View report page

Older children suffering from cerebral palsy who are In need of special educational
treatment attend the associated Elizabeth Fry Special School for Physically Handicapped
Pupils and receive their physiotherapy, speech therapy, etc., at the Spastic Unit, as
necessary. The treatment rooms of the Unit remain open during the normal school vacation
periods for the children to continue their physiotherapy and speech therapy without
interruption.
All children recommended, from whatever source, as possible cases for admission to,
or attendance at the Unit, are first referred to the School Health Department for medical
assessment of their condition. Arrangements are then made for the Consultant Paediatrician
to see the child and assess the physical condition; when any question of associated mental
retardation arises an up-to-date report on the mental state is obtained if one is not
already available. The case is then assessed by the Deputy School Medical Officer. Suitable
children are admitted to the Spastic Unit for a trial period in the first instance. This
policy has been adopted because of the difficulty of predicting the response of any
particular child to the medical and educational treatment provided and also to enable a
trial to be offered to every spastic who appears to have any possible chance of benefiting
from it.
The Physiotherapists and Speech Therapists who undertake work in connection with the
School Health and Maternity and Child Welfare Services attend the Unit for several sessions
weekly in order to give the children their treatment. In addition, Dr. Brocks, the
Consultant in Physical Medicine, and Dr. Hinden, the Consultant Paediatrician, visit the
Unit at regular intervals to advise on treatment and to assess each child's progress. The
Deputy School Medical Officer has the general administrative medical supervision of the Unit.
Suitable arrangements for transport of the children have been made.
Since its opening, the Unit has aroused considerable interest, not only locally, but
over a wide area and many individual and group parties have visited in order to see its
facilities and its working. These visitors included officials connected with education and
health departments of other Authorities, as well as numerous representatives from both
professional and non-professional organisations.
Arrangements were made in conjunction with the Education Department for the admission
of children from outside areas to attend the Unit after assessment In the usual manner.
At the end of the year 19 West Ham children between the ages of 2-16 suffering from
cerebral palsy were placed as follows
Nursery class of Spastic Unit 6
Day Special School for Physically Handicapped Children 13
The nursery class of the Spastic Unit had 7 children on the roll, 6 from West Ham and
1 from East Ham. All have showed appreciable progress since admission to the Unit. In
addition, one child who is in attendance at the West Ham School for the Deaf, but has an
associated spastic condition, attends the Unit weekly for physiotherapy treatment.
89