curricular adaptations for Mental retardation.pptx

Curricular adaptation for
developmental disabilities
Mental retardation
Prasanth P
Asst. Professor
GBCTE, Thalassery

History of Special Education in India
● The concept of mental retardation was first mentioned
in the Arthava Veda. A much older system of
philosophy, the Sankhya, contains a statement on
different types of intellectual disabilities.
● According to the Garba Upanishad, babies withbirth
defects were ‘born to parents whose minds are
distressed’.

● The Pathanjali Yoga Sutras deal withyoga as a
therapy in which mental retardation has also been
taken into consideration for this therapy.
● The great physician Charaka had given various
causes of mental retardation and discussed the
different types and classification.

● Clear references to persons with mental retardation can
be traced in the Sangam literature (200 BC–AD 200) by
Erayanar and Avvaiyar and more recently by Thiruvalluvar.
● In the fourth century BC, Kautilya banned the use of terms
insulting persons with disabilities.
● He employed many people with disabilities in his spy
network.

● King Amarsakti had three sons, Vasusakti,
Ugrasakti and Anekasakti, who were ‘greater
foobs’ or ‘supreme blockheads’.

● This folly caused their father’s courtier, Vishnu Sharma, to
devise the world’s, first special education text,
Panchantantra, around the first century BC.
● Ancient Hindu, Buddhist and Sanskrit texts treat idiocy like
other birth handicaps, occurring due to sins committed as a
consequence of the guilt of former crimes in an earlier
incarnation.

● According to Manu,the Lawgiver, such. persons are
born idiots, dumb, blind, deaf and deformed and are all
despised by the virtuous.
● Arthasastra mentions treatment and care given to
people with disabilities at mattas (monasteries) and in
the time of Ashoka, at the hospitals at Pataliputra.

● Sinhalese asylums for people with disabilities were set-up by the fourth
century in what is now Sri Lanka.
● Special education began in northern India in 1826 with Raja Kali
Shanker Ghosal opening his blind asylum at Benaras.
● The first facility for the deaf was started in l855 at the same place.

● 18 In 1841, there was an asylum for idiots in Madras,
separate from the lunatic asylum.
● In 1918, a school was opened in Kurseong in Bengal
to train ‘those children who through physical and
mental defects are unable to profit by the instruction
given in an ordinary school’.

● Similar works began in Travancore in 1931 and in Chennai in
1936.
● The Government Mental Hospital, Madras, started a school for
children with mental retardation in 1939.
● The first home for children with mental retardation was opened
in Bombay (1941) by the Children’s Aid Society.
●

● Mrs Vakil, in 1944, started another school in
Bombay. In the fifties, eleven more centres
were started in various parts of the country.
● In 1954, Mr Srinivasan began thefirst special
class in a regular school at Andheri in Bombay

Mentally Handicapped
Children
PRASANTH P
ASST. pROFESSOR

Definitions of Mentally Handicapped Children
● Intellectual Disability (ID), also known as
Mental Retardation (MR),is a generalized
neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by
significantly impaired Intellectual and
Adaptive Functioning.

● It is defined by an IQ under 70, in addition
to deficits in two or more adaptive
behaviours that affect everyday general
living (Wikipedia, 2019).

● Mental handicap (retardation) refers to significantly
sub-average general intellectual functioning existing
concurrently with deficits in adaptive behaviour and
manifested during the developmental period.
(Grossman V.(Ed.) Classification in Mental
Retardation, American Association on Mental
Deficiency 1983).

● Previously the definition of ID was only focused
on individual’s impairment on Cognitive ability.
● Now it includes impairment in both Cognitive
functioning and Functional skills in their
everyday life (Adaptive skills).

● Mental retardation, which was in use
world over till late 20th century, has now
been replaced with Intellectual Disability
(ID) in most of the countries.

● Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5th Revision
(DSM-V) has replaced it with Intellectual
Disability (ID).
● Current approaches view ID from a
developmental perspective and rely on both
intellectual abilities and adaptive functioning.

