| Although there may be differences because situations | | | | to only be able to handle one instruction at a time. |
| vary, there are common characteristics in children with | | | | Sometimes they will use words that they have heard |
| mental retardation issues. | | | | before without knowing what they mean, because |
| They have difficulty remaining focused. They have | | | | they are mimicking others. This is natural. Ask them |
| difficulty with attention and they look around the room. | | | | what the word means. Help give them verbal language. |
| Keep reminding them to look at you. This focuses | | | | They may use pronouns (I, you, me) inappropriately, |
| them back on you and what you are saying. Remind | | | | and it will be up to you to help them to figure out who |
| them gently that looking at the person that is speaking | | | | they are talking about. |
| is paying attention to the person that is talking | | | | They may answer questions that you feel are beyond |
| They will have difficulty staying on task with things | | | | their ability level. But don’t resist answering them. |
| they do not enjoy (e.g. homework, chores, etc). Gently | | | | They will notice, and this will frustrate them too. Do |
| redirection back to the task, while making sure that | | | | your best to bring it to their level and not make your |
| they are looking directly at you when you make this | | | | answer too complex. |
| redirection will be important. | | | | The rigid though processes of mentally retarded |
| They will tend not to hear as much when not looking | | | | children make it difficult to learn from mistakes. This |
| directly at you because they are not attending to what | | | | can result in counter-productive behaviors. They have |
| you are saying. Their attention is divided between | | | | problems with generalizing and need help with taking |
| what you are saying and whatever they are looking at. | | | | one situation and using the information from that |
| Children coping with mental retardation issues have | | | | situation for the other situations. For example, when |
| difficulty with both expressing themselves and | | | | learning about social skills, I would work with one skill |
| understanding what is being said to them. Furthermore, | | | | until they learn that skill. Then I add a skill until they learn |
| they get frustrated and confused when they can’t | | | | the new skill. Then I add situations until they can add |
| express what they want to say. Tell them that it’s | | | | situation themselves without cuing. The more difficult |
| okay, slow down, take a deep breath, and start over. | | | | the task, and the more effort involved, the more |
| Be patient. They may have difficulty | | | | difficulty they are going to have, the more the task is |
| understanding:directions or proceduresrapid | | | | going to be divided into smaller pieces. |
| speechcomplex sentences or instructionsabstract | | | | Repetition is the key here. When you teach a social |
| concepts – very concrete and focused on the here | | | | skill or an anger management skill, repeat the different |
| and now | | | | scenarios over and over, take a break, then do it all |
| It is important to recognize that the things you say may | | | | over again. The next week, repeat the process. Think |
| need to be repeated several times and in several | | | | about when you had to learn your multiplication tables. |
| different ways. Give one instruction at a time. When | | | | You repeated them over an over. The information |
| they complete that instruction or understand that one | | | | needs to be repeated over and over. |
| concept, then give the next instruction. They are likely | | | | |