In a preschool for the retarded, a four-year-old girl was suspected of playing the role of a low-grade retardate, controlling her social environment by means of extreme dependence and helplessness. Rehabilitation was successful through a behavior modification program in which this role was not reinforced and through use of the Flying Start Learning-to-Learn Program, which positively reinforces good learning behaviors. This child showed herself to have good learning ability and her IQ was raised to within the normal range. It was noted that her choice of the dependent role was not arbitrary, but was an understandable aftermath of early handicaps.
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