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TREATMENT0 In response to treatment 40 cases made an adequate adjustment or improvement
and were closed. 28 cases were closed before treatment was completed. Some had
Improved but were unable to continue attending. Others were closed because of lack of co~
operation on the part of parents or because of persistent failure to attend. In this
connection it may be noted that 15 %of appointments made with clinic staff failed. A closer
analysis of the 60 cases still undergoing treatment at the end of the year is revealing,
and helps to complete the picture with regard to treatment. Of these 48 had been on treatment
list for more than one month and in their cases it was possible to assess progress.
Duration of treatment
More than one month 7
More than three months 3
More than six months 20
More than twelve months 18
•
Age
Under seven years 13
Over seven years 35
Intelligence
Below I.Q. 90 15
Most Common Symptoms
Enuresis 15
Delinquency 11
Treatment recommended
Individual Therapy 30
Group Therapy 13
Coaching 8
Adjustment Class or Class for
backward children (not
available in West Ham) 11
Progress
Improved satisfactorily 28
From these figures it is clear that in the majority of cases treatment is continued
for more than six months and that the majority of treatment cases are in the higher age
group o
Of the 15 cases with I.Q's below 90, only 4 were referred because of having backwardness
as their main problem. Actually backwardness is often associated with aggressiveness,
pilfering and enuresis, all of which become aggravated by the child!s failure to
succeed at school * On the whole such cases are unsuitable for individual therapy. Many
of them derive considerable benefit from play-group therapy at the clinic. The opportunity
to play freely and yet receive the discipline of a detached observer., appears to make the
aggressive child quieter and more constructive and the timid child more confident and outgoing.
There is no doubt that treatment of such low I.Q. cases at the clinic is hindered
by lack of facilities for special educational treatment for them in the schools. In fact,
weekly treatment at the Child Guidance Clinic is not profitable in these cases. A daily
sense of achievement gained in a small class in which consideration is given to their
individual needs would be more economical of time and more effective.
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