View report page

48
are seen at least twice a year by the Education Authority's Consultant
Ophthalmologist. A school health social worker has been appointed to the
school to give casework support to some of the pupils' families, including
several who live outside the borough.
Plans for a new all-age mixed day school for the educationally sub-normal
are in hand and a site acquired on the north side of Downs Park. It is hoped
that it will be able to take its first pupils in 1969. The waiting period for
admission to this type of school can sometimes be as much as a year and this
new provision should help to shorten significantly this period of delay, which
is frustrating to both child and teacher.
TUTORIAL CLASSES
Many children with problems of emotion or behaviour do not need full-time
attendance at a special school, but can benefit from part-time attendance
at a small tutorial class. During the year a fourth class was started in
the Borough.

Vision testing is provided at eye clinics at four centres in the Borough.
Appointment lists are heavy and every effort is made to provide appointments
as quickly as possible. Orthoptists are available at two centres and they
play an important role in providing an efficient remedial service.
The majority of cases seen were found to have errors of refraction and/or
squint, and 1,277 pairs of spectacles were ordered.
Three Special Investigation Clinics are held regularly and are mainly
attended by children having enuresis. Drugs or an alarm bell machine may be
used in treatment, but there is an increasing emphasis on ways of attempting
to ease emotional difficulties which often motivate enuresis. The doctor and
social worker function as a team and the social worker is now making more
visits to homes of children where it appears there is family stress. Some
children referred to the clinic because of emotion or behaviour difficulties
are subsequently referred to the Child Guidance Clinic. A comprehensive report
and assessment by the social worker is of considerable help in arriving at
this decision, and a social worker concerned with the making of the report
continues to support the family during the interim period. This enhances the
effectiveness of the clinic's work and also gives a surer guide to the need
for further psychiatric advice in a number of the cases.
A number of children are referred as being overweight and a fewer number
of children for underweight or failure to make physical progress. Although
dietary advice is given, full attention is also paid to the discussion of
emotional problems and management.