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62
68 cases were tested by pure-tone audiometry at specialist
clinic sessions and 61 at school clinic sessions.
Speech Clinics Mrs. P. A. Pretious, Senior Speech Therapist, submits the
following report:—
"Mrs.Tingey — 6 sessions per week; Mayesbrook Clinic
and schools.
Mrs. Pretious — Full time; Ethel Davis Physically Handicapped
School and school clinics.
Miss Sacks — Full time; appointed in September.
School clinics, schools and Ethel Davis
Physically Handicapped School.
Miss Sacks joined the staff in September. We are pleased to
welcome her and hope that she will enjoy working with us.
Her appointment helped to relieve the understaffing which has
existed since November 1964 despite repeated advertising.
The lack of applicants for the post appears to reflect the
general shortage of speech therapists. The decrease in the
number of children receiving speech therapy this year is related
to this understaffing.
This year, with the change in the administrative authority,
we were able to provide speech therapy for one session per
week in the Junior Training Centre. We have mentioned the
desirability of early referral to the speech clinics before, but
particularly do we recommend early referral of young children
who have any hesitations or repetitions in their speech, even
if they have not yet developed a stammer. In many cases, all
that is required is the right type of advice to the parent, to
prevent the well-intentioned "help" which usually exacerbates
the situation."
School Dental Mr. E. V. Haigh, Principal School Dental Officer, reports
Service as follows:—
"At the beginning of 1965 the dental services in the Ilford
Area under the Essex County Council continued on similar
lines to previous years. The staff position which had improved
over the past three years continued unchanged for the first
three months with six surgeries almost fully staffed. With this
staff position in relation to the school population it was possible
to provide a comprehensive dental service to any school
child requiring treatment and many dental inspections were
carried out in the schools.