SOFTWARE FOR TEACHING PERSONS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION/DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AND MARKET COMPUTER-BASED INSTRUCTION PROGRAMS FOR TEACHING PERSONS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION/DEVELOPMENT DISABILITES. UNLIKE CURRENT PROGRAMS, THESE PROGRAMS WILL BE BASED ON WHAT THE EXPERIMENTAL LITERATURE SUGGESTS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE PROCEDURES FOR TEACHING THESE INDIVIDUALS. IN THE PRESENT PROJECT, RESEACH-BASED COMPUTER PROGRAMS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO TEACH THREE TASKS. THESE WILL BE COMPARED WITH CURRENTLY MARKETED PROGRAMS, AND MEASURES WILL BE TAKEN OF ACADEMIC AND ON-TASK BEHAVIORS OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION. REVISION WILL BE MADE BASED ON THE RESULTS. WHEN THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETED, AN APPLICATION WILL BE MADE FOR PHASE II SUPPORT. THE PURPOSE OF THAT SUPPORT WILL BE TWOFOLD: (1) TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF TASKS TAUGHT, AND (2) TO STUDY VARIABLES THAT WILL MAKE THE PROGRAS DEVELOPED IN THIS PROJECT MORE EFFECTIVE.