Uma criança que não desenvolve a linguagem oral é privada de um dos instrumentos mais fundamentais para atingir o amadurecimento completo como ser humano. O emprego dos recursos da Comunicação Alternativa, envolvendo gestos manuais, expressões faciais e corporais, símbolos gráficos e voz digitalizada ou sintetizada, possibilita a comunicação face a face desta criança. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo geral verificar os efeitos da introdução da Comunicação Alternativa nas interações entre alunos, professores e profissionais de uma escola especial destinada a indivíduos com deficiência mental e deficiência múltipla. A pesquisa, com duração de um ano letivo, composta por três estudos, teve como participantes oito alunos, a professora da turma, que era também a pesquisadora, e uma merendeira. Foram utilizados os sistemas gráficos de Comunicação Alternativa, fundamentados nos procedimentos do ensino naturalístico de Warren e Rogers-Warren. Os três estudos, conduzidos por um delineamento quase experimental de sujeito como seu próprio controle, foram compostos por três fases cada um: linha de base, ensino e follow-up. Todas as sessões foram gravadas em vídeo tape para posterior transcrição. No primeiro estudo, conduzido em 11 sessões experimentais, os alunos foram ensinados a empregar os cartões pictográficos para solicitar permissão para satisfazer necessidades básicas, como ir ao refeitório, ao banheiro, beber água, ouvir música, etc., ou para desempenhar determinadas atividades na sala de aula. No segundo, desenvolvido em 56 sessões experimentais, eles foram ensinados a usar o sistema pictográfico para selecionar os itens de sua refeição, que, anteriormente, eram-lhes oferecidos sem possibilidade de escolha. Neste estudo, a merendeira também foi ensinada a favorecer o uso do sistema pelos alunos. Finalmente, no terceiro estudo, conduzido em 10 sessões experimentais, o sistema pictográfico foi utilizado pelos alunos para favorecer a participação ativa na contagem de histórias pela professora, assim como responder perguntas de compreensão destas histórias. Com efeito, os alunos passaram a fazer uso do sistema de Comunicação Alternativa Ampliada (CAA) para comunicar seus desejos e pensamentos a seus próprios colegas, assim como aos professores, diretores e funcionários da instituição escolar. A possibilidade de se comunicar por meio do sistema pareceu encorajá-los a se expressarem intencionalmente também com vocalizações e verbalizações. A análise dos dados indicou a eficácia do ensino naturalístico para instalação e manutenção do emprego do sistema pictográfico associado a outras modalidades de comunicação a gestual, a vocal e a verbal nas atividades propostas. / A child who is unable to speak is certainly deprived from an essential ability to reach the complete development as a human being. The use of Alternative Communication resources as manual gestures, facial and body expressions, graphic symbols and digitalized or synthesized voice make face-to-face communication possible. The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the effects of the introduction of Alternative Communication resources in the social interaction of students, teachers and other professionals from a special school for mentally retarded and multiple handicapped children and youth. The research, which lasted a whole school year and was composed by three studies, involved ten pupils, the classroom teacher, and waiter as subjects. The introduction of the Alternative Communication graphic systems was conducted through the use of incidental teaching procedures (Warren e Rogers Warren, 1985). A quasi-experimental single subject research design was employed in the three studies, which were composed by three-phases: baseline, teaching and follow-up. All experimental sessions were recorded in videotape and were transcribed verbatim. In the first study, developed in 11 experimental sessions, the students were taught to employ pictograms to ask for permission not only to attend basic needs, such as, going to the school cafeteria, to the bathroom, to drink water, to listen to music, etc, but also to perform certain activities in the classroom. In the second study, which involved 56 sessions, the students were taught to use the graphic system to select food items at snack time. Prior to the study, these students were not allowed to choose food items at the mealtime. In this study, the waiter was also taught to facilitate the use of graphic symbols by the students. Finally, in the third study, conducted in 10 experimental sessions, the pictograms were employed to favor students active participation during the story telling time, as well as, their answers to questions designed to evaluate their comprehension about the stories. In fact, the students turned out to use the alternative communication system to express their desires and thoughts to their peers, as well as to their teachers and schools personnel. It seems that the possibility to use the pictograms has encouraged them to intentionally communicate with both vocal and verbal responses. Data analyses have demonstrated the efficacy of the incidental teaching procedures to both acquisitions maintenance of using graphic symbols associated to other communication modes, such as gestures, vocalizations, and verbalizations during the proposed school activities.

