Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.32728/mo.07.1.2012.02
SOCIALISATION OF CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION IN A PRESCHOOL INSTITUTION
Đeni Zuliani
orcid.org/0000-0001-6839-856X
; Sveučilišta Jurja Dobrile u Puli, Odjel za odgojne i obrazovne znanosti (Hrvatska)
Ivana Juričić
; Sveučilišta Jurja Dobrile u Puli, Odjel za odgojne i obrazovne znanosti (Hrvatska)
Abstract
Inspired by the importance of socialisation process for the entire development of children with mental retardation, the objective of this paper is to explore how children with different degrees of intellectual disability develop their social skills and daily living skills within a structured curriculum. For this purpose the observation method was conduced in one educational group of preschool children that include four children with intellectual disability, one with mild, one with moderate and two with severe mental retardation. The specific curriculum for this children include several activities that foster daily living skills (feeding onself, getting dressed, using the bathroom) and also the socialisation skills (free game, activities „me and the picture“, „children –friends of traffic“ and birthday party). Results of the observation indicate that children's behavior, social skills, participating in activities and their understanding, indipendence, reaction and communication styles depend on degree of mental retardation. However, comparison of children with mild and moderate mental retardation do not reveal diffreneces in their daily living skills, game choices and ways of participating. These results emphasize the importance of well structured, longterm curriculum that includes development of daily living skills and socialisation in order that preschool children with mental retardation develop necessary independence and social skills so that afterward they can be integrated in regular elementary school.
Keywords
socialisation; daily living skills; children with mental retardation; curriculum
Hrčak ID:
78841
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2012.
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