Training Program Are Specified; a Bibhography with 23 Entries, a List Of
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 024 196 40 EC 003 195 By-Bijou, Sidney W. Research in Remedial Guidance,-)f Young Retarded Children With Behavior Problems Which Interfere With Academic Learning and Adjustment. Final Report. Illinois Univ., Urbana. Spons Agency-Office of Education (DHEW),Washington, D.C. Bureau of Research. Bureau No-BR-5-0961 Pub Date Jun 68 GraM- OEG- 32-23-1020-6002 Note- 87p. EDRS Price MF-$0.50 HC-S4.45 Descriptors-*Behavior, Behavior Change. *Exceptional ChildResearch, Mathematics, *Mentally Handicapped, Motivation, Operant Conditioning, Parent Participation, *PreschoolChildren, Programed Instruction, Reading. *Reinforcement, Teacher Education. Teaching Methods, Writing A 4-year research project developeda preschool program for exceptional children unable to attend public school butnot needing to be institutionalized on the basis of empirical behavioral principles. Childrenwere referred from agencies and most had already unsuccessfully used special schoolservices. The average age was 5-5 years.average 10 was 83. and average mental age 4-3 years;scores on the Wide Range Achievement Test averaged earlykindergarten level.Utilizing spedal features in the physical plant. curriculum,and operation of the school. behavioral principles were applied to weaken behaviors interferingwith academic learning and to strengthen desirable social and intellectual behaviors.Reading. writing, and arithmetic programs were developed as well as procedures for maintainingmotivation for learning. Specific techniqueswere applied to modify the behavior of aggressive, shy, and speech deficient children. Investigators workedwith parents at home. and the parents supplemented thenursery program. Objectives and procedures of a teacher training program are specified;a bibhography with 23 entries, alistof 10 publications resulting from this research, samples ofprogram studies from the first 2 years. case studies. and eight figures are included. (Author/SN) IMP --%15.7 Pc / FINAL REPORT Project No. 5-0961 Grant No. OEG-32-23-1020-6002 Ph/ -4710 RESEARCH IN REMEDIAL GUIDANCE OF YOUNG RETARDED CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS WHICH INTERFERE WITH ACADEMIC LEARNING AND ADJUSTMENT June 1968 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Office of Education Bureau of Research FINAL REPORT Project No. 5-0961 Grant No. 0EG-32-23-1020-6002 RESEARCH IN REMEDIAL GUIDANCE OF YOUNG RETARDED CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS WHICH INTERFERE WITH ACADEMIC LEARNING AND ADJUSTMENT Research in the Preschool Education of Retarded Children with Behavior Problems: Application of Behavioral Principles to a Program in Prevention Sidney W. Bijou University of Illinois Urbana, Illinois June 1968 The research reported herein was performed pursuant to a grant with the Qefice of Education, U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Contractorsundertaking such projects under Government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their professional judgment in the con- duct of the project. Points of view or opinions stated do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Office of Education position or polipy. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Office of Education Bureau of Research U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & WELFARE 3FFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. Contents Chapter Page Atknowledgements . ii Summary 1 Introduction . OOO 3 2. Brief Description of the Principles Applied . 6 3. The Research Strategy . 12 4. Description of the Children . 14 5. Organization and Operation of the Preschool 16 6. Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic Programs 26 7. Behavior Modification . , 35 8. Work with Parents . 51 9. The Teacher Training Program 60 10. References 63 11. Publications di 66 Appendix A , 68 Appendix B 72 BRIC Resume Report 75 Acknowledgements The research reported in this documenthas been carried out by a host of dedicated people. It would be difficult to express adequately the contribution of eachperson who has participated. The following, however,can be singled out by name: Research Assistant Professors, Howard N.Sloane, Jr. and Robert F. Peterson; NUrsery School Supervisors, FlorenceR. Harris, K. Eileen Allen, Sophia Brown, and MaryGrace Podvin; Head Teachers, Margaret K. Johnston, Barbara MacAulay,Page Downe, Susan Hamilton, and Lee Wright; Assistant Teachers,Betty Hart, Joanne Beavers, Susan O'Leary, Christina Bernstein, MarionAult, Beverley Doe, Bettie Silverman, and Roz Kovel;Research Assistants, Richard Willis, Andrew Wheeler, and William Crooks. There have been, in addition,many undergraduate and grad- uate students