O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar propriedades qualitativas de certas equações diferenciais funcionais retardadas de segunda ordem quando lhes são impostos controles de impulsos adequados. Os principais resultados dizem respeito a estabilidade e oscilação por impulsos. Mais especificamente, consideramos algumas equações e provamos que suas soluções triviais podem ser estabilizadas por impulsos. Em seguida, consideramos uma destas equações e provamos que suas soluções podem se tornar oscilatórias com a imposição apropriada de controles de impulsos. Apresentamos alguns exemplos que ilustram nossos resultados. Além do objetivo acima, procuramos produzir um texto que compreendesse a teoria fundamental das equações diferenciais funcionais retardadas impulsivas, teoria esta que, até então, não podia ser encontrada num único texto como este. Desenvolvemos e discutimos existência, unicidade, continuação de soluções, intervalo maximal de existência e dependência contínua de soluções dos valores iniciais para equações diferenciais retardadas impulsivas. / The purpose of this work is to investigate qualitative properties of certain second order delay differential equations when some proper impulse controls are added to them. The main results concern the stability and scillation by impulses. More specifically, we consider some equations and prove that their trivial solutions can be stabilized by impulses. We also consider one of these equations and prove that all solutions oscillate when proper impulse controls are imposed. We give some examples to illustrate our results. Because dealing with systems with both delays and impulses is a recent interest of some mathematicians we also considered producing a text that would encompass the fundamental theory of retarded functional differential equations with impulses. Up to now such theory could not be found in a single text as this one. Therefore we discuss and develop basic aspects of the theory as existence, uniqueness, continuability of solutions, maximal interval of existence and continuous dependence of solutions on initial values for impulsive retarded differential equations.

This study is an attempt to ascertain if there is a relationship between academic achievement, I. Q. and social maturity in mentally retarded children in an institutional setting.

The effectiveness of self-recording and self-reinforcement procedures implemented in the classroom setting with six pre-adolescent children classified as Educable Mentally Retarded was determined relative to changes in on-task behavior. A multiple baseline design was used and each subject was exposed to both a self-recording procedure and a self-reinforcement procedure. After an initial baseline period, three subjects were exposed to self-recording first, and three subjects went through self-reinforcement first. Contingent reinforcement was not provided for accuracy in either self-recording or self-reinforcement patterns. Observations were conducted to investigate generalization effects of each procedure, and two weeks of follow-up observations were conducted to determine durability effects. The findings indicated that for five of the subjects the self-recording procedure and the self-reinforcement procedure were effective in fostering significant positive increases in on-task behavior. Regarding accuracy, without contingent reinforcement, three of the subjects demonstrated at least 70% agreement with observer recordings during self-recording phases, and four subjects demonstrated at least 70% agreement with observer recordings in their self-reinforcement pattern. Generalization effects were found with two of the subjects, and maintenance effects were evident with one subject. A combined treatment approach, presenting both procedures simultaneously, was implemented with three of the subjects after the study was completed. These results indicated that the combined approach was not more effective than the singular presentation approach taken in the main study. Suggestions were made for future refinements in self-control procedures to increase applicability with special population.

