Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities

The following paper outlines an attempt to determine whether the dimensions of attitudes towards Negroes are applicable to attitudes toward the mentally retarded. To accomplish this a multidimensional scale on attitudes towards Negroes was translated into a similar scale on attitudes towards the mentally retarded. Results indicated that the dimensions of attitudes are quite similar for both populations.

This paper begins with a brief history on the development of educational provisions for the trainable mentally retarded and is followed by a summary of conclusions concerning research studies that deal with the effectiveness of special classes for this population over the past two decades. In view of the negative findings, a theoretical model of a systematic approach to educational planning for the trainable mentally retarded has been presented.

This article describes an “evaluative-prescriptive” approach to curriculum planning for trainable mentally retarded children, emphasizing the teacher's key role as evaluator-prescriptor-implementer. It reports some teacher reactions and suggests further direction and purpose for this approach.

The authors focus upon techniques to use with prospective employers. These include qualifying the employer, developing initial contacts, and obtaining the interview. They also provide suggestions relative to a basic approach to the interview, the presentation, and overcoming objections.

Joe Bocke describes a summer program for special education teenagers which focuses on the transfer of learnings from a vocational program to realistic situations of daily living. Although attendance was voluntary, 95 percent completed the eight week sequence of work and recreation. In the second article, Charles Hargis calls attention to a learning all too frequently overlooked the needed language of arithmetic concepts. Examples of the language necessary for beginning number activities are included.

Recent trends in programed instruction are discussed in relation to some of the persistent problems in education of the retarded. The application of the research model, in which “regular” and “programed” instruction are compared is questioned. Programed instruction is treated as a process in which behavioral objectives are developed and validated rather than the presentation of subject matter through a programed text or the software of a teaching machine. Implications are suggested for the systematic development of programs for the mentally retarded.

Nonprofessional personnel are seen as one corps of people who can help meet the demand for instructional services in schools. With preservice and inservice preparation of a practical nature supplemented with theoretical rationale and with on the job supervision, special instructional personnel may make a significant contribution to special instruction of children in need of such help. A project utilizing the services of nonprofessionals in a professional manner is described. Children identified as functioning below their grade norms were the recipients of special instruction in the project.