London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Tottenham 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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85
Speech Therapy
The senior speech therapist, Miss Came, reports that the "case load" of children suffering
from speech defect continues to be heavy. The most economical use of the therapist's time lies
in early assessment followed by early treatment.
Stammering, Miss Came points out, most commonly manifests itself between the ages of
two to five years - later it is rare. If treatment which is usually indirect can be given during
the early years of plasticity, the prognosis is more hopeful; and every successfully treated case
represents the prevention of perhaps years of later suffering. Children who have attained normal
speech after treatment are reviewed periodically. Stammerers who have regained fluency of
speech may be kept under observation for periods up to five years.
The Handicapped Child
| Category | In Special Day Schools | In Special Residential Schools | In Maintained Primary & Secondary Schools | In Independent Schools | Not at School | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | B | G | |
| Blind Pupils | - | - | 6 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | 4 |
| Partially Sighted Pupils | 2 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 4 |
| Deaf Pupils | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 9 | 8 |
| Partially Deaf Pupils | 9 | 9 | 2 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 13 | 10 |
| Educationally Sub-normal Pupils | 67 | 44 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 84 | 52 |
| Epileptic Pupils | - | - | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 4 | 3 |
| Maladjusted Pupils | - | - | 16 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 1 | - | 34 | 6 |
| Physically Handicapped Pupils | 13 | 11 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | 3 | 27 | 14 |
| Pupils with Speech Defects | 4 | - | - | 1 | 204 | 104 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 220 | 109 |
| Delicate Pupils | 5 | 5 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 23 | 17 |
| Pupils with Multiple Defects | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | 5 |
| Totals | 108 | 82 | 72 | 29 | 217 | 110 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 430 | 232 |
| Grand Totals | 190 | 101 | 327 | 29 | 15 | 662 | ||||||
Rheumatism Supervisory Centre
Fortnightly sessions continue to be held at the pædiatric department of the Prince of
Wales's General Hospital under the direction of Dr. Ian M. Anderson, M.D., F.R.C.P., consultant
paediatrician. The number of new cases seen during the year was eight. Of these, six were
female and two male. All of these were either rheumatic fever or chorea.
197 children remain on the register of the supervisory centre and of these 69 made 127
attendances, while in addition a number were seen in the ordinary pædiatric out-patient sessions.