Relative differences in attitudes between educators and employers concerning training of the mentally retarded within Cache County were studied by analyzing their responses to 40 questions dealing with Academic, Personal, Social, and Vocational Skills. Academic Skills were found to show no statistical significance in terms of attitude differences expressed by educators and employers as they relate to successful employability criterion. Personal Skills were found to show no statistical significance in terms of attitude differences expressed by educators and employers tested as they relate to successful employability criterion. Personal Skills were found to show no statistical significance in terms of attitude differences expressed by educators and employers tested as they relate to successful employability criterion. Social skills were found to show statistical significance at the .10 level in terms of attitude differences expressed by educators and employers as they relate to successful employability criterion. Within this area, a higher mean score was recorded by employers than educators (44.83 to 42.90). This refers to the fact that employers, more than educators, feel that Social Skills are more important. Vocational Skills were found to show the highest statistical significance of the categories tested in terms of attitude differences expressed by educators and employers as they relate to successful employability criterion. The statistical level on this category was at the .01 level. A higher mean score was found within the employer segment of this category, 46.03, than that for educators 42.50.

The purpose of this study was to compare the academic achievement and social adjustment of mentally retarded students who have had five years of special education with mentally retarded students who have had no special education. This comparison was made to determine if there is a significant difference between the two groups. The present study was not undertaken to defend or attack special education classes. The study was designed to determine to what extent academic and social differences existed between the two groups. It is hoped the results of this study can be used in planning programs for the educable mentally retarded children in the Weber County Schools. The writer proposes the following hypotheses: 1. There will be no significant difference between the two groups in reading. 2. There will be no significant difference between the two groups in arithmetic. 3. There will be no significant difference between the two groups in language. 4. There will be no significant difference between the two groups in attitude toward school. 5. There will be no significant difference between the two groups as evaluated by their teachers. Data concerning these problems were collected from standardized tests from teacher-appraised school adjustment rating scale, and from school records.

<p> A quantitative study is made of the relative sensitivity of Phaseolus vulgaris var. Pinto to several different growth retardants, and to treatment of retarded plants with GA3. The growth of progeny from retarded plants is exam!ned and the cause of the transfer phenomenon is determined to be transfer of the growth retardants themselves to the progeny via the seeds, in some cases through to a third generation. </p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The purpose of this study is to determine the problems of adjustment of the mentally retarded child as compared with the problems of adjustment of the normal child.

Yes / This work presents a systematic evaluation of the membrane and process characteristics of a scaled-up pressure retarded osmosis (PRO). In order to meet pre-defined membrane economic viability ( ≥ 5 W/m2), different operating conditions and design parameters are studied with respect to the increase of the process scale, including the initial flow rates of the draw and feed solution, operating pressure, membrane permeability-selectivity, structural parameter, and the efficiency of the high-pressure pump (HP), energy recovery device (ERD) and hydro-turbine (HT). The numerical results indicate that the performance of the scaled-up PRO process is significantly dependent on the dimensionless flow rate. Furthermore, with the increase of the specific membrane scale, the accumulated solute leakage becomes important. The membrane to achieve the optimal performance moves to the low permeability in order to mitigate the reverse solute permeation. Additionally, the counter-current flow scheme is capable to increase the process performance with a higher permeable and less selectable membrane compared to the co-current flow scheme. Finally, the inefficiencies of the process components move the optimal APD occurring at a higher dimensionless flow rate to reduce the energy losses in the pressurization and at a higher specific membrane scale to increase energy generation.

The problem of this study was to standardize the Basic Movement Performance Profile with male and female profoundly retarded residents from the ten Texas state schools for the mentally retarded. To standardize the Basic Movement Performance Profile, the following objectives were formulated: 1. To determine if the test items found in the Basic Movement Performance Profile were valid and appropriate items to measure the basic movement skills of profoundly retarded residents of state institutions. 2. To establish the reliability of the Basic Movement Performance Profile test items utilizing the test-retest method with thirty profoundly retarded males and thirty profoundly retarded females at the Denton State School for the Mentally Retarded. 3. To establish performance level norms utilizing percentile ranks for both sexes on the Basic Movement Performance Profile.