Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities

A behavior modification program in a sheltered workshop is discussed. Within the context of an operant conditioning (token economy) program, procedures are discussed which utilize the clients themselves to administer the reinforcement contingencies of other clients. Case material is presented which suggests that client administered contingencies, if properly monitored, may have some advantages over staff administered contingencies.

The application of an instructional systems approach to the design of instruction for mentally retarded children is described. The system uses a taxonomy of learning types which makes it possible for the user to avoid trial-and-error approaches in the selection of instructional methodologies. The reader is shown how to go from idea to objective to classification of learning type, and finally to planning of instructional strategy and evaluation of pupil attainment.

A 4 year undergraduate program to prepare teachers of the mentally retarded is described. The core of the program is designed to provide a series of field experiences beginning at the freshman level and to promote the integration of class work with field experiences for maximum effectiveness.

Educable retarded youth, once occupationally handicapped because of their condition, are now being trained by the Somerville Public Schools in Massachusetts for various occupations. Many of the students in this Occupational Opportunity School already have jobs lined up in business and industry.

Editor's Note: In education, materials and methods are inextricably bound together. It is with this understanding that we have invited the following article from Dr. Lou Brown. The difficult task of instructing trainable children in reading has been something less than a totally successful venture in special education and the positive outcome of Dr. Brown's work is refreshing in this regard. But of particular importance to those of us especially interested in instructional materials is the important and intricate association between materials and method illustrated in the following article on an instructional activity which approaches psychometry in its precision.