Employing Paraprofessional Teachers in a Group Language Training Program for Severely and Profoundly Retarded Children

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly developed language training program particularly suited for the severely retarded. Designed for use with non-professional staff acting as teachers, the program contains (1) a simplified introduction to operant and modeling procedures, (2) detailed lesson plans, (3) necessary materials, and (4) instructions for testing and evaluation. Institutionalized children classified as severely and profoundly retarded were pretested and assigned to four groups, based on pretest scores. Pairs of children were matched within each group according to pretest performance, language equivalence scores, mental classification, age, sex, race, and behavior problems. One member of each matched pair was then randomly designated an experimental or control child. The experimental groups received 2 mo. of language training (each group comprising one class), with two psychiatric aides conducting all activities. As training was completed, all children were posttested. Comparison of pre- and posttest performances indicated clear treatment effects, demonstrating the potential for wide-spread institutional use of such programs.