SPEECH THERAPY

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24985, 20 September 1946, Page 8

SPEECH THERAPY

GROWTH OF SERVICE IN- N.Z.

ASSOCIATION FORMED

Speech therapy—the rehabilitation and adjustment of children suffering from speech defects—is now established as one of the specialist branches of education in New Zealand.* Although speech classes had been conducted in Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin since 1922, *and . in Christchurch since 1930, the work was not extended further till 1942, (when a speech clinic was formed at Lower Hutt. Since then there has been rapid developntent of the service and a( present 16 clinics are established in Whangarei, Auckland, Napier, Gisborne, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Wellington, Lower Hutt, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill with 22 therapists ■ employed. Selected students from the four Teachers’ Training Colleges are trained annually at the Christchurch Speech Clinic under the direction of Miss' M. E. Saunders. •

In Christchurch recently was held the first refresher course for speech therapists in New Zealand. Mr H. D. Prichard, senior inspector of schools in Canterbury, representing the Education Department, opening proceedings. A programme of lectures was presented during the three days. Professor H. E. Field and Dr. R. Winterbourn, of Canterbury University College, discussed, respectively, the maladjusted child with reference to speech defects and modern methods of testing young children. Further valuable contributions wqre made by members of the medical, dental, and nursing professions, who lectured on psycho-therapy with reference to stammering and other neurotic disorders, treatment of cleft palate,, harelip, and spastic cases, causes of deafness, and the problems of the Mrs A. Roberts, of the Nelson Speech Clinic, outlined her scheme by which children in country districts remote from speech clinics could be helped through correspondence. Findings from hie work with hard-of-hearing children were given by Mr B. Dunne, of the Moray Place Speech Clinic, Dtinedin. During the business sessions, it was decided to form the New Zealand Association of Speech Therapists. The following officers were elected:—president, Miss M. E. Saunders, Christchurch; vice-presidents, Mrs A. Roberts, Nelson, and Mr B. Dunne, (Dunedin: secretary and treasurer, Miss C. Justin, Christchurch; committee, Mrs J. Seabrook, Auckland, and Mrs C. A. Craw, Lower Hutt.