10
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, December 17, 1968
Schools teach retarded
Cordley gives special help
By RUTH RADEMACHER Assistant Feature Editor
Some children have special educational needs. Those children, often referred to as exceptional children, find their needs met in Lawrence by special education services recognized throughout the state as being superior.
Lawrence schools offer a comprehensive program of services for exceptional children, including classes for retarded children, both educable and trainable, said Mrs. June M. Smith, coordinator of people personnel in the Lawrence special education program.
Retarded children who are high in the educable range, are involved in a sequence of 10 classes in Lawrence, beginning at the primary level and continuing through the secondary education level, Mrs. Smith explained.
Youngsters are transported from all over the school district to Cordley elementary school, chosen because of its central location, said Mrs. Smith. Seven classes are conducted at Cordley on two levels.
In level one the children are taught social and readiness activity, Mrs. Smith explained. Social activity is continued in level two, as well as, the development of mental activity. At level two the children are also introduced to academic skills.
Level one is comparable to grades one through three, and level two is comparable to grades four through six, she said.
Once the child has completed the training on the lower levels, he advances to level three which is comparable to junior high, she said. Presently, two classes are conducted on this level at Central Junior High School. When South junior high is completed, one of the level three classes will be moved to the new school. Mrs. Smith said.
Level three classes continue with the basic developmental skills and also introduce the children to a program to familiarize them with the world of business in the local community.
"We try to instill in the children an understanding and appreciation of family life and the relationship of the family to the community," Mrs. Smith said.
She explained that academic skills are introduced throughout the various levels as the children are able to accept them.
On the senior high school level,level four,the children continue to develop minimum basic skills.
"At this level the children are introduced into a practical setting, where they continue the study of occupational opportunity in the community." Mrs. Smith said.
Most important at level four is the supervised program of work experience, she said.
"Every level four child is placed on a job training program under the supervision of a teacher," Mrs. Smith explained. The children do unskilled or semi-skilled work of a repetitive nature.
Mrs. Smith pointed out that the repetition which is so monotonous to others is very satisfying to the retarded child.
Retarded persons must be able to see the rewards of their work immediately, she said. They often lose interest if they feel they are not putting out good work. Therefore, it is very important to make them realize that they are doing good work, Mrs. Smith said.
Mrs. Smith commented that although there is always a period of adjustment, most employers report that they receive quite good work from those involved in the special education job training program.
The other part of the program for retarded children involves children who are not educable but are trainable.
"These children are capable of becoming socially competent, but in most cases, only partially self-supporting," Mrs. Smith explained.
In 1954 a class for trainable children who would be dependent on others was begun in Lawrence, but was
discontinued because there were not enough children in the school district who required these services to justify its maintenance, Mrs. Smith said.
This program has been reinstated and now has an enrollment of 10.
The purpose of this program explained Mrs. Smith, is to train these children to become partially self-supporting.
In this program the classroom is a simulated workshop setting made up of various units, she said.
For example, one unit is the home living unit, Mrs. Smith said. Here the children are taught to prepare simple meals and to perform regular routine tasks of daily living.
"Most of the children learn to function very skillfully as adults in a sheltered workshop where they can work on tasks of a repetitive nature under close supervision." Mrs. Smith said.
In both educable and trainable programs, the Lawrence special education system accommodates 160 retardated, she said.
"It opens an entirely new dimension in reading. It has helped with comprehension and speed."
Mark Gleason K.U. student
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