Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities

This article describes an in-service training model that utilized demonstration center training and follow-up to trainee's work site to train special education teachers in a data-based educational approach. Specific training design and evaluation are detailed. Data demonstrated teachers acquired targeted information and skills during training, maintained the behaviors up to 28 weeks past training, and that students in trainee classrooms achieved greater skill gains than did a similar sample of children whose teachers had not been trained.

The study assessed a range of basic arithmetic abilities of 15 trainable mentally retarded students. Tasks were administered to the students individually over three sessions. Subjects were generally capable of rule-governed counting and other counting skills such as the cardinality rule. A number of subjects were capable of mentally comparing numbers and choosing the larger. At least one subject appeared to have invented a more economical mental addition strategy. Some subjects demonstrated a basic form of problem solving: They used the addition identity and commutativity principles to short-cut computational effort. Implications for the classroom teacher and future research are described.

This paper reviews the literature on the application of Piagetian theory to the understanding of mental retardation. Evidence exists to suggest that the functioning of children who are mentally retarded parallels the developmental sequence Piaget has proposed for the nonretarded child. The behavior of retarded individuals can be interpreted as typical of selected Piagetian stages. This model focuses on what the child can do rather than what he or she cannot do. The implications of this model for the training and counseling of mentally retarded children and their families are discussed.

Historical events and contemporary activities which have contributed to the advocacy movement are presented in this paper. Participatory advocacy interventions including citizen advocacy, ethical review boards, surrogate parent programs and intracommunity action networks are recommended as professional activities for educators. Immersion of professional educators in the human and legal rights arena is advised. State certification boards are urged to adopt competencies addressing the philosophy, principles, and practices of advocacy as a part of teacher certification requirements. Formalization of the advocacy process as a role of professional educators will more effectively prepare teachers and administrators to serve their. handicapped students with dignity.

The authors present an overview of the current trend in competitive placement for mentally retarded individuals, while stressing the need for an improvement in job placement services for the mentally retarded population. Initially, a description of the activities and competencies necessary in the job placement of mentally retarded persons is presented. Following this discussion, a brief analysis of problems and solutions associated with job placement in industry is provided.

Four moderately and severely retarded young adults were taught to use a pocket calculator to purchase taxable and nontaxable supermarket items and picture prompt cards to account for state sales tax. A multiple probe design across four students was employed to evaluate the procedures. Results indicated that all four students reached criterion on the eight-step task analysis. Following the multiple-probe demonstration of program efficacy, 12 additional students were taught the purchasing skills. Follow-up probes provide partial support for the contention that students used the skills acquired during training to facilitate their performance in a natural environment and maintain the skills over a 3-month period during which instruction was not provided.

This study compared the effects of grading contingencies on the practicum assignments of four trainees in a Severely Multiply Handicapped (SMH) teacher-training program. The 21 assignments required for the Advanced Practicum were divided into four blocks and then randomly assigned to two grading strategies. An ABAB reversal design was employed alternating grading strategies across the blocks of assignments. In Strategy A the students received their final grade for the first product they submitted. In Strategy B the students were allowed to resubmit their work until “A”-level grading criterion was reached, thus an “A” was guaranteed. In each condition feedback from practicum supervisors on each assignment was standardized and revisions were required on all assignments until “A”-level grading criterion was reached. The effects of the two grading contingencies were assessed by examining the first product submitted and the number of revisions required to reach “A”-level grading criterion under each strategy. Results indicated very little difference between the two grading contingencies.

Because of the recent movement to integrate severely handicapped students into a variety of school and community environments, it is becoming increasingly important that severely handicapped students be able to generalize their social skills across a variety of people and settings. In this article, the authors review the research on promoting positive social behavior of severely handicapped students and analyze the research in terms of those factors that have been found to influence generalization. Practical implications are drawn from the research reviewed in regard to how educators might better foster generalization of the positive social behaviors of severely handicapped students.

Three groups (n = 5) of retarded adolescents selected from three male wards in a residential training facility were presented object rewards on fixed interval schedules to maintain 30 minutes of group contact (superordinate goal). Rewards were faded over ten play training sessions during which individual play skills (specific) were trained using teacher and peer models, prompting and, frequent praise. Each group acquired and retained superordinate specific goals when object rewards ceased. Pre- and post-treatment ratings of free play by trained adolescents and matched controls (n = 15) show pro-social increases of free play behavior only for the former. Ratings obtained seven days after training showed rapid decrease from the immediate post-training gains. However, when play groups were reconvened after this last rating session, the adolescents still performed the games to criterion.

It is believed that educable mentally retarded (EMR) adolescents may exhibit problems in social and physical development in comparison with their normal peers. Dance education may be one way in which the physical and social development of EMR adolescents can be improved. To date, however, there is little empirical support for the effects of teaching dance to EMR adolescents. The purpose of this investigation was to study the effects of a 10-week dance program on EMR adolescents. A multiple measurement approach was employed to assess potential effects. Results suggested that the nature of participation, the consistency of participation, and the design of the curriculum are factors that affect the improvement of social and physical behaviors such as cooperation, dance skills, increased movement repertoire, rhythms, leadership, and successful peer teaching.

Physicians were surveyed to obtain their opinions concerning the information exchanged between parents, schools, and their offices regarding the prescription and effects of medications used with handicapped children. While all of the physicians felt that a regular, objective exchange of information was important, very little information was actually exchanged. While the majority of the physicians received some information from the schools prior to initiating therapy, only 33% considered that information to be objective. Forty-three percent indicated that they provided information to the schools, and 62% said that they received some information from the schools concerning the effectiveness of the medications, but only 10% felt that this information was objective. A proposed form, designed to facilitate a communicative effort between educators and physicians, is presented.

This study evaluated the amount of time necessary to teach educable mentally retarded children the Cover/Write/Method—a rehearsal strategy that can be used to learn how to spell. Subjects were five, twelve year old intermediate EMR students with an average IQ of 68. The average number of fifteen minute teaching sessions required to reach criterion was 14.8, representing a total time of 220 minutes. Based on these findings, one may conclude that 12 year old EMR students can be taught a rehearsal strategy for spelling in approximately four hours. Teachers reported improvement in spelling proficiency and more on-task behavior during instruction.

This paper will provide a review of the literature addressing the use of hypnosis as therapy for the mentally retarded. Therapy will be construed broadly to include any effort to improve personal functioning of the subject(s).