves responsible
for appliances such as hearing aids and give
medication such as the midday tablet to
epileptics The premises used for this range
of clinical work are very inadequate. In the
new school shortly to be built there will be a
separate medical block to include rooms for
medical assessment and treatment for
psychological assessments, for physiotherapy
and soeech therapy.

Townhill Park School (Southampton)
This residential school for the education of
sub-normal girls between the ages of 6 and
12 years accommodated 55 pupils The school
was established by the former Middlesex
County Council and was transferred to the
London Borough of Hounslow on 1st April
1965 The majority of pupils there did not
come from Hounslow and the school was
closed in July
After-care of Handicapped Pupils
The majority of educationally subnormal
school leavers have attended the Marjory
Kinnon School All pupils due to leave
school at the age of 16 years are discussed
at a leavers conference held at the school a
few months before they are due to leave The
headmaster, school medical officer, school
psychologist, youth employment officer and
principal medicai officer (mental health)
attend and it is hoped that one or both parents
will also be there All aspects of the child's
problem are discussed As a result, during
the year 18 out of 22 school leavers were
placed in employment and one attends
Rantons - the factory extension of Acton
Lodge In three cases the parents are keeping
the pupil at home, one is an epileptic
As a result of the conference all these
boys and girls are known to the mental health
department and home visits by the principal
medical officer or one of the mental welfare
officers are made wherever appropriate The
staff of the school maintain a contact with
old pupils and there is a club for past pupils.
The staff find it very gratifying to see how
many old pupils are settled well in jobs and
quite a number are happily married
School leavers from residential schools for
the educationally subnormal are notified to
the youth employment officer and she passes
on details to the mental health department for
any necessary supervision
Education otherwise than at school
Consideration is given to the provision of home
tuition to handicapped children awaiting
admission to special schools, children having
a long convalescence following acute illness
and others who for some specific reason may
not be able to attend ordinary schools
Statistics relating to the provision of home
teaching are included on the handicapped pupils
62