Retarded in a Manner Analogous to the Teaching of Reading and Writing
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 026 793 EC 003 658 By- Edmonson, Barbara; And Others Social Inference Training of Retarded Adolescents at the Pre-Vocational Level. Kansas Univ., Kansas City. Medical Center. Spons Agency-Vocational Rehabilitation Alministration (DHEW),. Washington, D.C. Pub Date 68 Grant-RD-1388-P Note-171p. EDRS Price MF-$0.75 HC-$8.65 Descriptors-*Attitudes, *Behavior, Behavior Change, Behavior Rating Scales, Comprehension Development, Educable Mentally Handicapped, *ExceptionalChild Research,Institutionalized (Persons), Interpersonal Competence, Junior High School Students, *Mentally Handicapped, Prevocational Education, Social Attitudes, Socially Maladjusted, Student Evaluation, Test Reliability, *Ter:ts, Test Validity Identifiers-Test of Social Infeeence, 151 The relationship between the difficulty with which the retarded adolescent decodes visual social cues and the appropriateness of his social behaviorwas the basis of a study to determine whether social cue decoding could be taught the retardedin a manner analogous to the teaching of reading and writing, with beneficial behavioral results. The Test of Social Inference (TSDwas developed and used as the before and after criterion of social comprehension. During four trials. 11 classesofretardedadolescentsattheprevocationallevelwere provided experimental lessons designed to promote social awareness daily for periods of from 6 to 10 weeks as a part of their special education. Two control classeswere provided placebo materials and five were provided contrast materials to supplement their usual curricula, and one control class had no change made in its usual program. All pupils were given social behavioral rtings by their teachers before and after the periods of treatment. The association between social comprehension and social behavior was confirmed by significant correlations between the pupils' TSI scores and their social behavioral ratings (p=.001). Improved comprehension as a result of special trairing was confirmed by significantly higher TSI scores following treatment (p.05).Improved behavior associated with gainsinsocialcomprehension was supported by results only of the initial trial. (Author/RP) SOCIALINFERENCETRAINING OF RETARDEDADOLESCENTS AT THEPRE-VOCATIONALLEVEL Barbara Edmonson Henry Leland Ethel M.Leach,Project Co-directors RD- Final reportofresearch anddemonstration project I388-P supportedinpart by theVocationalRehabilitation Administration oftheU.S. Office ofHealth, Education andWelfare Li) UNIVERSITY OFKANSAS MEDICALCENTER KANSAS CITY, KANSAS 66103 1968 EDUCATION & WELFARE U.S. DEPARTMENTOf HEALTH, OFFICE Of EDUCATION EXACTLY AS RECEIVEDFROM THE THIS DOCUMENT HASSEEN REPRODUCED OR OPINIONS IT.POINTS OF VIEW PERSON ORORGANIZATION ORIGINATING OFFICIAL OFFICE OFEDUCATION STATED DO NOTNECESSARILY REPRESENT POSITION OR POLICY. SOCIAL INFERENCE TRAININGOF RETARDED ADOLESCENTS AT THE PRE-VOCATIONAL LEVEL Barbara Edmonson Henry Leland Ethel Leach Project Co-Directors with the assistance of John E. deJung University of Kansas MedicalCenter Kansas City, Kansas,66103 1968 in Final report of researchand demonstration projectRD-1388-P supported the U. S. Office part by the VocationalRehabilitation Administration of of Health, Education andWelfare and in part by the Universityof Kansas Medical Center 1 I...IT riT, iii SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS FOR THE REHABILITATION WORKER The Test of Social Inference The Test of Social Inference (TSI), developed as an experimental instrument by this project, provides a social comprehension score whose relevance to the adolescent and adult retardate's social behavioral adequacy is in part indicated by Pearson product moment correlations significant at the .001 level between sub- jects' TSI scores and ratings given them by teachers with respect to social range, social relationships, peer acceptance, attentiveness and calmness, as defined on on a battery of behavior rating scales. In further indications of the meaningfulness of the test, the TSI scores of EMR subjects tested were more predictive of the placement of the samples--institu- tional, public school special class, or public school regular class--than their IQ's. A description of the TSI,with reliability and validity data is to be found qn pages 2.12-2.28 of Chapter II and again in Chapter VI. The Retardate's Deficit in Social Comprehension Although it was anticipated that the retarded adolescent and young adult would score significantly lower on the TSI than would his nonretarded (NMR) counterpart, it was a surprise to find a wide range of TSI scores at each level of age and IQ of the educable retarded pupil. Within the public school special education classes (PS-EMR) tested, a few ENR pupils earned TSI scores equivalent