● The 11 th revision of International Classification of
Disease (ICD-11) has proposed to change the term
“Mental Retardation” to “Disorders of Intellectual
Development” (DID).
● The ICD-11 conceptualizes ID as a health condition
or a disorder rather than merely a disability

● As per American Association on Mental Deficiency, also
previously known as American Association on Mental
Retardation –”Mental Retardation refers to a
significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning
resulting in or associated with concurrent deficits
inadaptive functioning”.

Definition of Mental Retardation according to American Association of Mental
Retardation(AAMR) -1992:
● Mental Retardation Refers to significantly subaverage intellectual
functioning, existing concurrently with or more of the following
applicable adaptive skill areas:
● Communication
● Self-care
● Home Living 12
● Social Skills
● Community Use
● Self-direction
● Health and Safety Ø Functional Academics
● Leisure
● Work

● By adopting the definition and accompanying
classifications system, AAMR(1992) teh earlier
terminologies like Mild, Moderate, Severe and
Profound classification categories in previous
definitions to be substituted with “levels” of
support needed by an individual using term.

● Intermittent: Support of high or low
intensity is provided as and when needed.
● Characterized as episodic or short-term
during life - span transitions.

● Limited: Supports are provided consistently
over time, but may not be extensive at any
one time.
● Supports may require fewer staff members
and lower expenses than more intense levels
of support.

● Extensive: Supports are characterized by
regular involvement (daily) in at least some
environment (work or home) and not limited
● (example: Long-term support & long-term
home living support).

Pervasive: High intensity supports are provided
constantly, across environment, mostly and may
be of life sustaining and intrusive nature.
Pervasive support typically involve a variety of
staff members.

Symptoms of intellectual disability
● failure to meet intellectual milestones
● sitting, crawling, or walking later than other children
● problems learning to talk or trouble speaking clearly
● memory problems
● inability to understand the consequences of actions

● inability to think logically
● childish behavior inconsistent with the child’s age
● lack of curiosity
● learning difficulties
● IQ below 70
● inability to lead a fully independent life due to challenges
communicating, taking care of themselves, or interacting
with others

● The word curriculum is derived from the
Latin root ‘Currus’ which means a chariot
or runway. Curriculum is a programme of
various activities of learning or studies taken
up by a student over a period of time to
achieve a goal in view.

● Curriculum included all the activities and experiences of
learners in a specific field.
● The experiences include the subject matter gained through
direct experience and that which is secured vicariously
through the utilization of textbooks and other learning aids.
● Curricular offering thus include the content and the
materials of instruction, techniques of procedure and
personal influences.

Mild intellectual disability
● taking longer to learn to talk, but communicating well once
they know how
● being fully independent in self-care when they get older
● having problems with reading and writing
● social immaturity
● increased difficulty with the responsibilities of marriage or
parenting
● benefiting from specialized education plans
● having an IQ range of 50 to 69

Moderate intellectual disability
● are slow in understanding and using language
● may have some difficulties with communication
● can learn basic reading, writing, and counting skills
● are generally unable to live alone
● can often get around on their own to familiar places
● can take part in various types of social activities
● generally having an IQ range of 35 to 49

Severe intellectual disability
● Noticeable motor impairment
● Severe damage to, or abnormal
development of, their central nervous
system
● Generally having an IQ range of 20 to 34

Profound intellectual disability
● inability to understand or comply with requests or
instructions
● possible immobility
● incontinence
● very basic nonverbal communication
● inability to care for their own needs independently
● the need of constant help and supervision
● having an IQ of less than 20

Modified Instructions For Children with ID
● The training programme for the children with ID
ranges from self help skills to the development of
vocational skills.
● For this purpose the concept of IEP should be
focused

● Specific skill development activities should be
planned
● The planned adapted educational experiences are
given at four different levels for children with
mild ID

● Pre-school level – Focus is mainly on
daily living skills.

● Primary school level – reading , writing and
social training(sharing , peer helping etc.)

● Intermediate classes – along with academic
skills this group also needs prevocational
training and training in independent living
skills to live independently in society.
●

● independent living skills to live independently in
society.
●

● Secondary school level – all vocational
and social skills , interacting and
coping with people at work place and
in other settings.

● The planned adapted educational experiences are given in six
areas for moderate ID
● Self help skills
● Communication skills
● Personal social skills
● Perceptual motor skills
● Functional academic skills
● Vocational skills

● The adaptation for severe ID
● 1. Communication skills
● 2. Self-help skills

● The adaptation for profound ID
● 1. ADL ( activity for daily living)
● 2. AAC(Augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC)
● 3. Social behaviour
● 4. Challenging behaviour

● Organising adapted modified instructional process
● The teacher who prefers innovation
attempts to elicit sorting , grouping ,
categorizing, and inductive thinking and
promotes attention to goals, objectives, and
logical sequential thinking.
●

Adaptation in evaluation process
● Tests may be modified as to
number of question asked.
● Tests may be modified through
simplification of the wording of
questions.

● Tests may be given on tape and/or
students may be permitted to answer on
tape.
● Test question may be presented orally.
● Combinations of above or other similar
ideas.

Adaptation , accommodation and modification for Pre
academic Curriculum
● The content focuses on motor ,
language , and daily living skills
that is required for children with
mental retardation or
developmental delayed ones also.
●

● Most of the learning at this age is
concrete and activity based.

● Worries about achieving ‘high scores’ is not
a concern at this age and therefore the child
does not face stressful demands from school
and family.

● Children with without disabilities have an
opportunity to learn from each other.
● There is a scope for enhancing social
competence due to exposure to natural
environment.

Basic considerations for preparing curriculum for the pre-school
● Children learn through imitating people around
them.
● This is a first step in organizing information from
the external world.
● Provide children with experiences that stimulate
all sense.

● Multisensory approaches to teaching
can facilitate assimilation and
accommodations.
●

● Because the children has difficulty in organizing
themselves, the teacher must give stimulation.
● Children should have an opportunity to become
more aware of their bodies and maintain control
over their actions.

● Programme should be developmental in the most basic
areas and should focus on the child’s actual functioning
level.
● Teaching strategies should be consistent , structured
and controlled.
● Set goals and plan activities with clear objectives in
mind.

Major focus at pre-primary level will include
● Self-Body parts , name , gender , family
members , daily living skills.
● Common objects-clothing , food , furniture ,
toys , dishes , utensils , plants , animals,
holidays

● Action words – sit ,
stand , walk , run ,
clap , jump , hop ,
top , stop , go , drink.

● Concepts – shapes , size , colour ,
sound , taste , smell , texture , position
, weight , beauty , same and different ,
laterality , safety.

Adaptation , Accommodation and Modification for Academic
Curriculum
● Functional Academics –
● Refer to the literacy and numeracy skills required to
teach the children with ID for leading independent lives
in the society.
● It includes reading, writing and arithmetic.

Functional Reading
● Functional reading is defined as a student’s
actions or responses resulting from reading the
printed word.
● Primary goal is the development of their ability to
read for protection – sign boards , labels ,
directions and so on.

● The second goal is reading for information and
instruction – newspaper , telephone book , job
application and so on.
● The third goal is reading for pleasure-magazines ,
comics , story books.

Functional Writing
● One of the important mode of communication is
written expression.
● Writing demands eye hand coordination , motor
coordination , sense of direction and recognition of
symbols (picture/letters/numbers/punctuations and so
on).

● Some writing tasks demand horizontal writing
and some demand vertical writing as in
arithmetic (addition, subtraction) and some
demand a combination of both as in statement
sums.

Teaching writing involve four stages
1. Tracing
2. Joint dot(if needed)
3. Copying 4. Fill in the blanks
5. Writing from memory (including learning
spelling)

● To write sight words, students have to
go through six steps using auditory,
visual , tactile and kinesthetic inputs.

Functional Arithmetic
● Before beginning with numbers,
make sure, the child is aware of pre-
math concepts such as
● more-less ,
● far-near,
● heavy-light,
● Tall-short-long,
● left-right and so on.

