Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Personal and professional qualifications for personnel engaged in physical education and recreation programs for the mentally retarded are presented. The information is based on a survey of 63 physical education and recreation personnel, each of whom had 3 to 15 years of teaching experience. Results of the survey suggested that preparation at the undergraduate level should focus upon the general area of concern, with sufficient exposure to the handicapped and mentally retarded to handle most situations which arise. Specialization should follow acquisition of this basic foundation. Considerations are offered for adjusting present physical education and recreation professional preparation programs to meet these specific needs.

An attempt was made to implement principles and techniques of operant learning theory in a class of trainable retarded children. The program consisted of a token economy system in which the children received tokens contingent upon their demonstrating behaviors which the teacher and aide were attempting to strengthen. The tokens could be exchanged later for items in a class store or for cookies at snack time. The apparent success of the program is described in the teacher's own words. The advantages and disadvantages of the system are pointed out. Some of the factors inherent in token economy systems are mentioned and the potential use of such systems is discussed.

The effective teacher of educable mentally retarded children must employ methods and materials suited to the individual learner's unique pattern of needs, interests, abilities, and motivations. Any help the teacher can obtain in making assessments of the pupil's intellectual, social, and emotional readiness will increase the chances of instructional goals being attained. Various ways in which the school psychologist's report can be utilized by the teacher of educable mentally retarded children are discussed.

A survey, completed in late 1968, to determine certain information on the current status of secondary public school programs of special education for the educable mentally retarded has yielded results which may stimulate thinking in terms of goals and objectives for special educators. This nonqualitative survey suggests, on the basis of extensive responses, that while special education programs are typically housed within schools where students are with their chronological age peers, participation in secondary school programs and activities may be quite limited. Evidence also seems to suggest that most students are segregated within the schools and receive little or no recognition for program completion.

The notion that educationally significant commonalities exist among disabilities has been generally underemphasized by special educators in their quest for appropriate instructional materials for a given handicap. Language retardation, for example, is the common disability shared by the deaf and the educable mentally retarded (EMR). Through the cooperation of 2 IMC's, instructional material designed specifically to improve the expressive language of the deaf was informally tried out in a class for the EMR. The results of a semiobjective evaluation technique suggested general teacher satisfaction and potential applicability of such instructional materials to the EMR. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of suggesting instructional materials for the deaf and EMR.

The development of reading comprehension is one of the stated goals of programs for educable mentally retarded children, yet all too often the educational practices of the classroom do not really foster the growth of this important skill. The basic understandings which contribute to meaningful reading are outlined with suggestions for activities for their development. Ideally these should form a part of the readiness program, but must be added at a later date if the child has been introduced to the mechanics of reading without understanding that it is meant to communicate.