Page 12
University Daily Kansan
Friday, Nov. 13, 1964
111
Rewards Stimulate Retarded Children To Language, Behavioral Development
A retarded child can't always express what he means, but he knows what others mean when they offer rewards for his efforts.
This system of rewards to instill incentives to learn in retarded children is just one of the approaches to language and behavioral development used by KU's Bureau of Child Research on the campus, the KU Medical Center Behavioral Science Laboratory in Kansas City, and the Research Center at Parsons State Hospital and Training Center.
These three centers have been enlarged and extended through a U.S. Public Health Service grant expected to total $2 million over a 7-year-period.
NOW IN ITS second year, with a current allocation of $273.388, the program has built upon a six-year original study in cooperation with the Parsons Center and has gained national respect for its research techniques and findings.
Under the direction of Dr. R. L. Schiefelbusch, director of the KU Bureau of Child Research since 1955, and Dr. Howard V. Bair, superintendent of the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center, the program continues to focus on language and social behavior of retarded children. Both normal and retarded children are used in the studies, and investigations take place in natural and laboratory settings.
New laboratory facilities provided by the grant include those to be housed in the former KU Varsity House. This center will include three research laboratories, which are:
- A speech-science laboratory under the direction of Dr. James Neelley, assistant professor of speech and drama, to investigate variables of language production and comprehension. The subjects will range from normal children to those with various speech and language disorders.
- An infant and pre-school laboratory to study variables of social development of younger children.
JFK Mementos Exhibit
FRANKFURT, Germany — (UPI)
— The collection of private papers and possessions of the late President John F. Kennedy currently touring European cities will be exhibited at the Frankfurt "Amerika Haus" next week, it was announced today.
headed by Dr. Frances D. Horowitz, developmental psychologist and acting chairman of the department of family life.
A group behavior laboratory with emphasis on social variables such as affiliation, group influence and experience, and communication. Dr. Howard Rosenfeld, assistant professor of psychology, will direct the studies in this area.
Another goal which the new facilities at KU will emphasize is research training, primarily on the graduate level. Pre-doctoral candidates will have access to the studies and results of research in speech science and developmental behavior, and will assist in the studies, Dr. Schiefelbusch said.
In Kansas City the Behavioral Science Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Fred Girardeau works primarily with retarded speech and language development.
A grant now under consideration by the National Institute of Health would provide one-half million dollars over a six-year-period for experimental studies in a community of underprivileged children. The setting would be the Juniper Gardens area of Kansas City, and is available through the Public Housing Authority and the Episcopal Church.
THE PARSONS TRAINING Cen
JOHN'S NOVELTY
K. U. Souvenirs and Novelty Items
The first includes indices of language and communication of the mentally retarded, and methods for improvement in learning.
The second includes studies of social behavior under different laboratory situations designed to provide
WELCOME PARENTS
1014½ Mass.
VATICAN CITY —(UPI)— Pope Paul VI, who announced today that he is giving his pontifical tiara as a gift to the poor, received a "gift" yesterday only to find that it really didn't belong to him.
ter, which has provided many of the guidelines for the program as it now exists, includes three main areas of research.
FLOWERS FOR ALL "We wire flowers anywhere in the FREE world." OCCASIONS
The Pontiff attended a special Shakespeare recital near the Vatican. After the recital, he was shown a Shakespeare first folio belonging to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and valued at up to $56,000.
Pope Paul Mistaken
a range of influences for social development.
The third area at Parsons which has been expanded under the new grant includes cottage living situations to improve the amount and type of language experience and social behavior of the retarded child in daily group association.
Apparently Pope Paul mistakenly believed the folio was a gift. There was a bit of confusion before John Carmel Heenan, archbishop of Westminster, explained that the work had to be returned to England since it was considered a national treasure.
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Dr. Joseph Spradlin is research director of the Parsons Center.
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