to those of NMR subjects. At the other extreme, the performance by some suggested virtually no decoding of the social cues normally used in the modulation of one's qwn behavior. The institutional educable retarded subjects (Inst-EMR) tested had similarly wide ranges of TSI scores at each level of age and IQ, but with an overall deficit significantly greater than that of the PS-EMR. At each level of age and IQ, the TSI score of the Inst-EMR subject was below the TSI score of the PS-EMR subject. Data relevant to the social comprehension deficit is presented on pages 2.13-2.22 of Chapter II and in part 2 of Chapter VI. Aemediability The experimental trials,in six junior high special education classes and five prevocational classes in state institutions,of lessons prepared so as to illustrate social situations and expected behaviors, resulted in significant gains in social comprehension (gains in TSI scores). Of the 127 pupils in the experimental classes, 87 percent had TSI score gains when retested after use of the lessonsi their gains averaging 12 TSI points in comparison with average gains by nonex- perimentally treated pupils of 5 TSI points over comparable time intervals. The gains associated with the lessons should not be considered maximal be- cause of the restrictions placed upon their use during the trials.Teachers Were furnished the "canned" materials with little or no opportunity to become familiar with objectives or content. In addition, lessons had to be completed within a stipulated period, allowing of no repetition nor possibility of lesson supplement. Data from the experimental trials are presented in Chapter V.A discussion of factors related to gains is contained in Chapter VI. Gains in Relation to Age and IQ TSI gains were found moderately positively correlated with age with the few instances of negative gain being restricted to the lower aged subjects. IQ appeared unrelated to TSI gains. Within the ranges represented by the project's samples, neither age nor IQ appeared restrictive of significant gains in associa- tion with educative treatment. Gains in Relation to Sex Boys made greater TSI gains than girls in most classes, the difference being particularly marked in the two trials of experimental curriculum II in two state institutions. Because of the unevenness of program effect, the pro- ject was extended to permit major curricular revisions, and a further field trial. In this final trial, involving the abridged use of Curriculum III in four junior high special education classes, the gains by girls did not differ significantly from those by boys. Cause of the Social Com rehension Deficit The discovery of the wide ranges in social comprehension at each level of age and IQ, in conjunction with the gains associated with brief remedial treat- ment is important, posing as it does the research question as to the cause of the deficit. Allied to this question is the social comprehension deficit of the institutional subject that is even more marked than that of his community- based peer. PROJECT STAFF AND CONSULTANTS Barbara Edmonson, - Project Co-DirectorvPrincipal Investigator II 11 Ethel M. Leach, Ed.D. RM. Henry Leland, Ph.D. RM. Gail Achtenberg, B.A. - Research Assistant Jean Barrington, B.A. RM. II Donna Brahl OD 11 Demaris Carrell,.M.A. OD Florence Goldman, M.A. OD Beatrice Gundle, M.A. RM. Jane Havens, B.S. OD Martha Reed, B.A. OD Alice J. Harford - Secretary John Reed - Photographer Elizabeth Ganser - Artist Ivan Ganser, M.F.A. - Artist Elizabeth Galton, B.A. - Research Fellow Consultants William Arndt, Ph.D. Julia McHale, Ph.D. Jerry Chaffin, Ed.D. Lucille Morris, M.A. Jean Clark, M.S.W. Kazuo Nihira, Ph.D. John E. deJung, Ed.D. James Payne,. M.A. Morton Goldman, Ph.D. Charles Solley, Ph.D. Paul Gump, Ph.D. Jeanne Truett, M.A. Sheila M. Jackson, B.Ed. Robert Tyrrell, Ph.D. Louise Luckett,,M.Ed. Herbert Wright, Ph.D. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - For rich informationconcerning the social behavior and problems of retarded youth, the following counsellors, social workers and vocational trainees should be credited for their descriptions and reports which shaped portions of the lessons contained in Social Perceptual Training for Community Living: Pre- Vocational Units for Retarded Youth. Carol Campbell Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor Daisy Caress Director of Social Services, Parsons, Kansas State Hospital Jerry Chaffin Principal Investigator, A Selected Demcnstration for the Vocational Training of Mentally Retarded Youth in Public High Schools (Kansas Work Study Project) Jean Clark (formerly) Chief Social Worker, Vocational Re- habilitation Unit, Topeka, Kansas David Hale Director Rehabilitation Services, Goodwill In- dustries, Kansas City, Mo. Jack Martin IFielid'AesealrevaTectior, Peer Knowledge Among Retarded Youth Joyce North Family Service