While planning and teaching arithmetic skills
● The content should be arranged in a sequential
order for which the task analytic approach is
applied.
● Concrete materials should be used while
teaching to provide meaning for the concepts. •

● The selection of materials should be such
that they can be used meaningfully both
inside and outside the school environment

● The programme should be structured in such a way
that there is a gradual transition in teaching concepts
moving from concrete to semi- concrete and abstract
levels.
● Instruction must be practical and functional with
special emphasis given to social and vocational
orientation.

● Sufficient practice should be given
to deal with the concepts in variety
of ways to ensure understanding.

● Additional opportunities should be
provided to generalize the skill to a variety
of experiences to note similarities and to
establish associations and relations
among these experiences.

● Practical experiences and
situations should be provided for
the application of numerical skills.

● Care should be taken in planning the application
of number skills to the real life experiences that
they should have relevance to the world in terms
of the individual child’s needs.

Adaptation , Accommodation and Modification for school /
subjects
Simplified Curriculum :Simplified
curriculum includes fewer concepts
and skills rather than the entire scope
of the general curriculum.

● Example : Science , structure and functions of parts
of the eye
● The text books have detailed description of parts of
the eye with difficult terminology and how the eye
functions.

● A child with ID can just be taught major parts and
functions.
● The parts that are visible so he comprehends and focus
on care of eyes, signs of problem with eyes , care of eye
glasses and such other information which is more
functional and simplified yet taken from regular
educational curriculum

Supplementary curriculum
● Supplementary curriculum includes basic skills of reading ,
writing, and math and also additional social skills , study
skills and learning strategies.
● This helps children in organizing themselves , improve
memory and learning ability.
● This type of curriculum is most useful to children with
learning disabilities and those with emotional /behaviour
problems.

● Example: student attend regular class but performs
poorly in exam.
● In such cases, supplementary classes are provided
in test taking , organizing time, nothing main points
etc

Alternative Curriculum
● An alternative curriculum emphasizes
skills needed to participate in activities in
the community living domain of the
curriculum.

● An alternative curriculum can be a
functional, community referenced
curriculum , determined by assessing the
student and his/her environment.

● Functional academics forms part of the community
referenced curriculum.
● Depending on the severity level of disability, emphasis can
be on personal, social, communication skills.
● Opportunity for partial participation in school activities is
recommended for severely disabled children.

Multilevel curriculum
● Involves having objectives at varying
levels of difficulty for different
students in the same class.

Example
● In mathematics class one student may do two
digit addition with carry over , another without
carry over and yet another may be doing single
digit addition , all doing curricular content –
addition .

Activity Based Curriculum
● When the students belong to
different levels, planning and
implementing instructions is
difficult.

● Activity based curriculum is based
suited for children with intellectual
disabilities as it provides experience
based learning.

● Because of the multi-sensorial input and
the experience of carrying out the task ,
the students are likely to retain the learnt
information better.

● For example , teaching , freezing point , boiling
point , evaporation and such concepts with
black board and textbooks are too difficult for
for a child with mental retardation to
understand.

● The same concepts included in their curriculum with
the teaching method focusing on demonstration using
boiling in a kettle and freezing using a refrigerator –
all done by the students under supervision and
guidance will be better understood .

● Demonstration of use of thermometer showing boiling
and freezing points on it will be better comprehended
by them.
● Though time consuming and requires a lot of efforts, it
is one of the best way to plan and teach students with
intellectual disabilities.

● A programme must be flexible to meet
the individual needs of students.

● A functional mathematics curriculum should include ,
time , money , measurements (mass , volume , weight
, distance) which are necessary for daily living
activities. The content must be graded from easy to
difficult distributed from pre-primary to prevocational
levels.

● The teacher who prefers lecturing
describes, explains ,illustrates , and asks
students to recall or apply what was
presented

● The entertainer –one who regularly
digresses from subject matter –is open to
student opinions and their self expression
and is not particularly goal oriented.

● The role-learning teacher –one who provides
information, repeats for emphasis , and
expects students to attend practice and
regurgitate.

● The counselor – one who listens,
redirects behaviour, and elicits
student’s feelings, attitudes and
values

● The storyteller – one who narrates,
reads , tells that which is to be
learned , and encourages sharing and
participation in this process.

curricular adaptations for Mental retardation.pptx

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