of independence and self-support is possible economically, socially, and occupationally, even though moderate supervision may be necessary. Group 2. This group is composed of those for whom little or no selfsupport is anticipated, although improvement is possible, especially in self-care, social and emotional adjustments, and some habit skills. These children usually require continuous supervision.

Group 3.-This group is composed of those for whom neither selfsupport nor other significant improvement is anticipated. These children will require permanent custodial care.

Note. Traditionally, with wide variations for individual cases, the approximate IQ ranges are: Group 1-50 to 70 or 75; Group 2—30 to 50; Group 3-0 to 30.

There are types of physical handicaps in which the defect and the need for specialized teaching skills seem obvious to everyone. When one of the sense modalities is damaged or destroyed, for example, at least some specific teacher competencies may be defined immediately. Even in such cases, however, there will be specific teaching knowledge, skills, abilities, and matters of methodology which are controversial or need further clarification.

Mental retardation is a defect which is less obvious to the ordinary observer. Nevertheless, the handicap is no less real because it is less obvious. Some of the learning difficulties may be quite subtle. For example, one cannot assume that the retarded child can, without special help, organize percepts into concepts. We cannot even assume that the retarded child perceives experiences in a fully "normal" way.

Mental retardation, by definition, implies that intellectual growth is at a slower rate than normal. Current research indicates, as suggested above, that the learning processes of the retarded child differ qualitatively as well as quantitatively from the normal. Research findings indicate that the teacher of the mentally retarded needs special preparation that will lead to an understanding of these differences and the ability to utilize their educational, psychological and sociological implications in their teaching. This assumption is basic to the listing of those specific competencies required by the teacher of the mentally retarded which differ in degree and/or kind from those required of other teachers.

Certain personal and professional qualifications are required for teaching mentally retarded children in school, interpreting them to parents and the community, and helping them to find their place in a society that does not always understand and accept them. While it is obvious that these teachers need the qualities desired in all teachers, there are other qualifications in which they differ. This report attempts to point up the special qualifications that apply to teachers of these children.

Certain personal characteristics seem to be essential to the teacher of the mentally retarded, irrespective of the class setting, the chronological or mental

age of the children, or the curriculum to be followed. He should be genuinely interested in the mentally retarded. Preferably this interest should not be motivated by strong feelings derived from personal identification. He must have a high level of acceptance of the limited capacities of mentally retarded children to conform to the educational and social standards generally set by the school and the community. He must have a high degree of aptitude, ingenuity, and originality in providing and adapting materials and methods to the various levels and types of the mentally retarded. He must be intellectually curious about the learning characteristics of the mentally retarded.

There is little exact knowledge about the way in which mentally retarded learn, and there is a lack of appropriate and special methodology pertaining directly to them. However, the teacher should know the story of the pioneer efforts which were made on behalf of these children. He should know about the work of Itard, Seguin, Montessori, Decroly, and others whose experiments and techniques of teaching brought about a change of attitude toward the mentally retarded. He should have a knowledge of current literature and research dealing with mentally retarded children and their training.

The teacher should have a knowledge of associations and organizations whose purposes are to promote an understanding of the mentally retarded or to plan for their education.

These statements on teacher qualifications have implications for teacher education. They have been included in the introduction because they are general in nature and, while they specifically apply to special teachers of the mentally retarded, they should apply to any person who is responsible for the education of mentally retarded children. The distinctive competencies have been grouped under four broad headings:

1. Understanding the characteristics of the mentally retarded child and his place in society.

2. Developing a functional curriculum through relating the broad personal and social needs of the mentally retarded.

3. Understanding and applying pedagogical procedures based on an understanding of the known learning characteristics of the mentally retarded.

4. Selecting, developing, and using appropriate instructional materials and equipment in teaching mentally retarded children.

Understanding the Mentally Retarded Child and His Place in Society

To understand the mentally retarded child, the teacher needs insight into the dynamic factors involved in the emergence of individual social roles.