who have servedas experimenters, Observers, tutors, and clerks. They have not only been indispensibleto the detailed operation of specific projects,but they have supplieda kind of enthusiasm and involvement that adda big plus to all research and teaching. Special gratitude is due thesecretary of the Child Behavior Laboratory, Mts. Hannah Murphy, whokept track of all aspects of the operationpersonnel, supplies,plant maintenance, publicre- lations, budget accounts, and reports--andengineered the produc- tion of this four-year report. Summary This report is a description ofresearch conducted during the past four years (1964.68). The objective of the studywas the construction of a well-balancedpreschool program through research and development based on empiricalbehavioral principles.The pro- gram, intended for exceptional children, ispreventive in nature in the sense that it attempts toarrest or slow down retardation in marginal children, marginal inthe sense that they are too retarded or disturbed to attend school butnot sufficiently deviant tore- quire institutional residentialcare. Investigations carried out with IuLea.37 and severelyretarded and disturbed youngsters haveshown that empirical behavioral principlescan be applied to the formula- tion of a technology ofnursery school guidance and psychotherapy. These studies provided background informationfor the undertaking described here. According to empirical behavioral principles,the child, the environment, and the interactionsbetween them are conceptualized in objective terms. The interactions refer to reflex (respondent) and operant conditicning, generalization,discrimination, abstrac- tion, conceptualization, chaining,extinction, setting conditions such as satiation-deprivation, andthe like. These principles have been derived mostly from laboratorystudies extending overmany years. According to this approach the retarded childwith problems is one who is handicapped because ofa history of particular bio- logical, physical, or social conditionsand interactions. The research strategy:in this investigationis representative of research and development. Princ*ples derived from the labora- tory are applied directly to the complexsituations involving pre- school education, parent counseling,and teacher training. Research is first intra-systematic, whichmeans that an individual child is studied experimentally ina one-to-one situation in the natural setting of the schoolor clinic. When empirical findings are demon- strated, they are duplicatedon other children and then incorporated into the teaching practices. Gradually a special preschool educa- tional technology is constructed. Research is then inter-systematic, i.e., group comparisonsare made between these approaches that have been developed and others. The children studiedare enrolled in a special nursery school. .The physical plant, curriculum, and operation ofthe school are described in some detail. There are explanations as to how the principles are applied in orderto weaken behaviors that interfere with academic learning, andto strengthen desirable social, intel- lectual, preacademic, and academic behaviors. Behavior modification and programming principlesare explicitly used in every activity during the entire school dal/. The reading, writing, and arithmetic programs developed for the program are described. Also discussed in this context are the procedures for Obtaining and maintaining high motivation for academic learning and for shaping appropriate attending behaviors and study habits. The research on behavior modification is also presented, with emphasis on the rationale and methodology. Examples of research in changing personal and social behavior are given for the aggressive child, the shy or behaviorally deficient child, and the speech deficient child. Research with parents of the children enrolled in the program is aimed at determining how the parentcan support and supplement the program developed for her child in the nursery school. The procedures involve Observation and analysis of the parent in actual relationships with her child. Examples of the methodology and findings from several investigations in the homeare given. Direct situational counseling is a natural inference from this line of investigation. Finally, an account is given of the application of principles to training the teachers who serve in the program. The principles applied are basically the same as those used to modifya child's social behavior or to improve his performance in arts, crafts, and academic skills, The terminal behaviors, steps in the program, and contingencies are different, as there is more stress on verbal skills and repertories. The aim of the training is to prepare teachers to set up terminal behaviors for the children, to work out details