Successful Ministry to the Retarded[ETowns] - Elmer Towns

particularly normal children in his own age group. However, the mentally alertperson brings his powers of rationality to do the work of compensating for his fearsand frustrations. Conversely, the retarded student becomes altogether defenselesswithout the use of these compensating powers in a learning situation, especially ifteachers have failed to specifically structure the situation to give him a feeling ofaccomplishment. 6A great deal of learning success achieved by the retardate does depend upon histeacher's insight and planning for his problems. The teacher's knowledge of thecircumstances under which the child performs best, may lead to more effectivemeans of training and educating him.' If he were alwavs able to determine thespecific deficits or handicaps in any one case, he might be able to minimize thesehandicaps through adjustment. This adjustment will take many forms. First of all,the child must be comfortable. Perhaps this means that, initially, he will need thetotal attention of his teacher in a secluded part of the room. The teacher thenencounters a communication barrier if a child has sensory losses. Can he bear, seeand speak well enough to begin receiving instruction? The teacher has severalalternatives when he faces the problem of communicating with the trainable pupil.He can be instructed by a professional therapist to help him reach the child, althoughhe must never actually play the role of therapist. He can at least gain anunderstanding of the problem.Second, a teacher may want to permit an uncommunicative pupil to remain inclass and participate in his own limited way as long as he does not disrupt generalactivity. Teachers should probably allow the docile child to remain, since no onecan finally measure the kinds of benefits he receives from a class. Finally, teachersmust refuse to enroll the trainable child whose hyperactive temperament turns aclass to chaos.Another adjustment concerns language. A teacher must be overly conscious thatlearning success in mentally retarded students depends upon his ability to speak inwords and terms which they understand. He must begin at the language level of hisstudents, work at that level, and then slowly introduce new words.* He shouldselect and introduce new words on the basis of their usefulness to the retardate. 8This especially applies to the retardate and religious concepts. Such words as love,helping, serving, sadness, and hurt will give the retardate something which he canunderstand. The higher theological terms which have no basis in sight, feeling ortouch will have little meaning to him.* Teachers in the special Sunday school class may be surprised to hear pupilsrepeating words and ideas which they later come to see have no meaning to those