To appreciate fully the overt behavior of the mentally retarded child and the personal difficulties he experiences in a social world, teachers of the mentally retarded should have a basic understanding of the normal growth processes of all children. A knowledge of the way in which the physical nature sets the limits for potential growth, the factors in and experiences necessary to wholesome and mature emotional development, and the growth of intellectual ability contribute to the teacher's understanding of the process. The intimate and dynamic relationship of these elements influences the personal effectiveness of an individual and should be recognized by every teacher of the mentally retarded.

In mentally retarded children, the effect of the physical nature may manifest itself in a wide variety of physical abnormalities. The various physical causes of retardation impose limits on intellectual potential which range from the low-grade, bedfast individual to the dull-normal group.

The mentally retarded child, with his physical and intellectual handicaps, often encounters difficulties in fulfilling his basic needs and thus meets with frustration. In many instances his appearance may be unattractive, his movements awkward and ungainly, causing him to be rejected by others. His limited intelligence frequently prevents him from choosing socially acceptable behavior patterns and overcoming this frustration. Unusual behavior leads to further frustration and further rejection. The greater the frustration, the more likely the development of peculiar behavior patterns and the less likely the mentally retarded child will find social acceptance.

Developing a Functional Curriculum

A functional curriculum may be defined as an organization of learning experiences to cover a certain scope and sequence, the purpose of which is to help children develop and to live enriched and meaningful lives in our democratic society. The content of this curriculum should be selected on the basis of the fundamental needs (mental, physical, social, and emotional) of the mentally retarded as individuals in society.

As has been stated before, the mental processes of the mentally retarded differ to some degree quantitatively and qualitatively from "normal" mental processes. These differences determine the scope and sequence of the curriculum. The "scope" is directly related to the "kinds" of learning experience

the child needs to enable him to fulfill his optimum role as a mentally retarded adult. The "sequence" must conform to the processes of concept formation in mentally retarded children.

Teachers of the mentally retarded usually have to develop their own curriculum. Few schools have established curriculum guides, or a body of facts and information to which all mentally retarded children should be exposed, or a sequence of learning experiences which are related to the various developinental levels of mentally retarded children.

The curriculum for the mentally retarded must provide for the child who enters special education at the primary level as well as the child who is placed after several years in regular classes. It must provide for the child who enters the special class at the beginning of the school year as well as the child who is placed sometime during the year. It must provide for the child who is spending his first year in the special class as well as the child who is enrolled for his third year in the class. It must provide for the child who is at the lower limits of educability as well as a child who is at the upper limits.

Regardless of the age of the children or the level of the classes, primary, elementary, or secondary, the teacher must have knowledge and skill in classroom organization and management. A curriculum which provides for small group and individualized instruction must be organized. The teacher must be able to organize the daily program based upon the total maturity of the class and arrange the grouping relative to the chronological age, the social maturity, the mental development, the physical maturity, the emotional stability, and the educational achievement of the individuals in the class. In the organization of educational programs for the mentally retarded, grouping according to these factors has usually been considered, and various kinds of plans have evolved that resulted in some degree of homogeneity. The teacher, however, rarely has a class that is completely homogeneous, and hence must be able to organize effective learning groups within the class organization.

The teacher must be adept at establishing classroom routines. The school day must be orderly and well-planned since mentally retarded children gain security and stability from following a familiar routine. Habit training is essential, and orderly routine in the classroom is an aid in the adjustment of these children. Excursions, assembly programs, parties, and other unusual happenings may be planned and may result in enrichment in the lives of these boys and girls, but they pay the highest dividends when introduced after the usual routine has been established.

Teachers of the mentally retarded will need knowledge and skill in the field of practical arts and vocations as these areas are emphasized in the curriculum. They must recognize the need for personal, social, and vocational guidance and be able to provide it because guidance counselors are frequently not available. When the services of an experienced counselor are available, the teacher must know how to interpret the mentally retarded adolescent to him. The adolescent retardate may require considerable emotional support and