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During the year a speech therapy tape-recording machine has teen in use, and its
usefulness is becoming established. A record of the children's progress is kept while
attending the speech clinic; as a means of demonstrating to the child his own speech
pattern, and its gradual improvement during treatment, it provides a tremendous encouragement
and an incentive to steady perseverance. It is not least useful in demonstrating
convincingly to parents, in the space of a few minutes exactly how much has been achieved
in the weeks or months of patient effort.
The number of school children found suitable for speech therapy during the year
was 58, and 45 were considered as no longer in need of treatment. Speech defects do not
commonly show themselves in very young children; and as was to be expected the number of
referrals from the maternity and child welfare department remained low - averaging 7 per
cent. of the total number accepted for treatment.
The close liaison between the speech clinic and other parts of the service - child
guidance, ear, nose and throat, paediatric and dental - which is so essential to its
success, has continued to work smoothly under the guidance of the Chief Assistant School
Medical Officer who attends the main clinic once a fortnight and the branch clinic occasionally,
Location of Speech Clinics and times of attendance.
Main Speech Clinic,
Greengate School,
Cave Road, Plaistow, E.13.
Branch Speech Clinic,
Orange Road Maternity and
Child Welfare Clinic,
Grange Road, Plaistow, E.13.
Monday and Thursday
1.30 p.m. to 5.15 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
9.0 a.m. to 5.15 p.m.
Wednesday and Friday,
9.0 a.m. to 5.15 p.m.
REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE SPEECH CLINIC
by
Miss R.Clarke, L.C.S.T.
This year has been an eventful year at the Speech Clinic, seeing the appointment of a
full time assistant speech therapist, Miss Alison Clarke. Miss Clarke began her duties in
November, and her main task is to help with the work of the newly opened Spastic Unit at the
Elizabeth Fry Special School.
The Spastic Unit provides treatment for spastic children of all ages, particularly
for those under seven years of age who are in the nursery class in the unit. It also provides
treatment for any other children with speech defects, who attend the Elizabeth Fry School.
Spastic children need regular, if possible, daily treatment, and the appointment of
an assistant speech therapist has enabled us to arrange for this. Miss Clarke attends the
unit every morning, and in the afternoon, is free to assist with the school clinic work.
She also attends Gurney School for one session a week, where, in the past, it has been
impossible to arrange for treatment. The children at this school make slow but steady
progress, and it is important that they should receive every help towards normality that
it is possible for us to give.
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