INVESTIGATION OF INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR A RISKY BEHAVIORS PROGRAM FOR MILDY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED YOUTH

AMONG THE MANY DECISIONS THAT ADOLESCENTS MUST MAKE ARE DECISIONS ABOUT ENGAGING IN RISKY BEHAVIORS SUCH AS DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE, DANGEROUS DRIVING, AND SEXUAL ACTIVITY. DECISIONS IN THESE AREAS MAY HAVE MAJOR IMPACT ON THEIR FUTURES. MILDLY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED ADOLESCENTS ARE PARTICULARLY PRONE TO ENGAGE IN RISK BEHAVIORS FOR THREE REASONS. FIRST, THEY SHARE MANY OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF NONHANDICAPPED ADOLESCENTS WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN THEM. SECOND, THEY FREQUENTLY HAVE DEFICIENT DECISIONMAKINGSKILLS. FINALLY, THEY ARE LIKELY TO HAVE INADEQUATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF RISKY BEHAVIORS ON WHICH TO BASE RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS. MACRO PROPOSES TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING HYPERMEDIA/VIDEODISC TECHNOLOGY TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION IN DECISIONMAKING SKILLS, INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF RISK BEHAVIORS, AND OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE DECISIONMAKING SKILLS IN THE CONTEXT OF THESE BEHAVIORS. MACRO BELIEVES THAT A MULTISENSORY, HIGHLY ENGAGING HYPERMEDIA/VIDEODISC ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH DECISIONMAKING SKILLS AND INFORMATION ARE LINKED MAY BE ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE IN MODIFYING RISK BEHAVIORS AMONG MILDLY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED LEARNERS WHO TYPICALLY HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY GENERALIZING. MACRO HAS ASSEMBLED A TEAM FOR THIS EFFORT THAT INCLUDES PERSONS WITH EXPERTISE IN INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS DESIGN, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE DESIGN, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION.