tute enta cappe

Manovikasnagar, Secunderabad - 500 009.

A.P., INDIA
Transition of Persons with
Mental Retardation
From School to Work
A Guide

A.T Thressiakutty
L. Govinda Rao

National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped

(Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment,Goverflmeflt of India)
Manovikasnagar, Secunderabad - 500 009. Andhra PradeTh, India.
Phone 040-7751741-745 Fax 040-7750198
e-mail : [email protected]
"Transition of Persons with'Mental Retardation From School to Work"
A Guide -2001

Authors A.T. Thressiakutty

L.Govinda Rao.

Copyright by National Institute for the Mentally Hand icapped,

Secunderabad-500 009. All rights reserved.

ISBN 8 1-86594-20-5

Cover design: Ramana Chepuri

Printed by Sree Ramana Process Pvt. Ltd., Secunderabad. Ph : 7811750
 [CONTENTS J
Acknowledgements
Message
Foreword
Preface
Chapter I. VOCATIONAL TRANSITION MODELS -
AN OVERVIEW 01
OSERS transition model
Wehman, Kregal and Barcus (1985)
Pathways model
Halpern's revised transition model
NIMH vocational transition model
Importance of parent involvement
Major parent oriented issues
Learning the transition process
Recognizing parent's role
Active participation
Tips for parents
Chapter 2. PRINCIPLES OF VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE 17
Meaning and scope of guidance
Guidance for vocational rehabilitation
Areas of vocational guidance service
Methods of guidance
Vocational choice determinants
Factors affecting vocational choice
Vocational guidance and various stages
Vocational Rehabilitation Centres
Vocational guidance for the parents
Qualities of vocational guidance counsellor

Chpater 3. SCHOOL BASED VOCATIONAL CURRICULUM 33

The need
Objectives of school based vocational curriculum
Curriculum planning
Curriculum development
School based vocational skill training
Work readiness skills associated with daily living activities
Chapter 4. TRANSITION PLAN AT
PRE VOCATIONAL LEVEL 39
School instruction
Planning for transition
Individualized vocational transition plan
Activities Involved
The components of vocational transition plan
Responsibilities of transition core team
Guidelines for conducting IVTP meetings

Chapter 5. INDIVIDUALIZED VOCATIONAL TRANSITION

PLAN-CASE STUDY 47
Objectives
Back ground history
Methodology
Formation of transition team
Development of a written transition plan
Implementation of transition plan
Follow up
Results and discussion
Conclusion
Formats
Table - I. Pre-requisite skills
Table - 2 Gradual transition
Table - 3. IVTP-time schedule
Table - 4. IVTP-outline
Table - 5. Daily time schedule at job site
Table - 6. IVTP-implementation & evaluation
Formats for use

Chapter 6. JOB SURVEY 65

Criteria for identification of jobs
Job survey in the community
Contacting employers
Job analysis
Proforma I. Job survey - initial contact
Proforma 2. Job site analysis
Proforma 3. Job requirements
Job Analysis Format
 Table I. Jobs identified in Indian Railways
Table 2. Jobs identified in Post & Telecommunication
Table 3. Jobs identified and experimented by NIMH
Table 4. Jobs in rural areas

Chapter 7. VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT & TRAINING 89

APPROACHES TO VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT & TRAINING
Traditional approach
Assessment-curriculum-training-placement
Community based approach
Funcitional vocational assessment
Community assessment
Trainee assessment
Curriculum
Selection of training sites - variables
Training
Placement and follow up

Chapter 8. DEVELOPMENT OF WORK BEHAVIOUR 101

School level
Work behaviour assessment
Principles of assessment
Important work behaviours
Work behaviour assessment format

Chapter 9. RESULTS OF TRANSITION -

EMPLOYMENT MODELS III
Inclusive employment
Competitive employment
Supported employment
Definition, features, need and objectives
Various supported employment models
benefits
Sheltered employment
Definition, characteristics and advantages
Organising work shop, criticisms
Group employment
Objectives, organization, benefits and problems
Self employment - as an option for inclusion
Definition, opportunities, requirements
NHFDC funds and projects
Chapter I 0. SEX EDUCATION 139
Definition, sex and sexuality
Aims of sex education, sex behaviour
Sexuality and various stages of life
Need of sex education
The responsibility of family and friends
Sexuality and marriage
Sexuality and relationships
The right to marry
Subject areas of sex education
Checklist

Chapter I I. SELF ADVOCACY I 57

Definition, founders
Historical development
Aims of self advocacy
Promoters, issues to be tackled
Guidance for advisors
Formation of self advocacy group
Tips to be an effective promoter
Qualities of promoters

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS 175

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We express our sincere thanks to the following special schools for permitting to
select the adolescents with mental retardation attending the prevocational level and
to prepare the curriculum for vocational education
• Special education centre, NIMH, Secunderabad.
• Rehmaniya special school for the mentally retarded, Kozhikode.
• Jeevodaya special school, Nagpur.
• Utam Talim Kendra, Ahmedabad.
• Nirman, Aakanksha and Lekhadeep production centres, Hyderabad.

The theory behind the practicals is explained in the guide, "Transition of Persons
with Mental Retardation from School to Work".

We sincerely acknowledge the assistance of all our staff in various departments

of NIMH especially the department of information and documentation, administration,
special education centre, despatch section, service and programming, guest house
and canteen to accept and train the clients selected for this project. The practical
aspects of transition is covered in the 'Curriculum for Vocational Education".

We sincerely acknowledge the assistance of Shri V.Ram Mohan Rao and Shri
G.V.Reddy, Assistant Administrative Officers and Shri T.Pitchaiah, Accounts Officer and
other staff in administration for their support in implementing the project and printing
the guide. We express our thanks to Mr. M.K.Jayaraj (July, 1999 to February, 2000)
and Mr. M.Arulraj ( May, 2000 to August, 2000) worked as research assistants during
the 2 years period of this project. We would like to acknowledge our thanks to Ms.
T.Neeraja for her secretarial assistance in typing the entire book.

The most important contributors to this guide are probably our clients - the
persons with mental retardation, through whom we learnt and improved our
professional skills to prepare this guide. Without this experience it would be impossible
to develop this guide. We hope that they will receive better services in vocational
training and employment, through this guide.

We thank one and all who helped us to complete this work successfully.

L.Govinda Rao A.TThressiakutty

Director, NIMH Chief investigator of the
research project,
"Transition from school to work"
 E-mail : [email protected]
Fax : 3385180

IT1 "1'ct,i'

31T11 3Tfi151fti1 -iiii

ASHA DAS 1T T19
Tel. :3382683 ff—iioooi
SECRETARY
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL
JUSTICE & EMPOWERMENT
SHASTRI BHAWAN
NEW DELHI-110001
JUne 12, 2001
MESSAGE

I am happy to know that the National Institute for the Mentally

Handicapped has undertaken a research project on " Transition of Persons
with Mental Retardation from School to Work" and as an outcome of the
research as well as experience, a guide book has been developed and
published.
I appreciate the dedicated efforts of the authors, Ms. A.T. Thressia
Kutty and Shri L. Govinda Rao, who have identified the issues relating to
transition from school to work which is a critical turning point in the life
cycle of persons with mental retardation. This guide book will be most
useful to all concerned with the empowerment of persons with mental
retardation. They can follow a systematic approach in making persons with
mental retardation usefully employed and less dependent on parents and the
society which will lead to tangible transformation in their lives as envisaged
in the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights
and Full Participation) Act, 1995 and the National Trust for Welfare of
Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple
Disabilities Act, 1999.

I have no doubt that this manual which addresses an important critical

and special need of the persons with disability will not only help and guide
service providers in enabling the mentally retarded in pursuing vocations but
also encourage the development of manuals in other critical areas for the
benefit and empowerment of the mentally retarded as productive members
of society.

(Asha Das)
 7oreworo'.
The graduation of a student from school is an important mile stone in his/her life.
Unfortunately, graduation of a student with mental retardation from school is not given
much importalice. The majority of the students with mental retardation continues to be with
special schools irrespective of their age, ability and the duration of schooling. As a result,
they do not reach the status of an adult, an earning member of the family and contributing
individual of the society.
living. It is time
Ultimate aim of special education is employability and independent
to examine whether this objective is achieved through the education programmes offered to
these children with mental retardation. There is a great need for age appropriate skills training.
There should be a systematic procedure which wouldlead the students gradually from school
to vocational training and employment.

Based on the experiences and experiments conducted bythe National Institute for
this guide, "Transition from school
the Mentally Handicapped during the past sixteen years,
to work" has been prepared. Functional assessment, job identification, job matching, job
training, and work place preparation are the key areas among many other aspects, which
implementation of these is expected
this guide deals in a very simple and systematic manner, as
to ultimately lead them towards meaningful employment, training and placement in the
community where they live.

This guide is designed mainly for the vocational counsellors, vocational instructors,
psychologists, special educators and social workers who are working in the area of mental
retardation. The information is useful for parents and other interested individuals who are
willing to work for the welfare of the persons with mental retardation by making use of the
'residual capacity' in them which can powerfully make a big difference in the quality of life
of persons with mental retardation.

Employers play an important role in the vocational rehabilitation of persons with

mental retardation. Proper information is the basic requirement of having positive attitude.
This book is informative to the prospective employers of persons with mental retardation as
it discusses in detail about variety of jobs with job analysis and required work behaviour.

The number of new special schools for the children with mental retardation is
increasing with little concern for proper transition planning and post school programmes.
This trend needs to be reversed, if we have to achieve the object of empowering the persons
with mental retardation according to their functional ability, towards which the Govermnent's
policy is aimed through its various programmes and schemes.

If a proper transition plan is implemented for every student, the new admissions are
easier as the old students move out and the need for new special schools will automatically
decrease. The school instruction will become more meaningful. The inspecting agency also
should look into this aspect of transition planning when they recomnend for grant-in-aid.

I wish every special school should have a systematic approach to enable gradual
transition of the students with mental retardation from school to work to achieve the ultimate
aim of independent living.

Dated Smt. Gouri Chatteijee, I.A.S

New Delhi, Joint Secretary to the Government of India
May 24, 2001 Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
and
Chairperson, Executive Council
National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped
 PREFACE
Need of developing a methodology for the transition of persons with mental
retardation from school to work suitable to Indian conditions was long awaited. It is
roughly calculated that there are 70 lakh adults in a population of I 70 lakhs of persons
with mental retardation in our country. Approximately 3000 adults are currently
receiving vocational training at 16 Vocational Rehabilitation Centres and 200 Non
Government Organizations in India. These institutions provide either prevocational
or vocational training which are not remunerative in nature. Majority of them does
not reach the status of an employee and they continue to remain and seen as a trainee.
As a result desired transformation in the quality of life has yet to take place. Change in
the behavioural pattern of an individual as expected of an employee in the adulthood
can be seen, if planned transition from these institutions to gainful employment is
organised.
Before taking this project in I 999, considerable preparatory work has been done
in this area with the experiments of job placements in various settings - open,
supported, group and self employment which proved that the persons with mental
retardation can successfully continue on a job if there is proper selection of the job
followed by proper training.
The need for a transition model has arisen from various issues faced by the
professionals, policy makers and parents. The important issues are
• The ultimate aim of habilitation services to the persons with mental retardation-
employability and independent living.
• The trend of increasing number of adults with mental retardation in special schools
due to the absence of vocational training facilities
• The life long dependence of the children on parents due to the lack of meaningful
adult services.

Therefore the major purpose of this project was to find out the current status of
the persons with mental retardation above I 6 years, attending the special schools and
to develop a transition model to enable the school personnel to develop transition
plans to the students when they reach the prevocational level.

The project was implemented in 4 phases.

• Preparatory period - collection of data on the present status of persons with
mental retardation above I 6 years attending the special schools.
• Selecting schools and children from various special schools and developing
individualized transition plan.
• The implementation of the transition plans.
• Preparation of Vocational Education Curriculum and The guide - Transition of
persons with mental retardation from school to work.

As a final outcome of the project, the methodology used for transition is prepared
in the form of a guide which is the theoretical background of the curriculum for
vocational education.

The major aspect of transition - input, process and output are explained in I I
chapters-the overview of transition models, principles of vocational guidance,
preparation for transition, vocational assessment, job survey, job analysis, job models,
sex education and self advocacy.

The introductory chapter I gives an overview of few existing transition models

and highlights the need to make transition a nation wide priority in India. After a brief
explanation of NIMH transition model, principles of vocational guidance are outlined
in chapter 2. The various stages of transition are explained in chapter 3 to I I. The
role of school in preparing for transition is highlighted with a case study and proper
formats in chapter 3, 4 and 5. The planning stage is explained in chapters 6, 7 and 8.
The information on job survey, methods of vocational assessment and development of
work behaviour are outlined in these chapters.

The outcome of transition process - various types of employment - is described

in chapter 9. As a part of vocational training, the need and method of developing adult
living skills during the follow up stages are explained in the final chapters, sex education
and self advocacy.

We hope the professionals and the parents will find the guide very useful. Let
every adolescent with mental retardation have an Individualized Vocational Education
Plan (IVEP/IVTP) at prevocational level to enable him/her for a gradual transition from
school to meaningful employment.

The methodology and model can be practically adapted which will provide a
guideline to implement the transition plan of each individual with mental retardation.

We request each and everyone who use the guide to give their comments, so
that the suggestions can be incorporated in the future editions.

L.Govinda Rao A.TThressiakutty

Director, NIMH Chief investigator of the
research project,
"Transition from school to work"
 Chapter - I

VOCATIONAL TRANSITION MODELS-

AN OVERVIEW

Comprehensive transition from school to work planning and implementation

well as
require participation from all relevant school and adult service providers as
transition
parents and individuals with mental retardation. Very often, comprehensive
and rethinking of professional roles. Refining
planning requires restructuring
professional roles is not enough, participation of the family members of persons with
mental retardation and community must also be encouraged.
that the
Experts in the field of special education and rehabilitation recognise
transition process must include the provision of quality services for all handicapped
youth as they prepare to leave school.

What does transition process encompass?

Transition for any student with a disability involves several key componefltS
including

• an appropriate school programme.

the entire array of community agencies
• formalized plans involving parents and
that are responsible for providing Services and

• multiple, quality options for gainful employment and meaningful post-school

training.
school, or an agency responsible for
Transition plans may begin with a parent,
services, but regardless of who initiates the plan, it
providing post-school vocational
should be developed three to five years before the student leaves the school.
TRANSITION MODELS

I. OSERS Definition of Transition (Will 1984)

Transition from school to working life is an outcome-oriented process

encompassing a broad array of services and experiences that lead to employment.
Transition is a period that includes high school, the point of graduation, additional
post-secondary education or adult services, and the initial years in employment.
Transition is a bridge between the security and structure offered by the school and the
opportunities and risks of adult life.

Views of Transition of OSERS (Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services).

The U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) has
made school to work transition a national priority.

OSERS in a paper written in 1984 to set forth policies regardingtransition grouped

transition services into three classes (Table -I).

a. no special services

b. time limited services and

c. on going services leading to supported work options.

I. Regular jobs with no special services

This is a typical route taken by non-disabled persons for regular jobs. Families
and individuals find work or training without any agency support. The data about
disabled persons moving to employment through this route is unknown, but there is a
posibility for employment for persons with mild disability.

2. Regular jobs with time-limited services

Time-limited services usually must have some sort of disability to qualify for
service. Generally time limited services are restricted to the disabled people who are
capable of continuing on a regular job when support services are withdrawn. In the
past, almost all transitional programmes have been time limited and have not included
young people with severe disabilities.

2
3. Regular jobs with ongoing services

Ongoing services will provide training and employment for persons with more
disabilities and ensure support on a lifelong basis if necessary. This transition process
calls for the creation of several supported employment options such as specialized
training programmes in industry, work crews and enclaves and competitive jobs with
continuous support and supervision. Such options would replace traditional, non
vocational adult activity programmes.

H
E
M
G No Special Services p
HI
S Time-Limited Services
L
0
C
H M
O Ongoing Services E

O N
L T

Table- I. OSERS Transition Model

2. Wehman, Kregal and Barcus - 1985 Transition Model (Table -2)

Vocational transition is a carefully planned process which may be initiated either
by school personnel or adult service providers to establish and implement a plan for
either employment or additional vocational training of a student with a handicap who
will graduate or leave school in three to five years; such a process must involve special
educators, vocational educators, parents, the students, adult service system
representative and possibly an employer.

This is another model available for the transition process, which has three stages
namely input and foundation, process and employment outcome. Each stage explains
various aspects of the transition process. Special educational programmes form the
first stage of the input and foundation for vocational habilitation. School personnel
3
need to design programmes of vocational inputs for jobs that are available in the
community. In the special education services students begin developing skills early
with increasing attention to vocational area as they become older.

In the second stage, apart from functional curriculum, the students are to be
assessed on core genenalization skills involving communication and sensery-motor.
The programme/training must be carried out in an integrated set up just as integrated
school programmes serve disabled and non-disabled students of the same age level.
As a result, the students are able to relate themselves as employees in a working
environment. This stage also indicates the necessity of having a formal transition plan
and delineating responsibilities of staff and participating agencies. Consumer input from
parents, students and interagency coordination are also essential for the transitional
process.

The third stage explains about the out growth of appropriate special education
i.e., employment. In many communities there are few or no employment opportunities.
Obviously it is essential that communities provide different vocational alternatives which
are designed to provide employment avenues to suit to individual skills and functional
abilities. Any void in this endeavor by the immediate community concerned with
successful transition will result in a situation of back to square one.

3. Pathways Model (Table -3)

This model's focus is on the range of choices that should be available to adults
when they move toward employment. It points out the need to expand the
environments within which employment can occur. This model is consistent with and
continues the transition activity as the student moves from school to work (Will, 1984).

Pathways model has four stages in the process of making an employment related
decision : the action, service, outcome and review stage. The pathways model focuses
on the role of the adult with developmental disabilities in the decision making process
and looks at the outcome not as job placement but as employment that leads to
increased degrees of economic-self sufficiency for the individual worker. This model
looks at the disabled as a person with strengths and needs similar to the non-disabled
individual. The flow chart "Pathways to employment" explains its focus.

4
 Table-2. Wehman, Kregal and barcus (1985) Transition Model

lii. Employment Follow - up

Outcome I -2 yrs. later
/\ /\

j
Vocational outcomes
I. Competitive employment
2. Work crews I Enclaves
3. Specialized sheltered work arrangements.

Individualized Programme Plan

I. Formalize Transtion responsibilities
2. Early Planning

II. Process
/\/\
I
Consumer input
I. Parent
Interagency cooperation
I. School
2. Student 2. Rehabilitation
3. Adult day programme
4. Voc. Technical centre

Secondary special education programme

I. Functional curriculum
2. Integrated school environment
I. Input & 3. Community based service delivery
Foundation

Source : From 'From school to work A vocational transition model for handicapped student" by P Wehman,
j.Kregel, and j.M. Barcus, 985, Exceptional children.

5
 Table - 3 Pathways Model

Pre-action Not ready to Unable to

Not at decision enter decision enter decision
point process process

Action Adult with developmental

Employment - disabilities at decision
oriented decision point
making

Service
Time-limited
training

Out come
Degree of Employment
economic
self-sufficiency

Review action
Changes in
current outcome

Source : Pathways to Employment for the adults with Developmental Disabilities

A Habilitation Model.

6
4. Halpern's Revised Transition Model (1985)

Table-4. Halpern's Revised Transition Model (1985)

7
5. Wehman, Moon, Everson, Wood and Barcus Definition of Transition (1987)
Transition is an interagency planning and implementation process which takes
place at the local level and results in new and different outcomes for youth with
disabilities. Effective transition planning and implementation is more than the
development of ITPs; it is also an evaluation of local programmes and services and a
coordinated and cooperative effort by all involved agencies to bring about systems
change.

In general terms, transition process is the way in which individuals move from
adolescence to adulthood, within the social, cultural, economic and legal parameters
defined.

Key Elements
The key elements oT transition inherent in this definition are
a) Longitudinal vocational training throughout the primary, secondary and pre-
vocational levels at school.
b) Cooperative and interagency transition planning.
c) Parent and employer involvement in the transition planning process and
d) Community and professional awareness and support of multiple employment
options.

Characteristics of above transition models:

The following points are mentioned by the project, "Transition into employment",
Virginia Common Wealth University (1987)
• Procedures and guidelines are specific to one community or to a limited number
of communities in one state.
• Full participation of all school and adult service providers, parents, and students is
limited.
• It is not sure whether the procedures and guidelines, used for the transition, are
the most effective transition of students from existing programmes into adult
options.
• Minimal outcome and evaluation data are collected to support effectiveness and
benefits of transition planning.

The above mentioned transition models were developed in United States because
OSERS has made a nation wide priority for transition from school to work. There is a
need in India to make a nation wide priority for transition of persons with mental
retardation from school to work. Therefore, under the project 'transition from school
to work" NIMH Transition Model has been developed based on the past experiences.
8
The role of community and parents has been given more importance and the same is
highlighted in this model.

NIMH Transition Model (Table -5)

It is roughly calculated that about 70 lakhs constitute adults out of I 70 lakhs of
persons with mental retardation in India. About 3000 adults are currently receiving
vocational training at I 6 Vocational Rehabilitation Centres and 200 Non Governmental
Organisations in India. Majority of them do not attain the status of an employee and
continue to remain as trainees. As a result there is no considerable change in the
quality of life and behavioural patterns expected of an adult enjoying the status of an
employee.
Transition planning currently ranks as one f the top priorities of special education
and vocational rehabilitation programmes across the country. A model of transition
process has been developed to suit to Indian context. The flowchart "NIMH Transition
Model" shows the four stages of vocational training and employment for persons with
mental retardation.

Stage - I (see chapter 3)

Systematic school instruction is the foundation of vocational training and
employment. The special school curriculum includes the prevocational/occupatiOnal
aspects. The special children are taught the daily living skills through the functional
curriculum from preprimary to prevocational levels. The functional curriculum equip
the children with special needs with necessary work readiness skills. School based
vocational curriculum is discussed in chapter 3.

Stage - 2
This stage consists of:
Community assessment (see chapter 6)
Analysis of community - SWOT
Identification of employment opportunities
Working out strategies to enlist community
Job identification.
Vocational assessment (see chapter 7)
Family assessment
Generic skills assessment
Specific skills assessment.
Individualized Transition Plan (see chapters 4, 5 & 6)
Job analysis
Job matching
On-the-job training.
 NIMH VOCATIONAL TRANSITION MODEL FOR PERSONS WITH
MENTAL RETARDATION (Table -5)
C
0 Functional Curriculum
4-I
U
4-I
I Individualized Education Programme
4 4.
--
4. U'
0 Pre-primary
0 Primary 1 Secondary I Pre-vocational I
U
— Post school programm4

Vocational assessment
4
C
0 Job identification I ____ Analysis of community
9 *SWOT
C
4-I
a) Job analysis Identification of employment
4- 4 9 opportunities
40

Job matching
4 Working out strategies to enlist
C
C
C 9 community involvement
3-
Individualized Transition Plan
40
On the job training Orienting community leaders
4-I
C
a)
E
>
0
0
E
w 4
C

C
U
3-
4J
0 Support services
0
&, a). (Continuing education)
40
a)
obC Gradual fade out
0 of support
*swoTstrength Weakness, Opportunity, Threat.
I0
 This model insists on identifying the possible jobs when the student reaches the
final stage of schooling in consultation with the parents.The transition plan is suggested
to be a part of the Individualized Education Plan. This avoids the unnecessary confusion
of parents about the post schoo' programmes
of their children with mental retardation.

Stage-3 Place in actual job sites (see chapter 9)

The students are prepared for a job right from the beginning of their schooling.
As they reach the final stage, the search for the real job starts. The training continues
in simulated setting and job sites. By the end of the training, as they leave the school,
the students are placed in actual sites. ft can be in one of the following types of
employment.

Open competitive employment.

Supported employment.
Sheltered/group employment.
Self/home based employment.

The different models of employment are discussed in detail in chapter 9.

Stage - 4 : Support services (see chapters 10 & I I)

Ongoing support services which help the new employees to continue on-the-
job, are given importance in this model.

Few ongoing support services are

• To arrange for extensive vocational training.

• To observe them at their job sites.
• To provide additional remediation in academic subjects.
• To teach necessary skills needed to succeed in carrier.
• To liason with the employer to bring in improvement in the performance.
• To lead them towards independent living and attain quality of life.
• To organise social warming exercises for better acceptability in the work
community.
 This transition model does not rely on prediction of the employability. It leads
towards the beginning of the student's world of work from where they can aspire for
better chances towards meaningful adult life with economic independence. The role
of parents has been given prime importance in this transition model.

Transition - A Partnership Action

The transition process will not be successful unless school, community and families
work together to ensure the delivery of appropriate services. Steps to establish
partnership action are I. Information exchange between schools and adult service
agencies 2. Staff development within and across agencies to enable professionals to
get to know each other and to promote a better working relationship 3. Joint planning
for every student attending special education.

Importance of Parent involvement

The graduation of a child from school is a milestone in any family. The role of the
family as advocate and case manager for an young adult with mental retardation is
critical during this phase. The service and resources require a long term vision. Only
family is in a position to demand outcomes that enhance the individual's quality of life.
They are the risk takers and financial planners. The family members especially their
parents should begin planning which provides a vision of what his mentally retarded
son/daughter will be doing after I 5 years and in future. The planning should include
where the person will work, earn, recreate and live. Who will be the significant other
in his/her life is a critical issue to be decided earlier. An important factor for a smooth
transition from school to work for a person with mental retardation is the involvement
of parents. They should be aware of how persons with mental retardation mild,
moderate and severe can be productive on a job through a supported work model
involving a proper job match, the use of systematic instruction and ongoing support.

Major parent oriented issues

The major parent oriented issues which facilitate the transition of the retarded
persons from school to work include
I. Learning the transition process.
2. Recognizing the parent's role in the transition process.
3. Active participation of the parents in the transition process.

2
 Parents are the one constant in a lifetime of changing service agencies and service
providers. So, it is left to them to learn about the options and service 'available to their
teenage and yorng adult children. On the other hand, parents themselves possess a
wealth of information which may often be unavailable even to those professionals
who interact daily with the disabled student. For example, a retardedchild may exhibit
certain behaviours at home which may be quite different from thestu"ent's observed
behaviour at school or on a jobsite. The nature, extent and circumstances under which
these behaviours occur could be critical to the transition team's planning for services
to the persons with mental retardation.

Another example, a mentally retarded person may work in his parent's provision
store during the holidays and acquired skills to pack and stock materials. The transition
team could use this information to plan for the person to train in various work settings
to prepare for a competitive job. If parents share this type of information with the
transition plan team, the process of transition becomes more easy and smooth. The
professionals are realizing that parents are a valuable resource in the transition process.
It is an accepted fact that parents and professionals should cooperate as true partners
in helping young adults with mental retardation for their vocational training and
employment services.

Learning the transition process

The parents must ask for the information to be provided by the special school
and vocational training centres. Obtaining appropriate services usually depend on the
quality and degree of information which parents receive. The parents should
comfortable with all aspects of the issue, particularly in regard to their own situation.
Ideally, transition education activities will become an ongoing part of the school systems
and regular parent education programmes, so that parents of the younger students
will be introduced to the concept of transition and appropriate adult outcomes during
the child's prevocational school years.

This is important since parents of younger mentally retarded students can be

the greatest resource in helping to develop their child's employment potential. There
are many things the parents can do to get the handicapped child ready for essential
employment. These include bringing up the child in a normal environment by giving as
much independence as possible, providing opportunities to participate in community
activities, promoting appropriate social behaviours, proper grooming skills,
responsibility for household activities, developing physical fitness, creating a' positive
attitude to work and above all, maintaining an optimistic attitude about the child's
work future. A longitudinal approach to the transition process will encourage parents,

3
teachers, and the disabled students themselves to expect more normalizing work
environments when they leave the special school.

Once parents have begun the process of educating themselves about the whole
transition issue, they will begin to recognise their part in the transition process. The
transition process has been defined as a 'carefully planned process to establish and
implement a plan for either employment or additional vocational training of handicapped
students, who will graduate or leave school in three to five years" (Wehman et. al,
I 985). Where and how parents fit into this 'carefully planned process"?

Recognizing the parent's role

Four major stress periods have been identified for families with mentally retarded
persons. The first is when the parents become aware that their child is mentally
retarded. The next is when the child becomes eligible for educational services and the
parent must find the level of disability. Another period is when the child leaves school,
and the last is when the aging parents can no longer assume responsibility for the
child's well being.

Most of the parents are not aware of their role in the transition, when their
children are attending the special school. When the day comes for leaving the school,
suddenly the parents realize the reality and start asking the question 'How can I engage
my son/daughter in useful activities?" In order to avoid this dilemma, parents should
recognize their role in the transition process especially the activities inv9lved in the
transition rom school to work.

I. They should join hands with the professionals to identify suitable jobs for their
children. S

2. They should approach the professionals to assess their children functionally and
to give sufficient informations related to employment.

3. They should initiate training in different training sites in consultation with the
professionals.

4. They should cooperate with the employers regarding the training and placement
of their children when the professionals act as liason between the employer and
and parents of the mentally retarded employee.

14
 It is the parents who must represent their child in a way that no one else can
advocate for what they feel and know is best for their son or daughter who is mentally
retarded.

Active participation

Once the parents have adequately educated themselves about the concept of
transition and, the transition process and have recognized the importance of their role
in the transition process, they must now plan to actively participate in the transition
process.

Once the transition plan is prepared by the professionals, parents should be

active to coordinate with various trainers and training sites. During the transition, the
training may not be in the school in a simulated situation. It has to be conducted at the
real job sites, in the community and at home. The time schedule has to be strictly
followed and arrangement for transport also has to be done properly. Transition is a
joint effort of the trainee, the parents, the professionals, the employer and the
community. So there is no doubt that the success of the transition process highly
depends on the active participation of the parents in the programme made by the
professionals for their mentally retarded children.

Transition from school to work

is a joint effort of the trainee,
the parents,
the professionals,
the employer,
and the community

15
 Tips for parents .

• Become aware of your child's eventual need to enter

the world of work.

• Be sure that your child's current IEP addresses

employment awareness and training.

• Expose your child to work situations, when you go out

in the community.

• Give your child specific responsibilities around the house.

Insist that he or she perform all duties on time.

• Encourage school teachers to include work related

concepts, such as money and employer - employee
relationships.

• Actively support the teacher 's efforts to teach vocational

skills.

• Emphasize physical fitness, stamina, and personal

appearance.

• Maintain your optimism for :iou? child's potential.

16
 Chapter - 2

PRINCIPLES OF
VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE
In the past, when society was simple, vocational guidance was both natural and
easy, for the child or the adult followed the profession of the family and learned it by
living with those who were traditionally engaged in that occupation. Elders in the family
and community, in a given trade or vocation, assumed the role of a teacher, vocational
guide and instructor appropriate to the potential and capabilities of an individual. The
chances, therefore, of a scientific method of guidance making much headway in the
past were remote.

The scenerio in the contemporary world underwent a change, where choosing

a profession or being initiated into it, is altogether different and complex. Further, the
concept of guidance has been so broadened that it has come to mean much more
than vocational guidance. In fact, the emphasis is assisting the individual on the all
round development through the life cycle.

Meaning and Scope of Guidance

The main aim and purpose of guidance is to help the child, youth or adult to
understand himself, his needs and his environment. Guidance is helping the person to
become adjusted to his present situation and to plan his future in line with his interests,
abilities and social need, (Hamin and Erickson, 1970).

According to Arthus J.Jones (1970), the purpose of guidance is to assist the

individual through counselling and to make wise choices, adjustments and interpretations
in connection with critical situation in his life in such a way as to insure continual
growth in ability for self-direction.

Guidance is also described as a counselling service to assist the individual in

achieving self direction arid education, vocational and personal adjustment and to take
positive steps in the light of new orientations. (Rogers, I 942).
7
 A comprehensive picture of guidance may be obtained by defining this: "It is the
process initiated by a professiona' enabling the individual to objectively see, understand,
believe, choose, prepare for and enter upon and attain progress in the programme of
his action pertaining to meaningful living in the areas of health, education, vocation,
recreation, art and culture and community work. Guidance does not solve the problems
of the individual but make individual informed of the access for decision making and it
is entirely the individuals to make use of it. The focus of guidance is always on the
individual and not on the problems.

Guidance Services

Guidance services are those organised professional activities which aid each
person in examining, evaluating and choosing, realistic personal goals which help
realization.

The guidance programmes are most frequently, organised objectively around

four fundamental services

I. An appraisal services to collect, analyze and use personal, social and psychological
data about each person for the purpose of understanding him and to help him
understand himself.

2. A facilitating service to provide every person complete information about

vocational, educational and personal opportunities so that he may make realistic
choices and decisions.

3. A counselling service to facilitate self-understanding and self development and

4. An enabling service to plan placement and follow up to help the students to select
and avail the opportunities in the world of employment.

Classification of Guidance Activities

• Educational guidance
• Vocational guidance
• Moral or social guidance
• Health guidance
• Personal guidance

8
Vocational Guidance

The general conference of International Labour Organization in its Vocational

Guidance Recommendations described vocational guidance as 'assistance given to an
individual in solving problems related to occupational choice and progress with due
regardfor the individual's characteristics and their relation to occupational opportunity"

In the definition adopted by the National Vocational Guidance Association, U.S.A.

in 1937, 'Vocational Guidance is the process of assisting the individual to choose an
occupation, prepare for it, enter upon and progress in it".

Vocational Guidance is the process of helping a person to develop and accept an

integrated and adequate picture of himself, and of his role in the world of work to test
this concept against reality and to convert it into a reality with satisfaction to himself
and benefit to society.

Guidance for Vocational Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation of disabled persons is a global phenomenon. 10% of the population

suffer from one or more of the disabilities. The process of disability is causative to
both the primary and secondary reasons-environmental and attitudinal. Both
impairment and functional limitations lead to disability with a three dimensional
consequences, personal, family and social level. To withstand these consequences
rqhabilitation plays a major role.

Habilitation

Habilitation is the process through which the persons born with certain
impairment are helped to channelize their residential capacities to their maximum
development so that he/she could live as normal a life as possible.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is "the combined and coordinated use of medical, social, educational

and vocational measures for traIning/retraining the individual to the highest possible
level of functioning ability".

(Glossary, Vocational Rehabilitation, Employment of the disabled Provisional edition - ILO)

19
 Rehabilitation is the restoration of the handicapped to the fullest physical, mental,
social, vocational and the economic usefulness of which he is capable. This definition
is broadly accepted by various professionals working in the field of disability.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational Rehabilitation means that part of the continuous and coordinated

process of rehabilitation which involves the guidance, vocational training and selective
placement designed to enable a disabled person to secure and retain suitable
employment.

Vocational Education Movement

During the last part of the 19th century, educational practices were being refined,
and educational opportunities were beginning to be seen more as the right ofevery
citizen. Such developments laid a necessary foundation for the later advent of vocational
rehabilitation programme whose viability was dependent on the existence of effective
vocational education programme.

1865 - 1890 --- Vocational education included in the curriculum.

198 I - --- Industrial training started.

New Jersey passed an act for the establishment of industrial

training school.
1885 --- Two private industrial schools started. The working mans school
of New York City and The Boston Manual Training School.
World War-I --- Vocational Training / Rehabilitation for the disabled was given
importance.

Vocational Guidance for Persons with Mental Retardation

Vocational Guidance for persons with mental retardation has two aspects.
I. Guidance to the persons with mental retardation.
2. Guidance to parent/guardian of the individuals with mental retardation.

As the mentally handicapped persons lack the ability to take decisions and hold
the full responsibility of his actions, the parents/guardians play an important role in the
vocational rehabilitation of their retarded children/wards.
20
Areas of vocational guidance service
• Enable the clients to discover their potentialities and interest.
• Make them understand occupational requirements.
• Make available information about vocational training.
• Assist in choice of vocation.
• Train the clients for entrepreneurship.
• Train the clients for adjustments in a chosen vocation.
• Assist the client in attaining emotional stability.
• Help the client to get properly adjusted in life.

Methods of Guidance
I. Individual guidance

2. Group guidance

I. Individual Guidance

Individual Guidance is a face to face relationship marked by intimacy and good rapport
between the guidance worker and client. As the individual is the focus of guidance, the
reliable data about individual must be obtained for individual guidance.

Sources of data collection

• The client.
• Parent and family members.
• Classmates and peers of the client.
• Various records relating to the individual
• Teachers and other personnel connected with the case.

Types of data:

I. General data : name, address, age, date of birth, father's name and occupation
are the most important items in this group.

21
2. Family and social environment : This item includes home environment and social
conditions existing in the neighbourhood. Education of the parents, family members,
pedigree chart, attitude of family members to the client and cultural pattern of the
family are also a part of this item.

3. Physical health data : This includes findings of medical examination, growth

characteristics, nutrition and general health. As many jobs require certain minimum
standard of physical fitness for work, this type of data is very important.

4. Educational history and achievement data: Progress in the past and present
not only in terms of marks but also in terms of other objectives, such as good
work habits, appreciation, attitude towards school subjects, likes and dislikes, special
abilities and disabilities towards co-curricular activities are the various items
included under this heading.

5. Psychological data : General mental health, predominant mood, self-assertion,

sense of self-confidence and attitude towards self, are the various traits to be
included.

6. Educational and vocational data : The educational and vocational plans of an

individual must find an important place in the data collected about an individual.
These plans may reveal the extent to which the parents had a hand in the educational
and vocational plans of their childrenand the extent to which these clients are
really interested.

7. Social development : Participation in the co-curricular activities of the school,

sociability, adaptability etc., are included under this heading.

Tests Used in Individual Guidance - Sources of data collection

• Intelligence test
• Educational ache'ement test
• Aptitude test
• Tests of various aspects of personality

22
Non-Testing Devices Used in Individual Guidance

• The autobiography method

• Observation
• Anecdotal record : a record o1 some significant items of conduct.

• Diaries
• Personal data bank
• The case history
• Rating scales

Projective Techniques
• Play situation
• Story - telling and story - completion
• Incomplete sentence techniques
• The Rorschack Ink Blot Test

• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

2. Group Guidance

In the words of Jones. "Group Guidance is any group enterprise or activity in

which the primary purpose is to assist each individual in the group to solve his problems
and to make his adjustments". Guidance in group situation usually refers to the guidance
service that is made available to large or small group of persons.

Purpose of Group Guidance

Kitch and McCreasy list the following purpose of group guidance.
I. To assist in the identification of common problem.
2. To provide information useful in the solution of adjustment problem.

3. To provide opportunities for experiences that promote self-understanding.

4. To lay the foundation of individual counselling.

23
Procedures in Group Guidance
• Identifying each members objectives
• Organizational decisions
• Forming the group
• Getting started
• Building the relationship
• Terminating group membership
• Evaluating the outcome

Group Guidance Techniques

• Talks
• Career conferences
• Audio - visual aids
• Visits
• Group activities - vocational recreational and educational
• Occupation information services
• Group discussions

Vocational Choice Determinants

The basic elements

I. Occupational choice is a developmental process, it is not a single decision made

over a period of years, a process which takes place over a minimum of six or
seven years and more.

2. Since each decision during adolescence is related to one's experience up to that

point, an in turn has an influence on the future, the process of decision - making is
basically irreversible.

3. Since occupational choice involves the balancing of a series of subjective elements

with opportunities and limitations, the crystallization of occupational choice
inevitably has the quality of compromise.

24
Factors Affecting Vocational Choice
I. Family
I. Physical factors 2. Location of the family 3. Physical conditions 4. The health
5. The socio-economic level 6. The occupational information 7. The family as a
mediator of culture 8 The family's religion 9. Attitudes and values of the family
10. Work values learned in the family I I. Emotional currents in the family
I 2. Emotional needs fostered in the family I 3. Adult role models in thefamily.
2. Ability
3. Personality
4. Economic factors
5. Industrialization
6. Public policy

Vocational Guidance - Various points of view

I. Individual differences : Guidance is needed to identify the differences among

individuals and differences among courses of action open to them.

2. Vocational guidance from the financial point of view of an individual : A lot

of money is unnecessarily spent in the preparation ofmany vocations rather than
one. An individual takes longer time to adjust himself to the proper occupation
and loses money.

3. Vocational guidance from the financial point of view of the employers

Often industry and business suffers heavy losses because of change in labour.

4. Vocational guidance from the financial point of view of the society: Ultimately
it is the society that suffers all the cost of these wasteful methods of entering
occupations.

5. Vocational guidance from the health point of view : Wrong choices of

occupations adversely affects the health of the workers.

6. Vocational guidance from the health point of view of personal and social
values: The following personal and social values in the choice of an occupation
are involved : the happiness of the worker, satisfaction in his work, personal
growth and his contribution to human welfare.

25
7. Vocational guidance tor the purpose of utilizing human potentialities :The
society loses much through its failure to discover potential genius. A great deal of
genius remains undiscovered in every generation.

8. Vocational guidance from the point of view of the complex nature of the
society: Far-reaching changes have taken place in economic, political and social
structure of the country.

9. Vocational guidance from the point of view of the availability of the growing
amount of information concerning individuals : The new methods of studying
the individuals help to understand the individual in a more scientific and
co.m prehensive way.

Vocational Guidance at Various Stages

I. Elementary Stage - development of work readiness skills

• Eye-hand coordination
• Arrangement of materials
• A desire to do better work
• Neat and systematic work
• Spirit of cooperative work
• Respect for manual work
• Promoting dignity of labour

2. Secondary Stage - discovery of abilities

• Helping the studentsto identify their abilities
• Giving necessary information about various jobs, skills and opportunities.
• Exposing the students to various job situations.
• Helping them to make choice

26
3. Post School Stage - selection of suitable jobs
• Helping to select courses
• Encouraging to acquire various skills
• Exposure to various jobs
• Selection of a suitable vocation to start with.

Aims of Vocational Guidance

• To assist the clients towards a proper choice of vocation.
• To enable the clients to find the general and specific abilities required for a
vocation.

• To provide opportunity to have an initial experience.

• To develop positive attitudes towards various occupations.
• To prepare the clients for specific services which can be rendered to the society.
• To provide personal satisfaction in the vocation.
• To check the aptitude required for the work.
• To assist the client to secure knowledge of the facilities offered by various agencies.

• To help the worker to adjust himself to the occupation in which he is engaged.

Common Mistakes in Choosing a Career

• Selecting a job beyond his mental capacity.
• Choosing a job that has limited employment potentials.
• Choosing a job for which the person does not possess essential skills.
• Choosing a job without the required physical strength and endurance.
• Selecting a job because of its glamour.

27
Vocational Rehabilitation Centres for the Physical Handicapped (VRC)

Vocational Rehabilitation Centres for Physically Handicapped Persons have been

set up in number of states. At these centres, assistance is given to physically handicapped
persons to develop rehabilitation plans depending on their specific needs, attitudes
and abilities. These centres cater to the needs of the persons with visual impairment
hearing and physical handicap, negative leprosy and mild mental retardation.

Objectives of VRC

The main objective of the Vocational Rehabilitation Centres is to assist the

physically handicapped persons to undertake a remunerative work activity so that
they can live independently and have a productive and respectful life. This can be
achieved through
I. Assessment of the residual vocational capacities of the physically handicapped
persons.
2. Guidance and assistance to secure and retain gainful employment. This enables
them to lead an independent, productive and respectful life like any other able-
bodied person.
3. Assisting them in developing their work skills in suitable trades by means of formal
or non-formal training methods.
4. Assisting in obtaining essential rehabilitation aids with a view to enhancing their
work capacities.
5., Developing community awareness and response for rehabilitation programmes
and to promote rehabilitation services.
6. And to update the rehabilitation techniques and services for the physically
handicapped by undertaking survey and research studies or by assisting
organizations in such programmes.

28
 Vocational guidance for the parents of
mentally retarded children
Steps
Brainstorming : Work out a list of all the possible job cptions open
to their children.

Clarifying Options Help the parents to clarify the job options for
action.

Evaluating Options : Help the parents to think of the possible

consequences of their actions.

Developing plans for action Help the parents work out exactly what action they
are going to take.

Facilitating assertion : Help the parents to carry out the plan of action
they have decided upon.

Evaluating progress : Check whether the plan of action has been

successful or not and deciding on further action, if
necessary.

Recycling the process : Whether action has been successful or not it may
be useful to recycle through the helping process
to establish the next step.

Arranging for further contact : Suggest convenient time for further contacts.

Referring on : Discuss with the parent on the type of help needed

from others in the process of action.

Terminating contact : Fade Out the visits by leaving the door apen for
furher contacts.

29
Qualities of a Vocational Guidance Counsellor

Competence
The counsellor's skills are built upon a thorough knowledge of human behaviour,
perceptive mind and ability to integrate present events with training and experience.
An ability to think in an orderly, logical manner is essential if he is to assist the client in
setting objectives, placing events in perspective, considering alternatives and assessing
outcomes.

Flexibility
The guidance counsellor must not be rigid. He must be alert to changes in client's
attitude and expectation of him. He should try to available according to the needs of
the client.

Acceptance
- Guidance counsellor must consider the client as a person of infinite worth and
dignity. He should accept his right to make his own decisions. He also should beJieve
that he has the potential to choose wisely and to understand that he is responsible for
his own life.

Ethical Behaviour

Unless the client is convinced that he can completely trust the counsellor, he will
have inhibitions to be open and to follow the directions of the counsellor.

Understanding
Good communication skills are necessary to be an effective guidancecounsellor.
Through communication skills he should understandthe world of the client and perceive
his aspirations and hopes.

Openness

Openness is necessary for accepting the client as he is. The rigidity will block the
openness of the client and it will prevent the spontaneous expressions.

30
Sensitivity

The relationship with the client must be marked by honesty and sincerity. This
would help the client to trust the counsellor.

Listening

Total attention to the expressions of the client is an important aspect of guidance.

Unless the client feels the counsellor is attentive, he would not continue his
conversations and expressions.

Vocational guidance counsellor should be enriched with

Patience

Emotional stability

Objectivity
Respect for facts

Broad-mindedness

Tactfulness

Pleasant appearance

Concern

Friendliness and

above all respect for the clients.

 Chapter - 3

SCHOOL BASED VOCATIONAL

CURRICULUM FOR STUDENTS WITH
MENTAL RETARDATION
The Need

The major goals of educational system are to prepare the students to have
independent living skills. The common misconception is that the preparation for
employment starts immediately after schooling. To be functionally competent within a
community, it is essential for an individual to show a wide array of skills. So the school
curriculum should include prevocational and vocational skills at the school level itself.
Students with mental handicap should get opportunity to engage themselves in different
types of activities in which they express interest and have relatively some ability. The
selected activitres for training are likely to have generic value to several jobs in future
and exposure to the activities as part of initiation into work. Work related skills will
prepare the students to enter into full fledged vocational/work area.

Traditionally, the vocational education has been provided to the adults and
adolescent students as post school programmes. The prevocational curriculum has
been designed to provide work related skills and work skills to the age group of 14
years and above. Many a time, at the prevocational level, students are taught the jobs
available in the sheltered workshops only.

But the recent trend is to train the mentally handicapped students in the skills
that are directly useful for daily living. From the pre-primary level, the child needs to
be trained in those skills that are required frequently in school, domestic, vocational
and community environments. Hence there is a need not to compartmentalize the
educational and vocational activities on the logic that the prevocational skills are the
domain of prevocational classes only. The prevocational and vocational skill training
can go together with teaching of other skills to achieve the objective of making them
ready to enter into work environment initially as a trainee, an apprentice and
consequently as a worker.
The Objectives of School Based Vocational Curriculum

• It develops work habits, positive attitudes, value toward work and daily living
activities.

• It provides instructions and guidance for establishing and maintaining positive human
relationships at home, school and at work.

• It develops the work skills among the students to be readily integrated physically,
socially and economically into the community.

Curriculum Planning

The vocational education includes the skills ranging from basic self-care or
survival to fairly complex work related interpersonal skills of acceptable degree so
that interaction with different people in varying social and vocational environments.
should
(Lakin, Bruninks, Robert 1985). Selecting appropriate curriculum for training
be a direct outcome of community and individual assessment procedures. The skills
sites comprise the curriculum for teaching.
required in the community employment
(Penzaglia & Hutchins 1988).

The student is expected to perform many of the prevócatiohal activities along

functional activities, the interaction of the non-
with his daily living activities. In all
much necessary. Now we will discuss
handicapped and handicapped people is very
the brushing activity and other associated prevocational activities that take place along
with it in a rural scene.

• Collecting sticks for brushing including cutting them into correct sizes.

• Going to the appropriate brushing place - may be river or village well.

• Interacting with other non-handicapped people while brushing.

• Maintaining appropriate time for brushing.

activities are associated with the

Even in an urban setting, many prevocational
brushing activity. If we examine each activity which is associated with bjushing, most
of them get generalized into work skills during job placement. For example: maintaining
the job site.
brushing time helps the student to learn maintaining the punctuality at
academics.
Selection and purchasing of brush and paste help him to learn functional
vocational skills of the student.
This kind of activities strengthen the

34
 The term "Pre-Vocational" is taken in a different perspective by most
professionals. Quite often, training in prevocational activities is taken up at the
prevocational level only. But prevocational activities can be taught right from pre-
primary level itself, as discussed earlier. The curriculum for all levels includes self-
help, motor, language, social, academics and recreational activities; but activities for
work readiness skills are given more importance at prevocational level.

The goal of vocational programming at younger age is to provide student with a

variety of work-experience across job types. The sampling of job types provides trainer
with information regarding student's preference, differential skills, potential for progress
and these are relevant to future selection of a placement site. So by the end of the
prevocational level, before "on the job training", the student is likely to be competent
in the necessary prerequisites of a particular job, or the student even if in the
prevocational level can do part time "on the job training" in the community, if it suit:
him.

Developing the School Based Vocational Curriculum

Baine's Ecology Based Curriculum (Ecological Inventory) helps to develop a school

based vocational curriculum. An ecological inventory can be made by listing out all
functional tasks performed by the non-handicapped persons in a particular
environ ment.

Steps to Construct the Curriculum

• Identify the target group for whom the curriculum is being designed.
• Select the target group functioning in the environment and sub environment
including the boundaries of the home, community, vocational & school
environments, and also predict the boundaries of the future environments.
• Identify the functional tasks that are performed by non-handicapped and
handicapped individuals through interviews, observations or by giving specially
designed dairy to parents.
• Develop an inventory for particular handicapped individuals describing the special
equipments, materials, conditions, or adaptations and methods if necessary.

35
Points to consider
• The activities and the tasks in the vocational curriculum includes are not only to
be taught in the class room but also outside the classroom, that is, in the community
also. The activities which are to be taught outside the classroom can be taken up
by the teacher, parents, siblings and the non-disabled persons.

• The role of the non-disabled persons is to teach and assist the disabled persons
while performing the functional task. The role of the handicapped persons should
be encouraged to assist the non-handicapped persons while performing the same
functional task.

School based vocational skills training

• Make the list of the daily activities an individual performs in a particular

environment.

• Identify the prevocational and vocational activities associated with the selected
daily living skills.

• Prepare the Individualized Training Programme for the student including the
prevocational and vocational skills along with self help, motor, language, social,
academics and recreational skills.

• Select the activities based on the age and ability level of the student.

• Encourage the parents, siblings, and other peer non-handicapped persons to

participate in training.

• Train in simulated and natural settings.

The School Based Vocational Curriculum helps the students towards independent
living and employability which are the ultimate aims of special education.

36
Daily Living Activities Work readiness skills associated with
daily living activities.

* Maintaining appropriate time.

* Folding bed.
Getting up in the morning * Switching off lights.
* Seeing calender.
* Reads the daily routine schedule
* Opening doors and gate.

* Reading the word TOILET.

* Identifying the toilets for GENTS and
LADIES.
Toileting, bathing & grooming Maintaining timings for toileting.
* Reading the names of articles-soap, oil,
shampoo, towel, bucket, mug etc,.
* Washing, drying, folding clothes
* Selecting appropriate dress.
Ironing clothes, polishing shoes, using
d eod arants.
Purchasing various items from shop.

* Helping to prepare breakfast.

* Reading the name and prices of the items
* Using cooking gas or wood.
Break fast time * Measuring appropriate quantity.
* Buying necessary items.
* Serving breakfast.
* Prepares lunch packet.

37
 Daily Living Activities Work readiness skills associated with
daily living activities.

* Preparing school bag with lunch box.

* Takes the correct bus.
* Reaching school in correct time.
School time * i...earning with classmates.
I * Cooperating with staff.
* Using school canteen.
* Attending task such as cleaning, setting...
* Following school time schedule.

* Informing teacher before leaving school.

* Catching the correct bus.
* Engaging in evening games.
Back home * Bathing and changing home dress.
] * Attending to the personal works.
* Helping parents and siblings.
* Helping in preparing dinner.
* Washing utensils

* Making bed.
* Closing gate and doors.
Goes to sleep
] * Adjusting alarm to get up in the morning.

Activities occur weekly/monthly

Writing and mailing letters

Arranging cup board
Getting haircut
Cleaning bicycle
* Covering books
Washing dresses
* Telephoning
Visiting friends and relatives
Health check up
Receiving guests

38
 Chapter - 4

TRANSITION PLAN AT
PRE-VOCATIONAL LEVEL
Facilitating transition from school to work place is not a one-step process, but
rather requires movement through four stages School instruction, planning for the
transtion process, placement into meaningful employment and follow-up services.

School instruction

Systematic school instruction is the foundation of effective transtion. Preparing

students to have independent living skills and to be employable should be the major
goals of the educational system. Without careful planning and preparation for post
school placement, the mentally retarded persons seldom achieve independent living
skills and employment. The school personnel are responsible to lay foundation of
effective transition from school to employment.

Primary Level

Trainers of the primary level mentally retarded children have a responsibility to

focus part of the educational programmes on vocationally related activities. The trainer
should allow the students to engage themselves in different types of activities in which
they express an interest. Cleaning tables, emptying trash, washing blackboards, taking
messages to the office etc. are good ways of improving vocational skills. A major value
of this exercise is that the trainers can evaluate the strength, weakness and interest of
the children in relation to different jobs. This type of activities help the special children
to acquire general work skills. Along with this, the trainers can introduce the concepts
of work and money.

39
Secondary Level

Success in vocational placement is highly dependent on the quality of the

programme provided at the secondary and prevocational levels. At the secondary
level more attention and time must be given to develop general work habits such as
appearance, communication and appropriate social behaviour, while carrying the
practice of general work skills acquired at the primary level.

Prevocational Level

Prevocational training is a systematic training by which an individual acquires functional

skills and appropriate behaviour which are necessary for a particular vocation.

It is at the prevocational level one can truly assess the success or failure of the
vocational experience provided in the earlier years. More time should be spent on
vocational education at this level. The students should be prepared towards work
oriented programme. The main objective of this period is to impart training and create
opportunities for development of functional academics, personal-social skills, survival
and safety skills and work readiness skills. Development of adjustment skills by providing
experience in various life situations will be a great help for gainful employment.

An effective special school programme assures a smooth transition of the persons

with mental retardation into work environments. Important elements of such
programmes are
• Formal transition planning is a part of the IEP development by the time students
reach age 16.

• Curriculum should be community referenced, functional and chronologically age

appropriate.
• As a student's chronoogical age increases the time spent on special school
programmes decreases.

An appropriate functional curriculum depending on the individual's need has to

be developed for an effective transition to work from the school. The vocational
curriculum for specific students can be developed after assessing the students strengths
and weaknesses and the available occupations in the community. In designing functional
curriculum, selection of vocational skills must not be based on convenience. The
functional curriculum ensures that the training content can be generalized to potential
jobs and facilitate essential movement into employment.. This has to be achieved by
developing, implementing and maintaining the individualized training programmes.
40
Planning for transition

Transition is a carefully planned process initiated by school personnel/vocational

staff to establish and implement a plan for employment/additional vocational training
for persons with handicap who will leave the school in 3 to 5 years.

After the school programme, post school programme is necessary for staying in
jobs. Even an excellent school programme with good adult service alternatives available
is not sufficient for mentally retarded persons without planning and coordination of
services.

Transition Core Team

The formation of a core team would help the planning and implementation of
transition process. This team should include professionals representing special
education, vocational education, social services, medical services, parent and employers
from local businesses.

Assessments of needs

The initial task of the core team is to conduct the assessment of needs of the
available jobs in the community. It should identify pre-employment training options,
supported employment options and support services.

Targeted population for transition

Once the assessment of needs is completed, the team must take procedural
decision for beginning the systems change process. Since it is not tried out, the best
thing is to start with a small group of young adults with mental retardation attending a
special school. Depending on the result, the methodology can be modified and extended
to a larger population.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

IEP is developed by special educators, in consultation with a multi disciplinary

team. It includes mainly educationally related services which are taught in class room
situation.

41
Individualized Vocational Transition Plan (IVTP)

Individualized Vocational Transitional Plan is developed by the special educators

at secondary and prevocational level in consultation with parents, vocational staff, the
student and possibly an employer.

The focal point of the vocational transition process is the development of a formal
individualized transition plan for each mentally retarded person towards the end of
the school programme. The plan should include annual goals and short term objectives
that reflect skills required to function on-the-job, at home, and in the community.
Transition services also should be specified including referral to appropriate agencies,
job placement and on-the-job follow ups.

IVTP maybe a portion of a student's individualized educational plan. The

individualized transition plan should be written before the student leaving the school
and updated as per the need and new opportunities. The coordinator for the programme
at the school level should be the special educator. The responsibility will be switched
on to the vocational staff in post school years.

Transition plans should be comprehensive in scppe. In addition to specific job

skill training, students also should be prepared to use community services effectively,
manage money, travel to and from work independently and interact socially with other
individuals. These plans should be individualized. Each individual will require a different
set of post school services.

Activities involved in post school transition plan

• Survey available employment possibilities in the community and desired skills for
entry level employees.
• Develop a checklist and vocational curriculum which include desired vocational
skills.

• Evaluate the students interest and aptitudes using the checklist.

• Prepare an individual transition plan towards the end •of the school years in
cooperation with the parents and the employer.

• Place on-the-job training for a short period before job placement.

• Continue follow up after job placement. Gradually fade assistance.

42
The Components of vocational transition plan
• Formation of transition core team.
• Community assessment of potential employment opportunities.
• Selection of targeted population.
• Functional assessment of the student.

• Design Individualized transition plan.

• Selection of appropriate training site.
• Decide the methods of instruction and reinforcement technique.
• Conduct periodical evaluation and modification.
• Strategies for gradual transfer from school to work place.

Responsibilities of Transition Core Team

Special educators

As the transition process starts from the special school, special educators have
an important part to play. Some of the responsibilities which may be assumed by the
special educators at various levels are

Administration level
• Allow the special teachers and helpers to enable them to initiate transition at
school level.
• Develop guidelines for follow up studies of students who graduated from the
school.
• Develop written policies and procedures to ensure transition services.

Service level

• Develop Individualized Vocational Transition plan with the assistance of vocational

staff.

• Assure parent, family and student involvement through out the preparation
process.

43
Transition initiation
• Identify the students for transition.
• Identify the needs of transition service.
• Conduct Individualized Vocational Transition Plan meetings (IVTP)
• Coordinate the development and implementation of IVTPs.

Vocational educators/counsellors
• Function as a liason between school staff and vocational staff.
• Attend IVTP meetings of students at prevocational level.
• Serve as a consultant to IVTP planning team.
• With IVTP team coordinate and monitor the vocational training and job placement
of prevocational level students.

Parents and families

• Attend IVTP meetings.

• Provide input to IVTP team on family's needs.
• Focus the team's planning on the individual students and family specific needs.

• 1equest information on residential, recreational, guardianship, financial, medical,

social, behavioural, sexual, and other service areas needed or anticipated being
needed by the family and young adult.

Professionals
• Establish interdisciplinary inservice training to professionals and parents.
• Provide leadership in identifying ongoing medical, therapeutic and social services.
• Train the IVTP team during the transition years.
• Provide assessment and evaluation information related to their individual area of
expertise.

Guidelines for conducting !VTP meeting

• Identify all targeted students for transition planning.

44
• Organize an IVTP team for all students.
• Define procedures for writing IVTPs as a part of IEP
• Hold IVTP meetings as a part of IEP for all targeted students.
• Implement the IVTP goals for all students
• Update the IVTP annually for all students
• Hold an "exit" transition during the final year of schooling with procedures for
follow up services

The methodology of preparing individual transition plan at prevocational level is

given in chapter - 5

The formats given at the end of the case study are specially designed for the use
of special educators to prepare Individualized Vocational Education Plan for the special
children attending special schools.

45
 ('_z ttw ufiz.tmy on would
never be' th1e- ti,- wcr7ç butnow

me/ery mondi"

- a-pcirent

k!/iei'z,Z tock my tpcy

my mother ot
eciea mydw Ivueame
#idcaa k&ai&prc cyo /
/

46
 Chapter - 5

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDIVIDUALIZED
VOCATIONAL TRANSITION PLAN
CASE STUDY

Due to the lack of coordinated services between the school staff and
vocational staff, the youth with disabilities face difficulties to find a place to work,
earn and socialize when they leave the special schools. This chapter describes a
case study of transition of a spastic male with mental retardation. It gives an
outline of the methodology of developing individual transition plan for the case to
work in his father's petrol station. The implementation of transition plan has been
carried out as a joint effort of the parents, siblings, the spastic adolescent with
mental retardation, the special educators, vocational counsellor and the employees
at the job site. This real success story of transition from school to work is explained
stage by stage in this chapter.

Objectives

The main objective of this case study was to find out the effectiveness of the
intensive job oriented training in real job site during the final years of schooling,
so that the transition can automatically occur from special school to employment.

Another aim was to work out the methodology of preparation and

implementation of individualized transition plan for persons with mental
retardation in coordination with the school staff, vocational staff, employers,
community, the parents and siblings of the persons with mental retardation.

47
Background History of the Client

VN, I 7 year old male with mild mental retardation belongs to an upper middle
class business joint family. As his both lower limbs were affected due to cerebral palsy,
his mobility was restricted. Though he can use crutches, his main mode of movement
was on buttacks.

The father of the client took keen interest to modify the necessities in his living
room. Mother's responsibility was to take care of his education by interacting with
the special educator, tuition teacher and siblings at home. As a result of the joint
effort, VN became independent in self care skills and achieved social skills to interact
with family members, relatives and friends outside. He learned the functional academics
at UKG level.

The client attended a special class in montessori school for younger normal
children for I 3 years. When he completed I 7 years, the principal conveyed her inability
to permit him to continue his education in the same school.

As long as he was in the school, the parents never thought of his future
employment. Without sufficient information and preparation, the boy was terminated
from the school. At this stage the parents approached NIMH for vocational guidance
intheyear 1994.

The principal of the school was again contacted and readmitted the client for
one more year which was used as a period of transition from school to work in
coordination with the special school, home and job site under the guidance of NIMH.
This was the starting point of this study of transition of VN from school to work.

Methodology

The methodology used in this case study is described in various steps as given
below:

I. Formation of transition team

2. Development of a formal written transition plan

3. Implementation of the transition plan

4. Follow up until the client joins and continues on realistic job.

48
I. Formation of transition team
The first step which was followed in this study of transition was the formation
of a transition team to decide the persons responsible to carry out the programme.
teacher,
The transition team was composed of the client, his parents, the special
the supervisor at the job site and the vocational counsellor. This programme
with the team
was coordinated by the vocational counsellor by interacting
members.

2. Development of a formal written transition plan

In order to prepare an individualized transition plan for intensive job for

oriented
the case.
training, the important task of the core team was to identify a suitable job the
As the case belongs to an upper middle class family having a business backgrounds
The family has
parents were keen that the job should suit their socioeconomic status. sites with
petrol filling stations and oil filling factories. Visits were made to these jQb
difficulties in mobility
parents and the client to find out job options. As the client had
to select a job which the client could do in a
due to diplegia, the importance was given
sitting posture.
machine, was found suitable. But he
While visiting job sites, billing, using a billing to
did not show interest to go to the petrol station. So the billing machine was brought also
the trainer's place and tested his interest to learn billing. He showed interest and
agreed to go to the petrol station after initial training.

Simultaneously the case was assessed on the check'ist consisting the

a billing
prerequisite skills (Table-I) to provide job site training in billing by using the
machine. His score was 95% and the job was found matching. Job analysis,
currkulum, and outline of individualized transition plan were developed for
curricular
intensive job oriented training. The individual transition plan included the
the expected
areas, equipments for training, training sites, responsible trainers and
duration for transition (Tabe-3).

The main curricular areas included billing, billing academics, attending te'ephone
and social skills. The skills under each area
calls at job site, work behaviour, personal
were listed.

49
3. Implementation of Transition Plan

It was clear from the base line data (Table-6) that the trainee was in need of
intensive training mainly in billing by using a billing machine and billing academics. The
training in the class room, community and job site was viewed in two phases - the
acquisition phase and the performance/production phase. During acquisition phase
i.e., the learning phase of training, the trainer used task analytic assessment and
systematic prompting procedures.

Verbal Verbal
Gestural - Verbal - + +
Modelling Physical

During performance/production phase i.e. the proficiency phase of training

the emphasis was on speed, quality, and endurance. During this time the trainer
faded the promptings gradually to ensure dependence on more naturally occuring
prompts.

The implementation/evaluation checklist (Table-6) was used to collect the

data during acquisition and performance phase. The 'parents as well as the
supervisor at the job site helped the trainee to follow the daily schedule (Table-5)
at the job site.

Based on the individual transition plan outline, quarterly time schedule for
intensive job oriented training (Table-4) was prepared in such a way that the time
spent at job site should automatically increase so that the !transition should occur
in a natural way as shown in the graph. (Table-t)

The copy of the transition plan was handed over to the core team members
to implement it systematically at job site, school, home and community as
mentioned in the implementation and evaluation checklist (Table-6). The team
members interacted as and when needed.

As per the predetermined reinforcement system, the client was given the
daily payment for his work at petrol station and opportunities to de the pocket
money during outings.

50
4. Follow up until the client joins and continues on realistic job

The responsibility of the core team did not get over when one year intensive job
oriented training ended. The follow-up service was continued for the new employee
to sustain on-the-job by keeping up the interest. The team arranged additional training
in community living skills and recreational activities. The vocational staff continued as
the liason between the supervisor at job site and parents for ongoing assessment and
further improvement in employment.

Results and Discussions

The parent's support was the real force behind the success of this study. They
learned the need and process of transition. After realizing their role, they actively
participated in the implement4tion of individualized transition plan for their son. Father
adjusted his time schedule and transport facility was arranged as per the daily and
weekly time schedule for his son at the work site.

The supervisor at the work site also cooperated to teach billing by giving physical,
verbal and gestural promptings when the client prepared bills at the job site. The
special eductor gave special attention daily to teach billing academics for a minimum
of one hour when the client attended the school.

By the 3rd quarter, the client reached the performance phase. The supervisor
faded his assistance to gestural level. He achieved 90% of skills on the implementation
and evaluation checklist. The intensive training continued in the fourth quarter.

The reinforcement techniques especially the daily payment for his work and use
of pocket money motivated him to work and earn. He started feeling himself as a
useful member of the family because he started contributing to his family business by
preparing bills to the customers at their petrol station.

Conclusion

The study reveals the need to educate the parents of the mentally retarded
children the importance of transition from school to work when their children are at
special school. It would help the parents to take necessary steps to work towards it.
The intensive job oriented training would help the young adults to expose themselves
to work situation and to develop work skills before they leave the school.

51
 '7 a-rn' realv qZaa tyciiptked,
me- 'i- t/vt-jü-b I a-nv Zad' that you'
ca-med to- teach' me' a-nd' jlwwed- me-
what to- do I learnt iyjcb I cure
you' tJwtI k'tZt CO Ut#ue- on- myjcth-"

-VN

52
 Table -

PREREQUISITE SKILLS
Date of assessment : 2.4.1994
Name : VN -

I. Title of the job: Billing at petrol station usin a billing machine

2. Main duties
• Billing by using a billing machine
• Attending telephone at job site.

3. Work readiness skills

identified
The following prerequisite skills are
Tasks
Prerequisite skills

I. Personal and social skill

- Uses the toilet independently
- Wears dress and maintains
- Combs hair and keeps a neat appearance
- Has eye hand coordination
- Has endurance and stamina to work for 2-3
hours continuously
- Can communicate needs
- Can follow instructionS
- Cooperates with people other than family
members
- Can attend to a task without distraction

- Discriminates between big and small

2. Billing - Matches colours and shapes
- Identifies alphabets
- Reads simple words
- Identifies rupee notes and coins
- Identifies numerals upto 100
- Reads the value when it is written

- Receives a telephone call

3. Attending telephone
- Dials a given number on telephone
- Aware of safety skills
- Takes care of personal belongings

53
 Table-2

GRADUAL TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK

Intensive Training at special school Intensive training at job site

weekly time schedule weekly time schedule

5— 5—
0)
4— (I 4—
-00
0
5)5)
3— 0)-
•to
3—
-
, 0)
—
-C
o

2— 2—
C-
o '-i

0
I1
r
I
I 2 3
I

4 5
0

I 2
I
3
I-1
4 5

Q ucirters
Quarters

C—
Quarter
Quarter 2 July to Sept 1994
Quarter 3 Oct to Dec 1994
Quarter 4 Jan to Mar 1995

54
 INDIVIDUALIZED VOCATIONAL TRANSITION PLAN : SCHOOL TO WORK
IVTP - TIME SCHEDULE FOR JOB ORIENTED INTENSIVE TRAINING

Name of the trainee : V N Job site: G.T.C.PD, HYD.

Expected duration for training : I year

Age : I 7 years

3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Remarks

SITES FOR TRAINING 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter

Jul to Sept 94 Oct to Dec 94 Jan to Mar 95

AprI. to June 94

I hr per day I hr per day I hr per day daily living

I. HOME
4 days ma week 3 days in a week 2 days in a week situation
U,
U,
4 days in a week 3 days in a week 2 days in a week I day in a week
II. SCHOOL

once in a week once in 2 weeks once in a month daily living

III.COMMUNITY situation

I day in a week 2 days in a week 3 days in a week 4 days in a week

IV.JOB SITE

Rs. I 5/- per day Rs. 20/- per day Rs. 25/- per day
Reinforcement for Rs. 10/- per day
use of pocket use of pocket
attending job
money money

Coordinator of the core team

 Table-4
INDIVIDUALIZED VOCATIONAL TRANSITION PLAN - OUTLINE
Curricular areas Equipments Site for training Trainers Expected duration - I year. 93 April - March 94
QUARTER-I II Ill IV
April - July Aug-Oct Sep-Dec Jan- Mar
I. Billing using a Billing machine School 4 days
Special Weekly 3 Weekly
billing machine Weekly I
Jobsite teacher a week days 2 days
Supervisor Iday a Weekly 2 Weekly Weekly 4
employees week days 3

II. Billing rupee note Home, School Parents & Weekly 4 Weekly 3 Weekly 2 Weekly I
academics :alender
siblings days I hr days I hr days I hr
:lock, watch dayl hr
Vocational Once in a Once in 2 Once in 3 Once ma
a.' staff week I hr
Ill. Attending [elephone Home, Parents! Daily living situations
telephone at :alling bell jobsite siblings
jobsite
Supervisor 2 hours per day when attending the job site
employees
IV Work behavi-
Jobsite Supervisor When attending the job site.
our
employees
V. Personal and Home, Parents! In daily living situations.
social skills
Community siblings

Relatives!
friends
 Table - 5

DAILY TIME SCHEDULE AT JOB SITE

10.00 am Reaching job site

10.00 am to 12. noon Billing

12.noonto l.OOpm. Attending telephone calls

I .00 pm to 2.00 pm. Lunch & rest

2.00 pm to 4.00 pm. Billing

4.00 pm to 5.00 pm. Attending telephone calls

5.00 pm to 7.00 pm. Billing

7.00 pm Leaving job site

Billing per day : 6 hours

Attending telephone 2 hours

Total working hours 8 hours

Total working hours is flexible - 6-8 hours during the intensive training
period of transition from school to work.

57
 Table - 6
INDIVIDUALIZED VOCATIONAL TRANSITION PLAN
IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION CHECKLIST

Name of the trainee : V N Age I 7 years.

Periodical Evaluation

Base Acquisition Performance Remarks

Skills for training Training
site Line phase phase

I. Billing at job site using a billing machine I 2 3 4

4Il 5o.L5
I. Identifies main parts of the machine
DATE

$ + i-i .
5,+MJ I,.1.'Ut
./ ./ ,v /
(-I,
• Recognizes codes on key button
3. Recognizescodesonkeyboard
..I
s i.i+ .,/ / /_ /
4. Inserts paper rolls
Operates feed button .
s + s-i i
,
( '9tVP PP+'/P '.J p

/
,./

/
5.
6. Identifies numerals for required items + f-I rs vP vP -,/
7. PreparesbiIlsforrequireditemSPetroI,deisel2Toil .1S , VP+M vP+1 .)P

8.
distled water,gear oil, cotton waste.
Prepares bills with balance . ,
0
i'P+VP pp+vP
3 46
'/P P
X - Totally dependent
PP - Physical prompting H - Home
VP - Verbal prompting S - School
M - Modelling JS - Job site
G - Gestural C - Community
- Independent
 Periodical Evaluation

Skills for training Training Base Acquisition Performance Remarks

site Line phase phase

II: Attendingtelephonecallsatiobsite DATE £.4.qL1.

I. Receives calls when call comes

2. Presses bell and gives messages to employees

3. Dials agiven number

..

+ zrs
s

ys
7
'
...v
.,/
/./ /./ /./
7 ..•/ ./
./
.7
4. Gives the messages over the phone H -- .7 '%/ \/' .7
3 4- 4 + 4
Lu
'0
lii. Work Behaviour

I. Gets ready on time to go to work

2.Followsthetimescheduleatjobsite r
14 % %/

s.,,
/•/ .7
/i
.7
.7
'/ ./ -" \/
3.Cooperateswiththesupervisoratjobsite
4. Communicates with the employees at jobsite
j'
x
vc
/./ •/ .1 /
5. Greets/responds to greetings +t3 .7 '1' ./ .7
./
6. Asks for help when needed

7. Returns to work without reminder

8.Continuesontaskasneeded
j
Nt-Ct.j3 .7

ys
.
x
.../
'7
../
../
/ .7
.../
../
.7
'/
.
2 4 8
 Periodical Evaluation
Performance Remarks
Skills for training Training Base Acquisition
site Line phase phase

IV. BILLINGACADEMICS DATE. .t,.ii, '*s 3o•• 1i5

I. Writes own name
U 1- V V V V V
2. Reads the words related to work (Petrol, Diesel, Vp V
2T oil, gear oil, waste cotton, distel water)

3. Tells job site address -i+Sf 3'S , vP './c .,.- ./

4. Tells the name of employees
.. J.S C & iP V V.
VP jP /P
0'
0 5.

6.
Reads the numerals upto 1000

ldentifiesrupeenOteSandcoins
i4

4.5+5+C. /
vP
V V V
yP ../ J
+.Is.t S
/
Identifies the use of measurements ,c
7.

../ '../ V
8.

9.
Tells the date

Tells time on clock! watch

i4s-StI$+C.

t4 SS / V V V
r'1
V
t-'l
10. Writes job site address I-H Sf
'C VP V
II. Awareofuseof bank

Identifies a pass book & cheque_book (-14 St C 'C. x

12.
4 4- ID _______
 Pei iodical Evaluation

Skills for training Training Base Acquisition Performance Remarks

site Line phase phase

V PERSONALANDSOCIALSKILLS

I. Wears proper dress for work

DATE

H
5.I,.Lt
.-'
.J4
./ .,' /
364
—
2.

3.
Uses toilet when needed

Takes 'unch & tea appropriately sr.s '/

./ ./ .,/
./
..' ,./
..,/
•/#
.,"

'
4. Communicates needs appropriately .._/ ../•
'/
s,/__

5. Uses'please','thankyou',sorry'whenneeded x ./ ../ V
6. Engages in leisure time activities with siblings
V
7.

8.
Accompanies family members while outing

Uses pocket money to buy personal items

HC
C.
./
,<
"
\1
'7
jP
".
VP
S S -- 1 4
SUMMATIVE EVALUATION
 OUTLINE - INDIVIDUALIZED VOCATIONAL TRANSITION PLAN

Curricular Equipments Site for Trainers Expected duration

areas training

QUARTER- I II Ill lv Remarks

a'
 IVTP - IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION CHECKLIST
Name :
Job selected
Age
Job site
Date

Periodically Evaluation
Curricular Areas I Tasks for Training Training site Base Performance
Acquisition Remarks
Line phase phase
Date I 2 3 4 156

0'

X - Totally dependent H - Home

PP - Physical prompting S - School
-
VP - Verbal prompting JS -Job Site
M - Modelling C - Community
G - Gestural
- Independent
 Chapter - 6

JOB SURVEY FOR PERSONS WITH

MENTAL RETARDATION
An adult has to work to earn his livelihood for his existence. Persons with mental
retardation are traditionally not given the opportunity for open competitive employment
for various historical and attitudinal reasons and there is currently no job reservation,
like other disabilities. They have potential to work, earn and live in the community as
-respectable citizens, if provided with necessary training, placement and support
services. At present many of them continue their special education programme in
schools and attend prevocational training programme. A few of them work in sheltered
workshop and private enterprises. The earnings are not commensurate with the time
spent. It does not clearly reflect the vocational capabilities of persons with mental
retardation. To make employment realistic and regular for persons with mental
retardation, appropriate jobs in the open employment are to be systematically
identified, defined and refined.

Criteria for Identification of jobs

• The unskilled jobs requiring minimum supervision, which do not need assistance
and do not involve risks, can be selected.
• If the unskilled jobs are performed by a group of people these jobs may be suitable
because the necessary assistance and supervision is available with in the group
itse If.

• Jobs, though simple by nature, if not performed, may cause problems in the
production line, are not recommended.
• Another factor to be considered in identification of jobs is the environment in
which the job is performed. Safety and friendliness are important.
• The jobs which are performed in a risky and dangerous environment may not be
advisable for the mentally retarded persons due to the essential need of physical
and mental alertness to safeguard oneself at the job site.

65
job Survey in the Community
Job survey in the community would help to identify suitable jobs. The purpose of
job survey is to list out potential employment opportunities and characteristic of the
specific community in which individuals receiving training will initially seek jobs.
Information gathered from the community assessment can be used by vocational
trainers when deciding on the skills to target for training. It also assists to identify
those skills required for performance on real jobs in actual employment sites.

In order to effectively assess available jobs in the community, a systematic plan

and procedure must be followed. The first step in systematically surveying a
community involves generating a list of local businesses. This can be done by grouping
business into geographic areas or by job type.

Contacting Employers

Once the list is complete, vocational programme developers should initiate

contact with employers. Initial contacts should be introductory in nature. During initial
contacts the vocational counsellor/trainer/programme developer can explain the
purpose of the contacts, present and future, the nature of vocational training developed/
given and the time for future interactions.

Following the initial contact, an employer interview should be conducted to

identify employer's willingness to employ persons with mental retardation to allow
on-the-job training in the employment site, the type of jobs available in the employment
site, the desirability of jobs available (wages, benefits, hours, schedule) the number of
persons employed and turn over rate. These information have implications for
programme development, developing content of training, and making effective job
matching for individual trainees. A file should be prepared for each business contacted
and all relevant information should be kept for future reference when a trainer is
making training or placement decisions for individual trainees.

Employer interviews help trainers to identify the jobs that are available and the
desirability of jobs in the community. Additional information about the skills required
to adequately perform a job in a specific business and the work related skills considered
necessary for employment in the business should be obtained prior to establishing
vocational training programmes. This information is directly related to curricular content
of training programmes in specific jobs.

66
job Analysis - The Individualized Vocational Curriculum

Job analysis is the plan used by employment trainers to ensure that employees
are able to perform their jobs to the standard agreed to when negotiating with
employers. Job analysis serves three major purposes

I. It serves as the training plan for facilitating successful employment for the new
employee.

2. It can be used as an accountability measure to ensure that the trainee's work is of

highest quality possible. -

3. It can be offered as a resource to the employer providing the job.

The Trainer's Objectives of job Analysis are to:

• develop an effective format for capturing all the components of the job that need
to be trained.
• decide on a sequential process. for performing the job analysis.

• perform the component steps of the job analysis process including

• finalizing a comprehensive training plan based on all the information collected in
the job analysis.
• developing the relationships and lines of communication with co-workers,
supervisors, and the employer, which are necessary for the new employee to
begin work.

• submitting a completed job analysis to the employer.

job Analysis Format

Four useful categories when analyse ajob site are

I. Core work routine
2. Episodic work routine
3. Work behaviour
4. Work related skills

67
I. Core work routines

Core work routines are those tasks that are likely to be the most frequently
performed by the employee. Task analysis is the name typically given to the organisation
of the core work routines into teachable sequential steps. For most core routines,
the job trainer chooses to provide direct systematic training to the employee. Any job
restructuring, adaptation or significant modification of a routine should always be
approved by the employer before it is implemented. Evaluation ofworker performance
on core routine occurs during training.

2. Episodic work routines

Episodic work routines occur infrequently for example two or three times per
shift, once a day, or possibly even a few times per week. The organisational strategy
for ordering the skills of an episodic routine is often referred to an inventory essentially
the same as for a task analysis.

3. Work behaviour

While conducting job analysis, the required behaviour expected to be successful

on-the-job also should be listed out. Work behaviours necessary to continue on-the-
job are punctuality, relationship with employer and co-workers, reaction to stress on
different task, accuracy, speed, following instructions, ability to communicate and
withstand fatigue.

4. Work related skills

Work related routines are not directly required by the employer for the job but
they are vital for successful performance of the job. These routines may occur either
on-site or off the job. An analysis of required work related skills may not always be
possible through direct observation, since many of the skills required may not be
easily observed at any given time. These skills include self-help, mobility and functional
academics in addition to skills that relate to become a responsible worker.

Job Analysis Process

• Visit the job site
• Observe the way in which current employees perform the various routines.
• Participate in the typical orientation procedures.

68
• Meet and get to know co-workers and supervisors.
• Have someone at the job site to teach you the routines.
• Perform the duties.
• Decide on the need for detailed job analysis and inventories for the various tasks
of the job.
• Write task analysis.
• Obtain approval from the employer.
• Identify natural cues and consequences in the work routines of the employee.
• Select potential training strategies, motivating strategies, possible adaptations and
opportunities for job restructuring.
• Write a comprehensive training plan.
• Complete the job analysis form.
• Set a starting date and communicate to the family members.

Guidelines for Employer Contacts

U Approach employers in a friendly and positive manner.
U Your interest and enthusiasm is a powerful persuader.
U Visit the employer at a convenient time.
U An employer may say "no" on the first visit, but depending
on the impression you make, may be interested at a later
time.
U Talk about the successful job retention and performance of
workers with mental retardation and emphasize the positive
characteristics of these workers.
U Tell the employer about the national awards for employing
people with disabilities.
U Arrange to observe the work area so that you can analyze
the job.

69
 job Survey for Persons with Mental Retardation
Proforma- I
Initial Contact

I. Name and address of the agency/employer

Contact Phone No.

2. Initial contact person

3. Jobs identified

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

4. Name of the person for further contact for

placement of persons with mental retardation

Contact Phone No.

5. Any other remarks

Date of contact Name & Signature of the person contacted.

70
 job Survey for Persons with Mental Retardation
Proforma-2
job Site Analysis
I. Address of the job site
2. Nature - (Tick , x)
I. Government 2. Public Sector 3. Private Sector
4. Family business U 5. Agricultural Sector U 6. Dairy farm/poultry U
7. Parent cooperatives 8. Cooperatives of disabled 9. Any other U

3. Total number of employees

4. No. of disbled employees

I. Physically handicapped U 2. Visually handicapped LI

3. Hearing handicapped U 4. Mentally handicapped U

5. Nature of industry/business
I. Seasonal 2. Regular U
6. Type of Employment
I. Self employment 2. Group employment 3. Open employment U
7. Working conditions
I. Safe 2. Dangerous EIII 3. Integrated 4. Friendly U 5. Supervised U
8. Job training
I. On-the-job training U 2. Centre based training U

9. Benefits
I. Incentive U 2. Certificates U
3. Placement U 4. Maximum wages after training U
10. Employer attitudes
I. Indifferent U 2. Positive U
II. Coworker's attitude
I. Cooperation U 2. Help in job training U
3. Help in personal needs U 4. Willingness to accept U
I 2. Any other inforamtion

Date of contact : Name & Signature of the person contacted.

71
 Job Survey for Persons with Mental Retardation

Proforma-3
Job Requirements
Date

2. Name of the person who

analysed the job

3. job site address

4. Brief description of job

I. job tilte
2. Working hours
3. Wages and benefits
4. Holidays

5. Recruitment rules

6. Specific functions of the job

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

72
7. Functional Analysis (Tick , x)

7.! Appearance
a) Grooming very important
b) Expected to be neat and clean
c) Working dress required

7.2 Work area

a) One room
b) Building wide
c) Need to go out and come

7.3 Work schedule

a) Full time - From To
b) Part time days a week
c) Seasonal months in a year.

7.4 Transport facility

a) Transport provided
b) Should reach using own transport
c) On bus route
d) Off bus route

7.5 Type of work

a) Unskilled
b) Repetitive
c) Semi skilled
d) Skilled

7.6 Physical capacity

a) Light work ( no need to lift and carry heavy weights )
b) Heavy work
c) Mobility required
d) Both hand functioning required
e) One hand functioning enough
73
7.7 Communication
a) Gestures enough
b) Clarity of speech not necessary
c) Should follow instruction
d) Should speak clearly

7.8 Social behaviour

a) Need to work with nondisabled
b) Frequent interactions required
c) No interaction required

7.9 Work behaviour

a) Little unusual manners accepted
b) Should not have behavioural problems
c) Promptings and motivations required

7.10 Daily routine

a) Same routine
b) Routine changes at times
c) Frequent change of routine

7. I I Functional academics
a) Not required
b) UKG level required
c) 1st grade level required
d) lInd grade level required

7.12 Reinforcement
a) No wages
b) Daily wages
c) Weekly wages
d) Monthly wages

74
 Job Analysis Format - Individualized Vocational
Curriculum and Evaluation procedure
JOB ANALYSIS FORMAT

I. Job Selected

I . job Title

2. job Site

3. job trainee

4. job programmer
Periodical evaluation
Date:
2. Main work areas

I. — —-—————-———- 000n
2. ____

3. _______ _____

4. ____________ __________

5. —____ ______—- 0999

6. _____ _____ _________—- 9999
7. __________ ______ ________________

8. _____ ____ _______________

9. ____ _____________________

10. ___— —___ ________ 0000

Mark : I-Independent, M-Modelling, V-Verbal prompting.
P-Physical prompting, TD-Totally dependent.

75
 12. ______

13. _______

14. _____

15. ____

Total

3. (Additional duties/tasks)

2.

3.

4.

5.

Total

4. Work related skills

personal/social skills

2. _____ ______________

3. _______________________

4. ______________—.-—— —

5. _________________________ _______

76
 Functional academics

2. - —________________ UUUU
__ _______——__________ UUflO
4. ____ ________ _______

5. _________

6. ____ ____ _____ U LI U U

__ UUUU
8.

9. UEIUU
10.

H. — UUUU
12.

'3. ____

14.

15. __________ _____

Sex education

i. _________ ______ UUUU

2. -- ——__ ___________ UUUU

3. ________— UUUU
4. UUUU
5. _______________________________________

77
 Recreation

2. UUULI
3. _____________________________________________

4. _______________________________________

5. _______________________ _______________

Independent living

2.

3.

4.

5. ___ —— LI LI El LI

6. ___________ ____

7. _________________________________ _________

8. ______ ___________________________

9. ________________—— —-—
10. ____________________________

Total

5. Work behaviour

78
6. Job requirements

I. Equipments and materials

2. Cost of prod uctioi

3. Profit expected

4. Adaptive devices

7. Job training procedures

I. Training Strategies

2. Training in simulated setting

3. On the Job training

4. Reinforcement/wages/salary

5. Job placement

a. Open / Supported / Group / Sheltered

b. Self/ Home based

8. Trainer's responsibilities

I. Employer contacts

2. Co-worker's awareness

3. Ongoing assessment

4. Continued support and fading out

79
9. Parent's Cooperation

I. Checking regularity and punctuality

2. Providing healthy food I lunch

3. Implementation of programme

4. Discussion with employer

10. Any other information

job Analysis

Total Periodical evaluation

Date

Main work areas jIIJ LI

Additional duties LI LI LI LI
Work related skills LI LI LI LI
Total LILILILI

Comments:

Reference
Thressia kutty AT. (NIMH Vocational Assessment and Programming System for Fersons with
Mental Retardation). NIMH, Secunderabad.
Mcloughlin CS. ( 1987) getting employment and staying employed, Paul H.pubi

80
 Table I
jobs Identified in Indian Railways

S.No. Job title Work spot Recruitment rules

I. Peon Administrative Offices VIII Class pass; Age: 18-25

years; SCIST: 18-35 years;
Pay Scale: Rs. 750-940.
Nature of job: Regular
Paid holidays: Weekly rest
and I 2/I 5 days Casual leave;
Working hours:8-30 hours
2. Messenger -do- -do-

3. Record lifter -do- -do-

4. Safai wala -do- -do-

5. Sweeper -do- -do-

6. Mali -do- -do-

7. Khalasi Workshops -do-

I. Khalasi Machine, wheel and
erecting shops -do-
2. Khalasi Mill wright shops -do-
3. Khalasi Fibre glass reinforced plastic :do
section and pattern shop.
(foundary shop)
4. Khalasi Carriage shop -do-
5. Khalasi Fitting shop -do-
6. Khalasi Central tool roora -do-
7. Khalasi Painting shop -do-

81
S.No. Job title Work spot Recruitment rules

8. Khalasi Welding shop -do-

9. Khalasi Carriage bogie and under

frame shop -do-

10. Khalasi Trimming -do-

I. Khalasi Tinsmith -do-

I 2. Khalasi Saw mill -do-

8. Khalasi Printing press -dot

I. Khalasi Raw material ward -do-

2. Khalasi Printing section -do-

3. Khalasi Binding section -do-

9. Waiting room Railway station -do-

attender

10. Retiring room -do- -do-

attender

I. Server Railway station

catering establishment -do-
I 2. Cleaner -do- -do-

13. Hamal Railway station -do-

14. Water Hot weather Seasonal on daily wages,

Khalasi establishment Get enrolled in the live
register kept in railway
establishments.

15. Water boy -do- -do-

82
S.No. job title Work spot Recruitment rules

16. Box boy -do- -do-

I 7. Call boy -do- -do-

18. Mhasal -do- -do-

19. Table boy Running room -do-

20. Gangman Engineering gang -do-

2 I. Khalasi Train examiner depot -do-

22. Porter! Transhipment depots Casual labourers. under

Labours contract

The jobs found in hospitals and educational institutions are the same as mentioned in
the administrative offices.

83
 Table-2
Jobs Identified in Posts and Telecommunications

S.No. Job title Job site Recruitment-rules

I. Peons Circle & Edn. Middle Schoot standard

Administrative pass or its equivalent examination
offices from a recognized school

Age : 18-25 years as on

1st July of the year of recrutiment
Pay scale: Rs.750- I 2-840-EB- 14-940
100% direct recruitment

2. Orderlies -do-

3. Packers -do- -do-

4. Sweeper Circle and Edn: qualification: Desirable

administrative primary school standard pass.
offices and sub Age: 18-25 years as on the
offices 1st July of year of recruitment
Pay scale: Rs.750- I 2-840-EB- 14-940
100% direct recruitment

5. Farash -do- -do-

6. Gardener -do- -do-

7. Waterman -do- -do-

Reference : Director General P&T - P66-I I/59/SPBI dated 22.10.1970.

84
 Firms Jobs identified

8. Medical shop I. Stacking

Hyderabad 2. Packing
3. Cleaning

9. SETWIN Printing Press I. Binding

Hyderabad 2. Helper-printing

10. Automobile repair shop I. Cleaning vehicles

Secunderabad 2. Assisting in welding
3. Helper in assembling work

I I. Work shop - manufacture of I. Cutting and stapling

packing material 2. Helper-machine operation
Hyderabad 3. Folding
4. Transferring
I 2. Magnetic therapy centre I. Office Attender
Secunderabad 2. Helper-therapy activities
3. Helper-sales of therapy items
I 3. Super market, Secunderabad I. Stacking
2. Packing
3. Cleaning and transferring
14. Fruit juice stall I. Cleaning and setting
Secunderabad 2. Washing glasses
3. Preparing fruits for juice
4. Serving
15. Welding shop I. Helper in welding
Secunderabad 2. Transporting
16. Furniture shop I. Dusting
Hyderabad 2. Varnishing
3. Painting
4. Loading and unloading
I 7. Prakash binding works I. Binding
Hyderabad 2. Bundling
3. Transporting

86
 Table - 4
Jobs in the Rural Areas
Sectors Tasks identified

Agriculture & Horticulture - preparing the soil

- sowing
- planting
- spraying
- fertilizing
- harvesting
- storing
- basic processing of products
- delivering farm products
- keeping working animals
- maintaining farm buildings
- maintaining farm machinery

Livestock, poultry and related breeding

- raising
- tending livestock/birds
- milking animals/birds
- grazing/feeding
- killing and skinning of animals/birds
- collecting eggs
- storing
- maintaining farm sheds
- delivering products to market
- maintain farm machinery

Sericulture and forestry - breeding insects

- raising
- growing
- collecting products
- trimming trees
- sawing
- stacking logs
- loading
- delivering products

87
 Chapter - 7

VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
AND TRAINING
Approaches to Vocational Rehabilitation
A brief historical perspective of the vocational service delivery system and
components related to vocational preparation and training may offer insight into the
rationale for initiating change in the assessment strategies, curriculum design, criteria
for selecting job opportunities and placements, direct training strategies and evaluation
procedures.

Traditional Approach

Assessment

Traditional assessment procedures include a battery of diverse vocational tests

to evaluate the vocational potential of clients receiving services. By assessing
achievement, aptitude, dexerity, fine and gross motor skills and other abilities,
professionals are expected to be able to pinpoint and predict an individual's
employment potential. Typically, assessments are not related to the actual demands of
any particular job. (Revell etal.. 1980).

Curriculum

Vocational curriculum in the traditional approach, usually emphasize work skills

for the areas of employment within the service facility and generic skills, rather than
specific skills required by specific jobs in the community.
Vocational training plans often inclade numerous objectives and training goals
reflecting abstract and affective worker characteristics such as attitude, attending to
task, motivation, work habits and so on. This kind of curriculum very often prevents
client movements into a community based employment site.

89
Training and Placement

The procedures for selecting training and work sites frequently are not systematic.
It may not include an individualistic approach to promote job matches. Skill training is
often minimized to work habits, behaviours, and skills. Little evidence has been provided
to support the notion of skill generalization.
The characteristics of traditional vocational training programmes and work
adjustment services necessitated further investigation when professionals began to
prove the actual outcomes of the service delivery system and explore alternative
vocational training practices. Practices prove that a community referenced approach
provides a stronger and more functional relationship between service delivery and
the targeted outcome and takes a more proactive role in providing optimal employment
opportunities for people with disabilities.

('omponents of traditional approach to vocational traini"\

Assessment
Standardized instruments and techniques are used for formal vocational
assessments.
Vocational potentials are predicted as the result of assessment.
The results may not have direct relationship with the employment opportunities
available in the community.
Individuals are screened for employment.

Curriculum
The generic skills constitute the curriculum
The work skills are taught in a simulated settings.
Importance is given to work adjustment skills training.
Proper methodology is not used to develop individualized curriculum.

Trainin'
Skills are taught in unstructured setting.
Training is given before placement in simulated setting.

Placement and follow up

Placement is uncertain, job opening determines placement.
Systematic follow up procedures are not worked out.

90
Community based Approach to Vocational Training

Although a community based approach and traditional work adjustmentapproach

include the same major components, the specific strategies and procedures for providing
services with in those components differ.

A gainful employment is very important for all persons, including people with
disabilities regardless of the degree of handicapping conditions. Vocational training
should be initiated for all students with disabilities at I 6 years of age. If the special
school staff initiate contact with adult service providers prior to student's graduation
from the school, the likelihood of successful transition from school to employment
and post school support services increases.

Vocational Assessment

The first step in establishing a community based vocational training model in

assessment. There are two aspects which address two major questions.

I. Community assessment - what employment and training opportunities are available

in the community. (Job survey)

2. Assessment of trainee skills - How do a trainee's skills compare to those needed

for employment in specific jobs in the community. (Job matching).

A functional vocational assessment is developed to answer the above mentioned

questions in the community based approach to vocational training and employment of
persons with mental retardation. The flow chart is given in the next page.

Functional Assessment
• Provides information on work readiness skills.
• Helps to identify suitable jobs in the community.
• Provides information on jobs identified.
• Selects the areas in which training is needed.
• Emphasizes on-the-job training.
• Evaluates work related skills and work behaviour
• Targets employment for all trainees who are assessed.
• Extends support for job retention.

9'
 Functional
Vocational Assessment

Trainee assessment Community assessment

Family assessment Job identification

'hp.
Work readiness skills assessment Job analysis
(Generic skills) (Specific skills)

• Personal
Communication Characteristics of the community
Social behaviour Generating list of local business
Functional academics Employer contact
Safety Programme development
Domestic Developing content of training
Mobility & hand functioning
Occupational

Ar

1.
Job matching

'Jr
Job training

1.
Job placement
Functional Vocational Assessment

92
Community Assessment

The purpose of community assessment is to identify potential employment

opportunities in the community where individuals who are receiving training, will
eventually seek jobs. Information gathered from this type of assessment can be used
by vocational trainers when deciding on the skills to target for training A community
assessment assists in identifying those skills required for performance on real jobs in
actual employment sites.

The first step in systematically surveying community involves generating a

list of local businesses. This can be done by grouping business into geographic areas
and by job type. (Job survey Chapter 6.)
Once the list is complete, the vocational programme developer should initiate
contacts with employer. Employer interviews help trainers to identify the job types
that are available and the desirability of jobs in the community. Additional information
about the skills required to adequately perform a job in a specific business and the
work related skills considered necessary for employment in the business should be
obtained prior to establishing vocational training programmes.

A job analysis should be conducted to identify requisite work skills and work
related skills. Methods for conducting job analysis has been explained in chapter 6.

Systematic strategies for making job matches, selecting training experiences,

and identifying appropriate vocational instructional objectives can reduce the subjectivity
in making decisions by vocational professionals.

Assessment of Trainee Skills

There are two aspects in trainee's skills assessment as shown in the functional
vocational assessment flowchart.
I. Generic skills assessment.
2. Specific skills assessment.

Generic skills are the pre-requisite skills/work readiness skills for a specific job
selection and training. Generic skills include personal, social, academics, domestic,
safety, hand functioning and mobility skills. NIMH has developed an 80 item generic
skills checklist to assess the pre-requisite skills. Based on the job selected, a criterion-
referenced checklist can be developed for assessing the pre-requisite skills for a specific
job training.

93
 Specific skills are the information gathered from the community assessment,
interviews and job analysis. (Refer Job Analysis chapter 6.)

The skills identified as required for success on community jobs should be the
same skills on which trainees are assessed. Both work skills and work related skills
should be considered in relationship to actual jobs available in the community. When
trainees reach I 8 years of age, vocational trainers should consider specific placements.

Curriculum

Selecting target skills (curriculum) for training should be a direct outcome of

individual assessment procedures. The skills required of community employment sites
comprise the curriculum for training. The job analysis consists of specific skills covering
all areas of individualized vocational curriculum.

Selecting Training Sites

Community and trainee variables should be kept in mind when the training sites
are selected.

Selecting training sites - Variables to be considered

Category - Variables

Community - Employm ent opportunities available

Job turnover

Trainee - Physical & sensory capacities

- Work skills and work related skills
- Environmental factors

Training - Settings, materials & equipment

Placement - Wages, hours, benefits, geographic proximity

94
Community Variables

Community variables include employment potential and job turn over. In the
community based approach, no work site is selected for training, if employment
opportunities are not available.

Trainee Variables

Before making any training decisions, the physical and sensory capabilities of the
trainee are evaluated. Identifying solutions to any physical, visual, auditory and
communication impairments are also a part of job matching. The trainee's work skills,
specific job task skills, work related behaviours and social skills also should be taken
into account before selecting the training site.

Locating appropriate settings and materials for instruction are important factors
for work experience training. To maximize generalization of skills, training sites should
be carefully identified and selected to reflect the natural working conditions. Materials
and equipments should be realistic and not simulated or artificially created.

Geographic proximity, wages, benefits and work hours are additional variables
that require special attention.

Training Setting

Once a vocational trainer becomes familiar with the community employment

opportunities and the skills needed for gainful employment, he should consider the
context on which trainees will be taught these skills. Both agency/school based and
community based training options should be considered, depending upon the needs of
the individuals to be served. However, all training environments should be designed to
teach the jobs and skills identified as relevant in the community assessment.

Agency/School Based Training Sites

Any vocational training that is provided on property owned by an adult service

agency or special school is considered agency/school based. Vocational trainers can
simulate real jobs in these sites or provide experiences alongside actual agency/school
em ployees.

95
 Simulation is the option most frequently utilized in agency/school sites. However,
simulating real jobs is often difficult and in many cases less effective than other available
options. Simulation consists of creating experiences for trainees that resemble, as
closely as possible, the demands and requirements of actual jobs. For example,
establishing an industrial work station in a work activities programme in which students
learn to assemble and package a product that is being produced in a local industry is
simulation. Similarly, providing instruction in the school canteen on skills identified as
required by employers who hire food service employees such as dish washers and
food servers is also a type of simulation. Simulating the conditions of actual job sites is
frequently problematic because characteristics such as large numbers of people, noise,
and high volume business are not easily replicated. However, if these conditions are
not closely reproduced, many trainees, especially those with moderate and severe
handicaps, are likely to have difficulty in generalizing at real work settings.

An agency or school based option is to provide experiences alongside actual

agency/school employees. Although this option requires less simulation, trainers must
be careful to ensure that the skills taught have relevance to similar jobs in the
community. For instance, routines or procedures used by agency employees may be
unique to that setting and have little generic value. In addition, trainers must actively
provide training in these types of experiences; they cannot assume that a trainee will
acquire skills by merely observing or accompanying a skilled worker.

School/agency based sites provide vocational trainers with viable options for
training. However, these sites are most appropriate for young students for whom
community based instruction is not always an option or because of the lack of adequate
resources for accessing particular community sites.

Community Based Settings

Most trainees should receive training in community based vocational sites. The
skills selected for training and the context in which those skills are taught must be
carefully iuentified, based on a trainee's past experiences, interests, and skills.
Community based options are training sites available in actual businesses in the
community. These options can serve as vocational training, and placement sites.

Community based training sites chosen for training only should be judiciously
selected to represent a job type or types that are likely future employment
opportunities for a number of trainees receiving training. The sites ae not selected
based on their potential for future employment in that location. Training sites should
provide trainers with the opportunity to train the majority of core skills identified in

96
the previously discussed job analysis for a particular job type. For example, if a printing
press is selected to train the skills necessary for employment as a helper, the printing
press should provide trainers with the opportunity to train the majority of core skills
relevant to the range of helper positions avarlable in the printing presses in the
community.

Community based placement sites are those sites selected specifically because
of their potential for future employment for individual trainees. Placement sites should
be systematically selected based on individual student skills, interests, and job factors.
The potential for on-the-job training should be assessed and negotiated with an
employer prior to placing a trainee in the site.

Trainees may be placed in community based placement sites following training in

agency based or community based training sites or without prior training. However,
systematic training must be provided in placement sites regardless of the amount of
previous experience a trainee has had in training programmes.

Combination of Community Based Training and Placement Sites

Combination of community based training and placement sites are those sites
selected as a placement/employment site for one trainee and a training site for one or
two other trainees. These sites must provide the opportunity to train core skills for a
particular job type, as well as a future opportunity for paid employment for the trainee
being so groomed. This type of community based option may provide vocational
trainers with an alternative to one-to-one instruction for trainees being placed in jobs,
and therefore, would require fewer staff across sites.

Once programme options for training have been identified and established,
vocational trainers can begin making decisions about the needs of individual trainees.
Vocational settings should be selected after considering a number of variables leading
to a good job match.

Considerations in Selecting Settings

The identification of appropriate vocational training settings for work experiences
may require additional community assessment and cooperative planning among all
special service personnel in the community. However, the need for careful planning
should not be disregarded; generalization of skills is often difficult for persons with
disabilities, thus emphasizing the importance of training in the most natural setting
possible. As previously emphasized, the training sites should reflect the types of work

97
that have been identified in the community as potential employment opportunities
when conducting employer interviews during the community assessment process.

In developing and identifying potential training and placement settings, several

issues should be discussed with the employer to ensure a more positive working
relationship. Areas requiring specific attention and agreement include
• Time schedule for training
• How long the site will be used and how often
• Space in which instruction can be provided
• Specific job responsibilities that will be targeted as objectives and how the trainee's
work performance will be coordinated with the normal work routine
• Personnel responsible for training and supervision
• Transport arrangements.

Written agreements should be developed that specify and document the

conditions discussed with respect to any of these issues.

Training

Once decisions regarding job experiences, target skills for instruction, and
instructional settings have been made and a systematic assessment of an individual
trainee's skills in relation to job requirements has been conducted, instruction can be
initiated. Trainers should not expect trainees to acquire skills through exposure alone.
Skills required to perform successfully on a job must be systematically taught to ensure
that the trainee acquires and adequately performs those job skills.

As with specific assessment procedures, training procedures should be delinated

prior to initiating training and should be consistent within and across trainers. If task
analysis of job skills have been developed for assessment, they should also be used for
training. In addition, task analyses should be individualized to accommodate individual
trainee's strengths and weaknesses, rate of learning, and need for adaptive devices or
task restructuring.

Task analysis provide trainers with the content of instruction. Instructional

procedures should be developed to guide trainers. Such procedures should identify:
• Te stimuli desired to cue the target skills (e.g., natural cues such as work buzzers
or artificial cues such as trainer instructions),
98
• The consequences that will be provided for correct responses (reinforcement),
• The procedures/prompts the trainer will use to facilitate correct performance of
the task steps,
• The method the trainer will use to correct errors,
• Procedures the trainer will use for maintenance of the skill once it has been
acquired, and
• Procedures that will be used to facilitate generalization of skills to real work
settings if trained initially in simulation.

Components of Community based approach

Assessment
Functional vocational assessment procedures are used
Strengths and weaknesses of the trainee are identified.
In formation about employment opportunities in the community are collected
Areas for training are identified.
All persons evaluated are targeted for employment.

Curriculum
Curriculum is individualized
Curriculum is prepared based on the community assessment ançi job analysis
Systematic methods are used to identify skill areas

Training

Systematic training procedures are used

Training is provided in actual job sites.
Intensive training is provided before placement.

Placement and follow up

Placement is done based on lob matching
Ongoing sup port is given after placement.

99
 The community based approach does not rely on prediction and evaluation of
trainee employability or on teaching the general prevocational skills related to work
adjustments. Instead this model assumes employability of all trainees and provides the
information needed to directly teach trainees the skills required for actualjobs available,
Adoption of this model of community based approach using functional vocational
assessment and training may help the trainers to achieve the goal of productive
employment for all persons referred for vocational services.

For a successful
vocational rehabilitation
programme, service providers should
• Identify potential erñployment opportunities

Functionally assess the trainee or client,

• Design an individualized vocatinal curriculum,

• Select the most appropriate training experiences and

placements with respect to the abilities and needs of the
individual and the prospective employer

• Effectively instruct using sound methodoogical

procedures, to perform all necessary job responsibilities
to the satisfaction of an employer.

I00
 Chapter - 8

DEVELOPMENT OF WORK BEHAVIOUR

Work behaviour is important for an employee at the work place in order to
meet the job requirements and to be successful in his/her job. It can be defined as a
manner in which an individual conducts himself/herself when undertaking a task or
occupation requiring the use of physical or mental energy. There are two major types
of work behaviours. They are positive and negative work behaviours. Positive work
behaviour enhances the individual's personal effectiveness and ability to undertake
the work requirements and are very essential for a person to be successfully employed.
Acceptance by team members is an essential ingradient of positive work behaviour.
Negative work behaviours are detrimental to the individual's achievements of the
task and his/her ability to function competently on the working environment.

School Level

The special school programmes for students with mental retardation should
provide vocational experiences that promote development of basic work habits as
required in all employment situations. These vocational experiences should become
more realistic so as to make students progress through the special school programmes.
When it becomes more realistic the behavioural demands may become more complex,
duration of work periods would increase and location of training should shift from
school to community settings.

Basic work habits include behaviours associated with performing daily

responsibilities, arriving and beginning a job, working independently and persistently
over long periods of time, demonstrating social interpersonal competence on the job
and during break times, finishing work and departing, and receiving remuneration and
using work-produced income for purchases and savings. Specific competencies
associated with these basic work habits are described below.

I0I
Daily Responsibilities

Students at special schools need to learn that they have daily work responsibilities
to be fulfilled as per the time schedule. For younger students the work schedule may
range in duration from I 5 minutes to 1 hour. With older students the duration of daily
vocational responsibilities may range from 2 to 6 hours in length.

Arrival Routine

Arriving to work on time, wearing appropriate clothing, checking in, going to an

assigned work area, and beginning work independently are part of an arrival routine
that must be performed on a daily basis in most community employment situations.
These behaviours can be strengthened throughout a student's school experience.

Social - Interpersonal Competence

In addition to specific vocational skills, social interpersonal competencies are

required with co-workers, supervisors, and in some cases, customers or business
associates. During break times from work, students need to learn how to maintain a
degree of social anonymity and respond in a socially acceptable manner to greetings
and other requests for information. Students should be taught how to occupy break
time appropriately by neatly consuming and disposing of lunch or snacks, by engaging
in leisure activities.

Departure Routine

At the completion of a work day, individuals are required to put away work
materials, briefly clean up their work station, and check-out. Students may need to be
taught time management skills to assist them in terminating work at the appropriate
time.

Work Payment

It is a fact that pay checks are an effective reinforcement for mentally retarded
workers. The payment is directly related to work performance to operate as a positive
reinforcer for productivity. Piece rate payments could be gradually thinned from
immediate reinforcement and exchange systems to more intermittent and delayed
reinforcement contingencies. The cooperation of parents is crucial to make work
meaningful and reinforcing to students.

102
Work Behaviour Assessment

Vocational assessment can be broadly defined as the 'process of obtaining

information about a worker's skill and performance in order to make appropriate
training decisions" (Bellamy, Horner& Inman, 1979, page 89).

Traditional Assessment

Traditional assessment refers to measures of prior learning "assuming that already

learned aptitudes, interests, and traits can forecast subsequent learning, performance
and adjustment" (Browning & Irvin, 1981 page 375).

Contemporary Assessment

Contemporary assessment, in contrast measures "applied performance within

the context in which the performance is expected. (Browning & Irvin 1981 page 379).

Principles of work behaviour assessment

I. Collect and interpret data within an ecological framework.

The major components of the contemporary assessment include the individual,

significant others, physical environments and culture. The individual component consists
of such factors as descriptive medical data, psychological reports, personal likes and
dislikes, role expectations, and aptitudes. The significant others include parents!
guardians, teachers, school mates, friends, siblings and community service personnel.
The physical environment refers to the school/work setting and materials, community
work and leisure sites and home environment and neighbourhood. Cultural components
cover the philosophy of school/work place, the image portrayed by the media, general
attitude of the community and national outlook on persons with mental retardation.

2. Identify environmental cues to be associated with specific responses.

The natural setting helps the assessor to evaluate the students responses in
relation to naturally occuring environmental cues.

103
 Components of Contemporary assessment/Ecological
Medical data
Individual
Psychological reports
Personal likes and dislikes
Expectations
Aptitudes

Parents/guardians
Teachers
Significant others Schoolmates
Friends
Siblings
Community
School/work setting & materials
Physical Environment Home environment
T Neighbourhood
Philosophy of school/work place
Cultural component Media image
Attitude of community
National outlook

3. The assessment examples should have predictive validity

An assessor must select examples of behaviour that allow for a broad
interpretation of a persons current functioning. By assessing a student on selected
examples, the assessor gains confidence that the student will perform equally well on
any example of a given work behaviour.

4. Assessment must include both quantitative and qualitative measures

Quantitavie data include measures of frequency, duration, and percentage which
can be documented. Qualitative data refers to information including comments from
co-workers, weekly observation, summaries by on-site managers, and parental
feedback.

5. Be aware of the externalities (politics) associated with the assessment

process.
The term politics refers to those forces surrounding a decision which are not
based directly on assessment results. Evaluators must be aware of the role of politics
in decision making.
104
6. Give equal emphasis to baseline, formative and summative phases of
assessment.
Three distinct assessment phases are essential for documenting the success of
an intervention programme.
I. Baseline
2. Formative assessment
3. Summative evaluation

Baseline

Baseline measures are designed to gather information on how a student responds

to natual cues for both the task to be trained and selected probes that sample the
range of opportunities to perform different instances of the task in the community.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment focuses on information related to maintaining, changing,

or terminating current instructional strategies.

Sum mative evaluation

Summative evaluation documents any functional relationships between training

strategy (independent variables) and the targeted behaviour (dependent variable)
change.

The work supervisor must decide on the form of the eventual summative
assessment before implementing base line and formative assessment procedures. The
summative phase should contain reassessment of generalization probes that were
assessed during the baseline phase.

7. Complete job skill inventories of requisite behaviours associated with

community work opportunities.
The assessment techniques should reflect the competencies that have been
identified as necessary for successful functioning within community employment setting.

los
8. Focus assessment on work related skills that influence longevity of work
experience

Proper assessment scales are needed to document work related behaviours

such as tardiness, interactions with coworkers & general personality characteristics.

9. Increase the specificity of assessment as a worker advances through work

experiences.

Increase the assessment measures more specific as a trainee advances through work
experiences.

Hawkins, 1979 used the image of a funnel to represent the quantity and quality of
assessment information required by the trainer.

Screening
Parental input, Anecdotal reports,
Past records, General physical health,
General characteristics

Interests, Aptitudes,
Opportunities available,
Environmental inventories

Experiences, Criterion-
referenced assessment,
Training, Feedback

Fading of artificial
assistance toward
natural cues

Follow-up
support

Successful & Productive Worker

Funnel approach to increasingly specific assessment

106
 A flow chart of social and life skills

SOCIAL SKILLS LIFE SKILLS

At Work Private Life Leisure Job Finding Coping

Dealing Getting
with others onwith
as part of workrnates
the job

Selling Mixing in Making Hobbies Looking Getting

friends information

Reception Avoiding Interests Choosing

the sack Resisting Finding
provocation Clubs Applying accommodation

Taking orders Securing Cooking

Comm u n iati on
Mending

Handling money

The Law

Completing forms

Source Manpower service commission, 1977.

Instrucion guide to social and life skills. London (HMSO).

107
Important Work Behaviours
Punctuality : This is easily monitored by the checking in and out systems:

Relationship with peers : This item is intended to cover general sociability with
peers. Whether a student causes annoyance to other students while working, whether
he can converse at a social level etc.

Relationship with staff: This is the generai attitude towards the authority figure in
the work environment which can change from time to time.

Reaction to stress on different task: It involves such things as the amount of effort
required in order to get the student to work, whether application is limited to short
periods only or is maintained throughout the working day.

Physical capacity to do the task: Physical capacity means whether physical disabilities
prevent efficient work on certain task, such as eye sight, strength, dexerity
coordination, mobility.

Acquisition of training: This examines the ease with which a task is learned, together
with the amount of teaching required.

Accuracy: Accuracy indicates the magnitude or effort on certain task and is, in essence,
a measure of the quality of work.

Speed : Speed indicates the quantity side of work.

Ability to follow instructions : This item covers day-to-day instructions concerning

all areas of work in general and is to be distinguished from instructions given in learning
tasks.

Ability to communicate : It consists of the ability to communicate to the staff and

peers regarding the task being worked on.

Ability to withstand fatigue : This indicates whether certain tasks demand so much
of a person's attention and ability that they display sign of physical and mental fatigue.

Independence : Independence refers to a person's ability to perform various job

routines with no more supervision or assistance than is typically provided non-
handicapped workers in community employment.

Persistence : Persistence may be defined as percentage of time a worker stays on

task by engaging in actions that are functional to job completion.

108
Productivity : Productivity refers to the amount of work completed in a given time
period and is often measured by piece rate indices.

Endurance : Endurance is measured by the length of time a person works without

taking a break and the total amount of time worked in a day.

The format for work behaviour assessment is given below.

Work Behaviour Assessment Format

Assessments Comments
Dates
Skill/Behaviour I 2 3 4

I. Regularity

2. Punctuality
3. Follow Instruction

4. Communicate
needs

5. Rate of work

6. Quality of work
7. Task Completion

8. Flexibility
9. Reaction to Feedback

10. Proper
appearance

I l.Work
I nd e pendan ce/
Initiative

Rating : Numbers apply to trainee's performance: I. Can perform Independently 2. Appropriate

for employment with training and support. 3. Not feasible at this time.

109
 Assessments Comments
Dates
I 2 3 4

12. Solving work

problems

I 3.Trainee
disposition
towards work

14. Working with others

(Supervisors,
co-workers,
team work)

I 5. Retention of skills

16. Use of equipment

I 7. Attention to safety
issues

18. Additional
employability

l9.Additional work
skills (specify)

Comments:

Trainer : _______________ Employer : _____________ Trainee/Parent ____________

Signature & Date Signature & Date Signature & Date

I0
 C'apter - 9

RESULTS OF TRANSITION -
EMPLOYMENT MODELS
I. INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT

Statement of International Labour Organization (lLO)

In the developing countries employment opportunities for persons with disabilities

are extremely limited. Competition for jobs is great, as formal sector employment
creation cannot keep pace with the growth in numbers of new job seekers entering
the labour force. Wage and salary opportunities for persons with mental handicap, if
available at all, are usually found in segregated sheltered workshops, offering low
wages, poor working conditions, few prospects for advancement and limited social
supports. Despite encouraging economic growth in many developing countries, neither
the formal employment sector, nor sheltered employment, is likely to offer wage or
meaningful work opportunities for persons with mental handicap in the foreseeable
future.

The ILO believes that the best opportunities for women and men with mental
handicap in developing countries are the same as those for the working age population
in general

• inclusive work in support of family farming,

• household and productive activities, and

• work in the fast growing informal sector of the economy.

III
Informal Sector

The informal sector is creating more jobs and provides upwards of 80% of
employment in many developing economies. The informal sector is characterized by
small-scale manufacturing and service activities which are organized informally, are
unregulated, untaxed and offer no social protection. However, the informal sector
offers ease of entry (no educational requirements, formal training qualifications, letters
of reference) to local income earning work opportunities to millions of men and women
including individuals with mental handicap.

Inclusivework changes people, by increasing abilities, self-confidence, a sense

of responsibility and independence. The dependent child of today can become an
independent, productive adult of tomorrow, if given a chance to participate in work.
Parents who protect their children with learning disabilities from the world of work,
be it at home or in the community, do them a disservice and ensure their continued
dependence. In developing countries, as elsewhere, the range of inclusive work
opportunities for persons with mental handicap is limited only by our imagination, and
courage to create choices.

Through inclusive
work the family
gains, the community
gains, but above all,
the individual with
mental retardation
gains.

112
2. COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT

Open employment in competitive situations is viewed as the entry of the individual

into a normal work setting. The p.y received should be at least minimum wage or at
the prevailing wage rate for that specific job. Although initially there may be a need for
some accommodation, once the task has been learned, the expectations and wage
rates for the mentally retarded worker should not be different from normal worker.

The right to opportunity for competitive employment is a right which majority

of persons with mental retardation have not received.

The capaity for competitive employment of significantly retarded persons is

much greater than both professionals and parents have traditionally thought.
Educational and rehabilitative services in practice today do not yet reflect the ability of
many persons with mental retardation to get a job and hold a job.

In India, three percent Govt. jobs are reserved for the persons with disability.
Mentally handicapped people are not included under this reservation policy. The Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment identified suitable jobs for persons with mental
retardation in public sector. Similar exercise has been undertaken to identify jobs in
the private sector also. Some arrangements are said to be officially made to include
the disabled persons in the employment market both in public sector and private
sector.

Refer chapter 6job survey for more information about suitable jobs for persons
with mental retardation.

3. SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT

Supported employment is an employment approach for individuals with mental

retardation which enables them to be placed, trained, and supported in competitive
jobs in integrated environment with the assistance of qualified persons. Individuals
with mental retardation have repeatedly demonstrated the ability to master complex
tasks in real jobs. Many have shown that they are able to perform meaningfulwork in
community jobs and earn significant wages if given adequate support. These displays
of competence show that people with severe disabilities can learn and perform
competently. It also points to the need to provide work opportunities along with
individualized job supports.

113
 Evidence continues to mount that with special supported work services supplied
by a job coach at the place of employment, persons with mental retardation can
experience much success in competitive employment.

Definition

"Supported employment is a paid employment for persons with

developmental disabilities,

for whom competitive employment at or above the

minimum wage in unlikely, and

who because of their disabilities need intensive

ongoing support to perform

in a work setting, conducted in a variety of settings,

particularly work sites in persons without disabilities are employed,

supported by any activity needed to sustain paid work by persons with

disabilities,

including supervision, training and transportation".

U.S. Disability Act (1984)

Primary features
• A focus on integrated employment.
• Priority given to people with disability who need ongoing support.
• Emphasis on productivity and wages.
• Availability of ongoing employment support
• Availability of organizational alternatives to make employment a reality.

• A focus on integration.

114
 The need for supported employment
• Persons with mental retardation will not be able to obtain real job without
professional help.
• They need individualized approach to ensure job retention.
• the amount of nature of professional support will vary from person to person
and of course will be influenced by nature of
disability.
• The persons with severe disability are unable to transfer the skills learned in
specific centres to real jobs.

Objectives
• To employ persons with, mental retardation in an integrated employment
setting
with reasonable wages and benefits.
• To provide appropriate training with ongoing support to maintain employment.
• To increase the number of persons with mental retardation in integrated
employment setting at commensurate wages.
• To create an awareness among employers and coworkers on the capability of
persons with mental retardation to perform the duties of a job in an integrated
set up.

Various Supported Employment Models

I. The Supported Work Model

The supported work model is one method of obtaining competitive employment

for individuals with mental retardation. The specific steps in implementing the supported
work model include job placement, job site training and advocacy, ongoing assessment
and follow-up.

I. Job placement

Job placement is comprised of several steps including employer's orientation,

assessing the job sites, matching the job needs to the job trainee's potential, encouraging
parent support, working out transport facilities and benefits.

115
 Job placement is based on an accurate assessment of job requirements. This
process has been referred to job analysis. It provides information about specific job
routines, job related skills and behaviours.

Job placement often takes place with clients who do not have all the necessary
works or social skills for immediate job placements. Skills training is provided after
the client is placed on a job. The supported work model unlike the trarisitiona4 placement
process, does not require the client to be "job ready".

A job coordinator handles travel training, job interviews and other factors during
the job placement process.

2. Job site training and advocacy

The experiences in job site training in placement using support work model -
indicate that it is essential to train both specific skills and adjustment to the work
environment. This involves training skills using behavioural techniques and advocating
on the trainees behalf.

The application of reinforcement principles, manipulation of antecedent stimulus

conditions, and use of coworkers as peer trainers require greater attention.

Advocacy is another important feature of the supported work model.

Orientation to the new job might involve locating toilet facilities, canteen, working
out communication problems between trainee and coworkers and guiding the client
in general work behaviours.

Development of self advocacy is explained in chapter I

3. Ongoing assessment

The third component of the model, ongoing assessment, marks a major difference
between supported work and more traditional models of rehabilitation. Once a
placement is made, client's feedback on the performance of the workers with mental
retardation needs to be obtained so as to ascertain the gaps for better performance.
This is done through supervisor evaluation data which are most effective, but verbal
feedback may suffice. The quality of assessment is related to the abilitybf the client,
staff available for data collection, and the specific need to evaluate certain problems.

116
4. Follow-up

Follow-up can include regular on-site visits, interacting with the er'ployers,
periodic reviews of supervisor evaluations, client progress reports, and parent's
evaluation. Since persons with mental retardation are immediately at risk of losing
their jobs in competitive environment, follow-up support is imperative to ensure
continuity on the job.

2. Supported jobs Model

The Supported Jobs Model is intended for individuals with severe disabilities
typically served in a work activity centre or day activity centre. The model is designed
for individuals expected to require intensive initial training and regular ongoing support
and assistance on the job in order to maintain integrated employment.

Individuals who can be employed include those with little expressive language
and adequate social behaviour. Support for individuals begins as continuous one-to-
one on the job training, and fades to about one hour of support daily within a few
months.

This model is composed of systems that cover all operations and management
procedures. These systems include marketing, employer agreements, job matching,
training, management and integration.

Marketing

A business implementing the supported jobs model engages in concerted efforts

to develop empoyment opportunities. Support organization must use an effective
marketing approach which sells the services of the agency and the skills of the
employees with disabilities to prospective business. Marketing procedures provided
by the model include

• Market analysis which supplies relevant information about the local job market.
• Strategies for sales that make the sales efforts more successful by defining useful
approaches for contacting local businesses and selling the organization's services.
• Job feasibility studies which allow for timely assessment of the appropriateness of
a business for employing a person with moderate or severe disabilities.

17
Employment agreements

Agreements are signed with businesses in one of two ways: as a service contract
with the support organization, or for the business to directly hire the individual. Both
contracts provide for the training and ongoing support of the employee, as well as
monetary compensation. With the service contract, the business is invoiced for work
done plus a percentage to cover taxes and benefits. The disabled individual is essentially
an employee of the service organization.

Individual job match

The supported jobs model provides procedures to gather information on both

potential job sites and the individuals who may be placed which can increase the
likelihood ofa successful individual-job match while minimizing the potential of denying
employment to individuals who are too easily overlooked because of slow work rates
or lack of skills. The assessments measure variables which directly affect the needs of
the jobs and the individual, such as strength or endurance requirements, providing
information relevant to a sound and fair match. Additionally, information is gathered
on the type of work the person would like to do, and steps are taken to secure such a
job.

Jobs are located in a variety of businesses within the community. Employment

positions are usually four to six hours of daily work. Employees are not required to
work at the productivity level of their non handicapped peers. jobs are sought that do
not have time constraints and which do not require employees to bussing tables in a
busy restaurant during breakfast. This is done so as not to exclude individuals with
severe intellectual disabilities who are not expected to work at full productivity in the
foreseeable future.

Training in community settings

Procedure for training in community settings involves an application, of direct

one-to-one instruction within the confines of businesses which limit both environmental
control and the range of possible interventions. The supported jobs model provides
procedure enable the support organizations and get trainer's maximum efficiency in
identifying and training the job duty and social skills needed for successful job
performance. Specific procedures provided by the model include:
• Teaching work and social behaviour.
• Self monitoring to maintain performance.
118
• Training for infrequent and variable job demands.
• Fading the trainer.

Integration

The supported jobs model emphasizes integration in both individual job sites
and in the surrounding community. Jobs are selected which provide a high degree of
integration opportunities. Individuals participate in all socially interactive aspects of
the job including staff meetings or parties. Additionally, employees are trained to use
facilities, such as restaurants or stores, which are in close proximity to their place of
employment. Social skills are imparted which foster successful social interaction.

Organizational management

The support organization must be efficient in order to provide the training and
support needed for successful job performance by the individuals served. The supported
jobs model provides procedures for the creation of the support organization, satisfying
external regulating agency requirements, maintaining sensible staffing patterns,
maintaining financial stability and projecting an appropriate business image.

3. The Mobile Crew Model

The Mobile Crew Model is designed for small communities and rural areas but
may operate in a large city. The crew or crews each have up to five individuals with
moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, and one supervisor. Mobile Crews tend to
operate out of a van. The Mobile Crew Model provides procedures for operating the
crew as a business to generate wages for the workers. The model also provides
procedures for the training and support of individuals with disabilities.

4. The Enclave Model

In Enclave model a small group of persons with disabilities (about six persons) is
employed in an industry and receives continual support by the vocational staff. Creative
enclave models do not cluster the persons with disabilities together, but rather facilitate
placement of individuals throughout the work plant. Support is typically more intense
in this model. Support is also systematic, continuous and reliable. Workers are either
paid by the business at a rate of at least minimum wage. Integration is achieved by
facilitating interactions among employees at break times, lunch times, before and after
work, and through work related interactions.

119
5. The Bench work Model
The Bench work Model is a comprehensive set of procedures for training and
employing people with disabilities within a facility-based-programme engaged in
benchwork assembly jobs. The model is organized to achieve the goals ofcommunity
bared supported employment, competence in performing non vocational activities,
and maximized productivity and earnings. The Benchwork Model includes specific
procedures related to each of four critical, components : management and finance,
commercial operations, training and habilitation, and information and evaluation.

6. Apprenticeships
In this model, a person with disability serves as an apprentice or helper to a
skilled person. The person may be employed in a printing press, canteen, or in various
similar trades. The unique feature is that the individual works with one or two skilled
individuals and assists in the performance of a particular trade. The person is given
on-the-job training by the skilled person. Wages are usually no less than minimum
wage ]rid the individual is employed by the business.

7. Small Enterprise
In this model, a small business is established. Within the small business about six
disabled people work with non-disabled people. The small business operates like any
business, generating work and paying employees from revenues received. The small
enterprise is located within the community to enhance opportunities for integration.
Successful small business encourage integration within its work force as well as with
other merchants and business.

Benefits of Supported Employment

• Persons with mental retardation get an opportunity to work in an integrated set
up.
• It helps them to engage themselves in productive work that has real value in
economy.
• It produces income which creates new opportunities for community participation.
• The employer is able to pay on the basis of productivity, so that labour co5t per
unit of work remains same.
• It gives social benefits.
• It offers the opportunity for persons with mental retardation to become self
supporting.
120
 Supported Employment Models

Apprenticeships
• Serves as an apprentice or
helper to skilled persons
• Not less than minimum wage
• The individual is employed by
the business

Enclaves in Industry Supported Work Model

• Ongoing support in an
industry-based - • Ongoing support
programme sponsored by • Individual job placement
a host business and training
• May or may not be • .Minimum or above
minimum wage minimum wage
• Level of integration may
vary • High integration

Supported jobs Model Specialized Business!

Small Enterprise
• Ongoing support • Ongoing support
• Individual job placement • Specialized sub contract
and training work or other small
business venture
• Sub minimum wage
• Intensive systematic
• High integration training
• Sub minimum wages

Mobile Work Crews

• Ongoing support
• Small mobile business which must be
based on community labour needs
• May or may not be minimum wage
• Level of integration may vary

121
 4. SHELTERED EMPLOYMENT

Sheltered workshop provides noncompetitive long term employment to persons

with mental retardation. Its uniqueness lies in its ability to provide them with an
opportunity to make a useful contribution to society and to their own well-being
through productive work.

Definition

A work oriented rehabilitation facility, with a controlled working environment

and individual's vocational goals, which utilizes work experience and related services
for assisting the handicapped person to progress towards normal living and a productive
vocational status.
- Association of Rehabilitation Facilities

Here the term "controlled working environment" refers to the fact that the
work is done under the supervision of a trained staff, and that the setting is adapted to
the special needs and limitations of the workers.

The "related services" are directed toward the goal of total rehabilitation and
include medical, psychological and social services designed to protect the client and to
assist with personal problems.

Objectives

The main objective of the sheltered employment is to prepare the persons with
mental retardation for competitive employment or to provide a terminal sheltered
job.

It is not possible for all trainees to achieve these goals and for this reason sheltered
workshops are designed to serve two types of clients.

I. The severely disabled individuals who can profit from intensive training, adjust to
the work situation and develop a certain level of skills and productivity to enter
labour market.

2. The severely disabled person who accepts the work situation and develops some
skill and productivity, but is unable to meet the requirements of the open labour
market.

122
 Sheltered workshops provide both occupational training and remunerative
employment opportunities for persons with mental retardation.

Characteristics

Payne & Pattern in 1981 described several common characteristics of sheltered

workshops.
• Employees usually work on contractual jobs.
• These contract jobs are usually of short duration, therefore a staff person is needed
to bring in new jobs.
• Most tasks are broken into small steps.
• Jobs usually proceed in an assembly line fashion, one part is added at each step of
the process until a final product is completed.
• The facility may or may not provide vocational assessment and training for persons
outside the centre.

Advantages

The benefits offered by the sheltered workshop are many and varied.

• The experience increases the person's self-respect and self esteem by offering
an opportunity to make a useful social contribution.

• It provides a work setting that is especially adapted to individual needs and

limitations, under the guidance of specialists not only in vocational training but
also in total rehabilitation.

• It exposes the handicapped person to many demands and discipline found in a

real work situation.

• It gives an opportunity to test personal ability and adaptability in a better

atmosphere before venturing into competitive employment.

• The individual not only works under the supervision of vocational experts, but
has the added benefit of receiving care from related services.

123
 Organizing the workshop

• The selection and organisation of a board of Directors to be responsible for

formulating the overallpolicy determining the programme, evaluatingcommunity
needs and resources, interpreting workshop activities to th public, obtaining
financial support, selecting and giving general direction to the executive director.

• Establishing criteria for the client in terms of age, type and severity of disability
and location of residence. A decision must be made as to whether the workshop
will serve the client with a single disability or different disabilities
together.

• Getting registered as per the Societies/Trust Act.

• Finding a location for the physical plant.

• Staffing the workshop.

• Drawing up an estimated budget to be presented to the community to gain its

financial support, since the workshop cannot be self supporting and will need to
be subsidized.

• Establishing record-keeping and accounting practices.

• Public relation plan designed to build community confidence in the workshop.

Work shop programme

Stage I. Intake process

In this process a qualified rehabilitation worker collects information about the

person with mental retardation in various aspects like medical, psychological, social,
education and vocational. On the basis of the infq,rrnation collected, a complete case
record is constructed for the double purpose of planning the rehabilitation programme
and charting progress of the person with mental retardation.

Stage 2. Work tryout

In this stage the qualified, rehabilitation worker devices a work programme

designed to evaluate physical capacities, learning ability, special aptitudes nd skills and
ability to maintain social relationships and meet demands required by work situation.

124
The tryout may include office work, service activities, packaging, production, and
machine operation. During this period the person with mental retardation is observed
and assessed for the ability to follow directions. The qualified rehabilitation worker
and person with mental retardation together determine vocational objectives and if
the person with mental retardation has been previously employed whether training
should be focussed on a modified version of former occupation or a few occupation.

Stage 3. Work conditioning and training

This stage is long for the person with mental retardation to learn a specific job
and if necessary, develop skills that will compensate for personal limitations. During
this period the person with mental retardation is instructed in the use' of tools and
equipments and receives training in the economical use of raw materials, manipulative
skills and coordination, industrial safety and concepts of time, spatial relationships and
money value as needed.

Stage 4. Job placement

The person with mental retardation is ready to take a job in competitive industry
or extended employment. The job counsellor identifies a job for the person and places
him on the job.

Stage 5. Follow-up

The counsellor keeps in touch with the person with mental retardation in order
to evaluate progress, to make sure that a satisfactory adjustment is taking place.

During the entire process the workshop experiences are reinforced by supportive
services, particularly medical and psychological. The objective is to help the person
with mental retardation build a positive self image, overcome tendencies towards
overdependency and oversensitiviry, and adapt more fully to the world of work by
improving work habits, personal appearance, social skills and adjust to special demands
such as time, pressure, noise and discipline of training.

125
 Criticisms

Some of the criticisms against the sheltered workshop model are

• Few persons with mental retardation move onto competitive employment.

• The persons with mental retardation attending sheltered workshop often get very
low wages which is ascribed to their low productivity.

• It was seen that the productivity of workers whether handicapped or not, is highly
dependent on the efficiency of the productivity process and the value that society
places on what is produced.

• If the number of person with mental retardation is less, it is difficult to accept

large sub contracts which in turn affects its productivity and profit.

• The small workshops have only limited variety of jobs. It is difficult to place persons
with mental retardation in various jobs that are suitable to their capabilities.

• Most workshops are restricted in their ability to employ efficient methods of

production and skilled trainers.

• Many of these workshops are not in a position to match the productive efficiency
of private firms. Very often, they lack capital, experience and technicalknowledge.
It is difficult for them to find a wide market for the products.

5. GROUP EMPLOYMENT

Sheltered workshop has its own limitations to provide remunerative employment,

parents and community interaction and overall personality development of the trainees.
The group employment is a modified version of sheltered employment. It is organized
by the group of parents or an adult service providing agency. It provides vocational
skill training, remunerative employment, community interaction and personality
development of persons with mental retardation. All categories ofpersons with mental
retardation in small groups are engaged in productive activities on commercial line
which brings profit out of which the special employees and supervisors are paid.

When the special employees find better opportunities, they gradually move
towards open and supported self employment. Others continue in the production
centres which provide group employment and job related activities.

126
Objectives of group employment
• To promote remunerative employment for persons with mental retardation.

• To create awareness and utilize the maximum capabilities of persons with mental
retardation.

• To involve parents and community in the vocational rehabilitation services

• To facilitate transition from group employment to open/self employment

• To engage the persons with moderate and severe mental retardation in

economically useful activities.

Organization of group employment

Stage!: Formation of registered group

• Collect the data of adult persons with mental retardation above I 5 years of age,
residing with in a radius of 5 to 8 kms.

• Invite the parents of the identified persons with mental retardation and conduct a
programme.
• Get them registered as a group under the Indian Society's Registration Act.

Stage 2 : Assessment

• Functionally assess the identified persons with mental retardation.

• Identify the products which can be manufactured at a commercial line and

marketing facilities.

• Prepare job analysis.

Stage 3 : Setting up production centre

• Procure necessary machinery, equipments, and raw materials.

• Select trainers preferably volunteers

• Start initial training with the support of parents, siblings and volunteers
127
Stage 4 : Large scale production
• Check quality and quantity
• Maintain proper accounts
• Start payment to the employees and supervisors.
• Check periodically, add more products and modify the process ifnecessary.

NIMH has initiated and promoted group employment model throughout India.
About 18 production centres, organized with the technical and financial support of
NIMH, and currently continuing successfully in different parts of the country.

Benefits

The organizers of group employment listed the benefits they gained out of their
venture. Some of the benefits are
• The persons with mental retardation and parents gained self confidence.
• Parents interaction improved
• The persons with mental retardation found a place to work and earn.
• They became contributing members of family and society.
• They achieved work skills and work behaviour.
• A sense of responsibility and a feeling of togetherness developed
• Community resources were tapped.

Problems

The difficulties faced by the organizers are given below:

• Problem of marketing the products
• Financial constraint
• Lack of time for organizers
• Lack of entrepreneurship

The benefits for the persons with mental retardation are much more than the
problems the organizers faced. The model is spreading in India.

128
The most critical aspects of an
individual's capacity for
employment are:

PARENTAL SUPORT A FRIENDLY

AND SOCIAL PERSONALITY
AND A DESIRE TO WORK.

Notice that I.Q scores, test scores,

or academic abilities are not
necessarily important features of
the succes fully employed persons
with mental retardation.

129
6. SELF EMPLOYMENT! SELF DIRECTED EMPLOYMENT
AS AN OPTION FOR INCLUSION

Definition

Self directed employment refers to work situations where people with disabilities,
to a significant degree, have a prime decision making role with respect to the kind of
work that is done, how time is allocated, what kinds of investment in time and money
should be made, and how to allocate revenue generated (Neufeldt, 1998,).

While self employment is the most frequent expression of self directed

employment, whether part or full time, it may alsO refer to group approaches such as
worker owned business. The term was coined as a way of describing income generation
strategies of people with disabilities in an international study of 41 countries (Neufeldt
& Albright, 1998).

Interest in self-directed employment has been growing in developing countries

since 1981 according to the study. The growing interest can be explained in part by
the relatively few salaried jobs available, and in part by the absence of publicly funded
income support programmes. Countries such as Jamaica, Philippines, Thailand and
Zimbabwe, amongst others, have accumulated a considerable wealth of experience in
ways to systematically support the development of self-directed employment by people
with disabilities.

While high income countries generally have been slower to p.ursue this option,
of late the level of interest also has been increasing - particularly in countries such as
Australia, Canada, England and U.S.A. This is partly attributable to a decrease in life-
long salaried job prospects for all workers, not only people with disabilities. At the
same time people with disabilities also have shown increasing interest in self-
employment as a way to determine their own career paths.

What work can an individual with a mental handicap do at home or in the

informal sector in a developing country?

inclusive work opportunities at home

There are many ways that a family member with mental hand Rap, according to
his or her ability, can contribute productively to the maintenance of the household.
Such activities vary according to the location where one resides (rural area, town,
city, urban), and include
130
 • Helping with daily chores - gathering wood; carrying water, food preparation,
cleaning, laundry, taking care of children

• Helping with productive activities of the family - farming and gardening (preparing
land, weeding,, protecting against birds and animals, harvesting, food storage),
taking care of animals, fishing

• Helping with household income-generating activities - laundry, poultry, making of

handicrafts, food items (preserves, snacks, butter, cheese), other products for
sale.

Inclusive work opportunities in the community

Many youth and adults with mental handicap can acquire vocational s!dlls through
apprenticeship and work experience and can participate productively,as a paid worker
in informal sector manufacturing or service activities, including
-

• Helping with preparation and clean-up work related to small-scale manufacturing

activities - wood work, metal work, leather tanning, cloth dyeing, food processing
and so on.

• Helping with the packing or packaging of products - fruits, vegetables, eggs,

flowers, manufactured items, etc.

• Helping with work related to the provision of services such as bicycle, auto, etc.,

Gaining sufficient training and experience, persons with mental retardation can
organise self employment programmes related to the above mentioned work
opportunities in the community with family support.

Requirements for Self Employment Schemes

Professional help : Professional's role comes in providing expertise regarding how

to train, the techniques and strategies to be used in training, in providing follow up
services in giving necessary details regarding availability facilities, etc. Vocational
guidance is important.

Financial Aspects The monetary aspects like raising capital, finding buyers for
products, etc. are to be considered, especially, while initiating production units.

131
Parental Role : As persons with multiple disabilities may not be fully independent,
some amount of support in terms of organisation, decision making, budgeting, etc.
has to be provided by parents and others.

Advantages of Self Employment

• It is community based. Hence, habilitation becomes a natural process.

• It saves complications involved in open/supported employments like acceptability

by co-workers, employers etc.

• It is cost-effective. It makes use of available materials, and opportunities in the

soc i ely.

• Gives a sense of responsibility and self esteem to persons with disabilities.

Agriculture

Agricultural work offers many advantages

• Physical activity: Due to overprotection or neglect, many retarded adolescents

and adults are in very poor physical condition. Physical activity involved in
agricultural work improves fitness, co-ordination, morale, and allows for group
interaction.

• A healthy environment : Agricultural activities provide fresh air and sunshine.

• Aesthetic sense : Working with tender plants, colourful flowers, scenic landscape,
helps to cultivate a sense of appreciation towards nature.

• Mobility : The nature of the work allows, and often calls for, a good amount of
moving around, which is generally advantageous.

• Variety : Agricultural work usually provides more diversity on a daily and seasonal
basis than in the case with semiskilled employment in the cities.

132
Funds

State as well as Central Govt. have many schemes to provide financial assistance
for persons with disability. The National Handicapped Finance and Development
Corporation (NHFDC) has been incorporated by Ministry of Welfare, Govt. of India
on 24th Jan. 1997 under section 25 of the companies Act., 1956 as a company not for
profit. It is wholly owned by Govt. of India and has an authorized share capital of Rs.
400 Crores (Rupees Four Hundred crores only.)

The main objectives of NHFDC are

• Promote economic development activities for the benefit of the persons with
disabilities.

• Promote self employment and other ventures for the benefit/economic

rehabilitation of the persons with disabilities.

• Assist individuals with disabilities or groups of individuals with disabilities by way

of loans and advances for economically and financially viable schemes and projects.

NHFDC Schemes to promote Self Employment amongst Persons with Mental

Retardation, Cerebral Palsy and Autism

Persons with mental retardation, cerebral palsy or autism may not be eligible to
seek loan and enter into a legal contract. In such cases following categories of persons
are eligible for financial assistance from NHFDC.

• Parents of dependant mentally retarded persons.

• Spouse of depend ant mentally retarded persons.

Persons seeking loan from NHFDC under this category should encourage self
employment of the mentally retarded persons. Projects should be identified in such a
way that there is direct involvement and participation of the beneficiary in the project.

133
Indicative areas for financing are

i) Shop or store ix) Tailoring unit

ii) Assembling unit x) DTP centre
iii) Workshop or repair shop xi) Screen printing
iv) Envelop making unit xii) Poultry
v) Pickle, papad, wadi making unit xiii) Dairy farming
vi) Home unit for making squash, jam etc. xiv) Horticulture
vii) Bakery xv) Handloom unit
viii) Xerox Centre xvi) Block, textile printing

Maximum loan available under this scheme is Rs. 2.5 lakh.

Eligibility Criteria
a. Criteria of disability

In order to be eligible for loans on concessional interest rates from the

Corporation, the minimum degree of disability shall not be less than 40 percent (IQ
below 70)

b. Economic / Income criteria

Unemployed disabled persons whose family income is below Rs. 80,000/- p.a.
for rural areas and Rs. 1,00,000/- p.a. for urban areas (two times of poverty line) are
eligible for availing loan facility. (family means parents or spouse of dependent disabled).

Minimum age limit for availing loan is 18 years and maximum age is 55 years.
However, the maximum age could be relaxed in the case of professionally qualified
entrepreneurs.

The sanctioned loan amount and repayment period will depend on the age of
applicant.

134
Other Requirements

The applicant

I. should be an Indian Citizen.

2. should be domicile of the state where the project is proposed to be put up,

3. should have relevant educational/teChniCal/v0catb01 qualificatiofl/eXPerieflc&

background.
should
4. should not have any large outstanding debt from other organisation and
not be financial defaulter,
and project location should be in agricultural
5. should be from agricultural background
Activities'.
area if seeking loan under the scheme 'Assistance for Agricultural

Rate of Interest
Interest by Total
Loan amount Interest by
NHFDC (Channelising
Agency)

3% 2% 5%
I. Loan amount less than Rs. 50,000

4% 2% 6%
2. Loan amount above Rs. 50,00O and
upto Rs. 1,00,000

7% 2% 9%
-3. Loan amount above Rs. 1,00,000 and
upto Rs. 5,00,000

8% 2% 10%
4. LoanamoufltaboveRs.5,00,000

* For women with disability, a rebate of 2 % on interest is provided

of loan.
** A rehate of 0.5 % on interest is provided for timely repayment

I 35
Recovery of Loan
a. The entire loan shall be repaid within a reasonable period but not exceeding 7
years including the moratorium period. The repayment shall be on half yearly I
quarterly I monthly basis. For agriculture and horticulture projects repayment
shall be on yearly basis. The repayment period will be worked out during appraisal
and sanction of scheme on the basis of income potential of the proposed project.

b. A suitable moratorium period depending on the merit and requirement of the

project will be allowed.
A rebate of 0.5 % on interest is provided for timely payment of all instalment.
d. A penal interest of 3 % will be charged from channelising agency for default in
timely repayment. The channelising agency will also charge penal interest of 3 %
from the beneficiary for default in repayment.

The prospects for success of self employment is enhanced if the person has a
concept of themselves as wanting to run their oSwn business, if the person has or can
acquire the skills necessary for their particular line of business, if supports such as
small loans funding, business consultation and monitoring services are available and if
the person has a strong personal support network.

FEW PROJECTS SUGGESTED UNDER NHFDC

Tasks persons with mental

retardation can perform
I. Textiles and related industries
• textile products • spinning
• knitted products • dyeing
• carpet & rug products • lace-making
• rope & twine prodcis • weaving
• dress products • knitting
• leather product • embroidering
• making handbags
• making belts
• making nets
• stitching buttons
2. Wooden and related industries
• furniture products • cutting
• cane products • shaping
• building fixtures • fitting
136
 • paper products • assembling
• repairing
• greasing & oiling
• cleaning
• tool assembling
• caning furniture
• making baskets
• making brushes
3. Household and cottage industries
• candle production • boiling
• match production • pouring into môulds
• pickle production • cutting
• papad production • pasting
• agarbathi production • dipping
• rope production • rolling
• dolls production • packing
• gunny bag production • twisting
• book binding • kneading
• paper cup/plate production • mixing
• leaf cup/plate production • blending
• bleaching & dyeing • stitching
• cane & bamboo products • operating pressing machine
• baskets • sewing
• coir products
• soap making
• hand made paper

4. Laundering services
• launderer helper • laundering by hand
• presser helper • pressing by hand
• machine attendant dry cleaner • operating machines
• drying clothes
• folding clothes
• hanging clothes
• packaging
5. Hair dressing services
• barber attendant • sweeping barber shop
• beautician attendant • dusting hair
• replacing used linen
• cleaning tools
137
 GOOD NEWS TO THE PARENTS

Experience has shown that securing a job may bring about signifcant
positive changes in your son's or daughter's life. For example he or she may

pay more attention to personal appearance

show greater enthusiasm about life in general

improve communication

make new friends while maintaining contact with old friends

become excited about being able to shop and buy personal items

become more independent at home

become more energetic

start going out and feel less lonely

38
 Chapter- 10

SEX EDUCATION
Definition

There is no widely recognized definition of sex education. However, it may be

defined as an educational programme aimed at promoting the individuals fulfillment
both in personal living and in his family and social relationships by integrating sexuality
in the total personality.

Sex education will not only include teaching of anatomy and physiology of sex
organs but also the associated secondary sex characteristics as those develop during
growth and development. It will also impart knowledge about changes that take place
in the emotional make up as related to sex, thus deteriining individual responses to
different life situations.

Sex and Sexuality

Sexuality is not the same as sex. Sex is a biological component associated with
procreation and growth in human beings. Sexuality connotes psychological reaction
associated with "Maleness" and 'Femaleness" and determines behavioural responses.
These sex-related behavioural responses are further conditioned by cultural heritage
and social norms. Cultural heritage is sum total of religious percepts and traditional
concepts. Social norms are the products of compromise between bio-emotional needs
of the individual and existing sociocultural patterns in the society.

Aims of Sex Education

The aims of sex education are

• To ensure that an individual has first hand correct knowledge about sex and
sexuality.

39
• To promote development of a well integrated personality capable of control.
ling the fertility behaviour.
• To establish stable social relationship with individuals of own and opposite
sex.
• To cultivate mutual respect and concern for each other and is capable of
making correct adjustments towards difficult situations in life.
• To develop a personality to equip the individual against development of sexual
deviations.

Sex Behaviour of Persons with Mental Retardation

Sexuality is determined by much more than our physical gender. The sex
behaviour is influenced by
• emotion and feelings
• instincts and intellect
• past experiences and hopes for the future

There are many misconceptions regarding sexuality of persons with mental retardation
such as

• do not have feelings and emotions.

• not interested in sex

• overly interested in sex

• nt capable of being sexual

Sexuality and Various Stages of Life

Adolescence is a period of 13 years to 21 years and one that commence from

the middle of puberty which extends generally to 4 years from I I years in girls, to I 2
years in boys.

Secretion of sexual harmones helps development of sex organs. Development

of sex characters determines the changes in physical and psychological behaviour.

40
Effects on Behaviour
• Desire for isolation
• Incoordination
• Boredom
• Restlessness

• Social antagonism
• Resistance to authority

• Heightened emotionality
• Lack of self confidence
• Pre occupation with sex
• Excessive modesty

Problems of adolescence in persons with mental retardation

• Physical and emotional development may not proceed as in normals.
• Emotions can be aroused with great rapidity.
• May not be controlled effectively.
• Mood swings
• Sex behaviour may not socially acceptable.

Need
• Orientation in sex education
• Maintaining self esteem
• Observe their behaviour in depth.

Problems in early adolescence

• Considerable restlessness
• Loss of temper
• Refuse to follow instructions
4
• Fantasizing
• Preoccupation with sex
• Unhappiness with environment.

Problems in late adolescence

• Greater periods of calmness
• As a part of growth clumsiness is seen in boys (14-22 years)

• Rapid growth in girls (I 2-20 years)

• Physical development may be normal in persons with mental retardation
• Delay in physical development depends on the severity of mental retardation.
• Exhibits childish behaviour.

How to deal
Sex education can be imparted through
• Role models
• Professional guidance
• Preparation of a guardian
• Sex education as a priority
• Explaining at understandable level - reproductive process
• Strategies to cope with tensions
• Training to deal with thoughts
• Tackling the issues on marriage.

Adulthood - Chronologically 2 I years for males, 18 years for females

Characteristics
• Adjustment to new pattern of life and new social expectations.
• Assuming the role of spouse, parent and bread winner.

142
• Adapting to new attitudes and interest.
• A life of independence.

Problems of an adult with mental retardation

An adult with mental retardation is dependent on others to carry out ie roles of an
adult such as

• Being a bread winner

• Mating
• Setting up a home
• Meeting needs of family
• Meeting the needs of society.

The Role of Guidance

Directional counselling is needed rather than nondirectional counselling to deal with
unrealistic aspirations in
• Grooming skills
• Possessions of material aspects

• Money transaction
• Recreation
• Need for a riome to belong
• Job satisfaction.

The Need of Sex Education

All people including persons with mental retardation are born with feelings and
emotions. But the people with mental retardation do not learn things as subtly as the
nonretarded persons in the society. Therefore learning strategies must sometimes
be more specific and different to meet the needs of this special population. This may
help them to live their lives to their fullest capacity, regardless of their handicap.

43
Appropriate Educator

The most appropriate person, to talk to someone about growing up, body
changes, maturation and feelings, is the person closest to the daily living scheme of
the individual. The most effective sex education k not done in a class room but rather
occurs in the daily interactions.

Professionals should lend support systems to the direct care givers and parents
so that they will be more comfortable with their interactions. If the class room is
used, generalization techniques are taught so that the knowledge obtained can be
useful to the individual in various environments.

Orientation for Sex Education

Emphasis is to be placed on the need to start with very basic things and move to
the more complicated aspects. The programme should keep in mind the cognitive,
adaptive and communicative limitations of the persons with mental retardation.

It is only when persons become comfortable with their own sxuality, they can
be most effective in helping the persons with mental retardation or any one else.

Important Considerations

I. Sex education involves relationships: How we feel about ourselves in relationship

to family, friends, lovers, spouses etc., and how we act according to these feelings.

2. Sex education means the learning of physiology of the human body, the respective
male and female roles in human reproduction and the activity involved.

3. Sex education consists of the understanding of sexual impulses or body feelings

(erotic) and how they are aroused and controlled.

4. Differentiate feelings from information.

Sex education for individuals with mental retardation takes a great deal of
creativity and flexibility. The educator must recognize the need for extreme
concreteness of language when working with this category of people. Materials,
developed and used, should emphasis low level language, words, augmentative!
alternative communication modes where applicable. Social behaviour and all of its

144
Interactive processes from learning to greet people, developing conversational skills,
sharing social experiences and sd forth, need to be discussed and developed.

Policies need to be developed and supported by the administration, and

communicated to the parents as well as to all caregivers and professionals working
with the group of persons with mental retardation.

The Responsibility of Family and Friends

• Recognize that the person with mental retardation is a sexual being whose sexual
needs and desires are natural

• Accept that he has the potential and capability to love and be loved.
• Encourage social interactions.
• Avoid the tendency to protect over.
, Aware that friendship is precious and every person needs someone to talk with,
play with, and to look forward to seeing.

• Accept sexuality as a vital aspect of every persons life.

• Give love, understanding and support to the persons with disabilities.

Sexuality and Marriage of Persons with Mental Retardation

Coping abilities of different categories

The mentally retarded persons can effectively use the various senses to explore
and enjoy themselves and their worlds in ways acceptable to their living environment
and society according to their adaptive levels of functioning. In developing a programme
to foster healthy psycho-social-sexual development, there is a need to recognize the
soctetal aspects of development on a personal, private level, as well as public,
community, and familial level. Based on experiences in working with adults and the
study on Marriage between mentally retarded and non mentally retarded persons"
(Thressia Kutty, I 998), the general coping abilities of different categories of persons
with mental retardation are discussed below.

145
Persons with Mild Mental Retardation
• Similar to average psychosocial sexual behaviour in society.
• Explores, adapts, controls sexual impulses and urges in similar ways as majority
of normal population.

• Capable of developing appropriate adaptive skills with sex education

Persons with Moderate Mental Retardation

• Secondary sexual characteristics might be delayed
• Adaptive and psychosocial sexual behaviour is poor
• Functions more on a primary reward
• May respond to verbal mode of sex education
• Understands better through concrete examples and activities.

Persons with Severe Mental Retardation

• Very poor control of sexual impulses
• Lack of development of adaptive psychosocial behavior
• Limited ability to predict or foresee consequences of sexual behaviour
• Problem in comprehending societal rules, especially private versus public, and
developing adaptive behaviour in these areas.

Sexuality and Relationship

Persons with Mild Mental Retardation

On the whole, the persons with mild mental retardation have various abilities
and skills in recognizing and meeting their sexual needs. Many of them are integrated
in the society, never having been identified as mentally retarded. They often lack the
adaptive skills to cope up with their psychosocial needs by using community resources.
With this population, the area of sex education is to help integrate these individuals, as
much as possible, into the main stream of society by helping them to adjust to their
handicaps and limitations. They need to be taught how to use community resources
to the best of their ability.

46
 One of the major problems possible to encounter with the persons with mild
retardation is that they have sexual urges and desires but have not learned the social
amenities that will allow them' to meet their needs without being abusive to themselves
or others. They function at a very concrete language level. It is oftendifficult for them
to acquire the knowledge of sexuality that the nonretarded persons learn through
observation. If these skills are taught, they can develop better adaptive skills and lead
more enriching sexual lives.

Persons with Moderate Mental Retardation

This group can be easily identified by the public as mentally retarded because of
their low functioning of adaptive, cognitive and educational skills.

They should be taught in a more pragmatic and programmed way to handle the
consequences of their sexual behaviour, especially how to behave appropriately in
public so that it will not cause a trouble with community standards. Their married life
with the normal partners are not sustaining because they found difficult in their
interpersonal relationship with this category of persons with moderate mental
retardation. They will have to live in some sort of protected or restricted environment.
All efforts should be made to encourage the development of appropriate socialization,
recreation and leisure time skills.

Persons with Severe Mental Retardation

Excessive self-stimulatory activities are often exhibited by both the severely and
profoundly retarded group. Appropriate social behaviour, sexual or not, should be
taught, conditioned whenever possible, and always reinforced appropriately.

In the homes and residential facilities, very little programming exists for this
population other than tender loving care. Therefore the tendency to self stimulation
increases. All efforts should be taken to provide daily activities that make the
environment more interesting.

Because of the severe inability of most of the profoundly retarded persons to

communicate verbally or non verbally, there is a possibility that caregivers, whether in
the home or residential facility, may try to exploit these individuals. The severely
mentally retarded persons may not be able to communicate these experiences if they
occur.

47
THE RIGHT TO MARRY

Law for the persons with mental retardation in the light of equality mandate

The Mental Health Act I 987 excludes the persons with mental retardation from
the definition of mental illness. With this exclusion for the first time the legal interests
of the mentally ill persons and the retarded persons are not being jointly considered.

With the enforcement of the Mental Health Act, the Indian Lunacy Act 1912
which is operative law for the persons with mental retardation will stand repealed. As
the new act is not applicable to the persons with mental retardation a legal vacuum
will prevent in the areas with regard to the rights and protection of the persons with
mental retardation.

Separate Law

A beginning in this direction has been made by the National Trust for die welfare
of persons with mental retardation and cerebral palsy bill 199 I and the Board for
Welfare and Protection of Rights of Handicapped bill, 199 I.

Distinct Legal Regime

The Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 affirms equal opportunities, protection of
rights and full participation of all categories of disability: blindness, low vision, leprosy
cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mentaI retardation and mental illness.
The legal needs of the persons with mental retardation is not the same as the other
categories of disability. To sustain a consistent policy of dealing with the persons with
mental retardation it is advisable that their legal rights and safeguards should be enacted
in a single comprehensive legislation.

Philosophy of Legislation

In accordance with international instruments on rights of the persons with mental

retardation the legislation should guarantee to the mentally retarded persons as normal
a life as possible. The limited capacities of this category should be recognized whilst
interactions between the retarded and nonretarded persons are legislated upon.

48
 In the memorandum on 'A comprehensive legislation for the mentally
handicapped" prepared by Ms.Amita Dhanda, Indian Law Institute, New Delhi , she
explains the philosophy of legislation, target group, institutionalization and treatment,
incapacity to stand trial, defence of insanity, right of livelihood, right to contract,
marriage and divorce and professional assessment.

The points which are mentioned under the heading 'Marriage and divorce" are given
below:

I. There should be no express prohibition in the law with regard to a mentally

retarded person's right to marry
2. Annulment of marriage on the ground that one of the parties was mentally
retarded should not be permitted.
3. When fact of retardation has been concealed annulment of marriage can be
procured on the ground that consent to the marriage had been fraudulently
procured.
4. Divorce on the ground that the respondent is suffering from retardation of such
extent that the petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with him, should
be permitted.
5. Retardation of a party should not operate as a disqualification for seeking divorce
from his spouse on the grounds specified in the law.

If these recommendations are accepted in a separate law for the persons with
mental handicap married life ofpersons with mental retardation will be in question. In
a study of 30 marriages between mentally retarded and non mentally retarded
individuals (Thressia Kutty A.T.) it was found that majority of the non mentally retarded
persons were nOt aware of the real condition of the mentally retarded partner before
their marriage. In this study , no one approached the court for divorce. Some of
them just left the mentally retarded partner. Many of them continue their married life
because they are not able to find alternatives. Very few had agreed to marry after
realizing the real condition. If this is the situation, exercising the right to marry is not
always possible because every right is bound with serious responsibilities. Is there
any alternative to guarantee the adult persons with mental retardation as normal a life
as possible?

49
Sex Education - Subject Areas

The sex educator should select the subject areas for each individual considering
his/her level of intellectual functioning and level of understanding. The education should
be individualized. The main areas which can be included in sex education for persons
with mental retardation are.
I. Anatomy and Physiology
2. Maturation and body changes
3. Same sex behaviour

4. Opposite sex behaviour

5. Psycho social sexual behaviour
6. Marriage and parenthood.
7. Recreational and leisure time activities.

Marriage and parenthood can be introduced to the persons with mental

retardation in case they are going to get married. As one of the alternative for marriage,
mentally retarded persons can be taught to utilize their leisure time in recreational
activities. From childhood onwards, they should be trained to beengaged in meaningful
activities.

In order to assess and find out the sex behaviour of the persons for further
training, a check list is developed based on the 7 identified main areas.

50
 SEX EDUCATION - Subject Areas

I. Anatomy and physiology For Females

I. Identifies own sex - male/female 5. Understands when menstruation
starts
2. Identifies own body parts including
sex organs 6. Informs mother / guardian if
3. Indicates similarities in male & necessary
fern ale 7. Uses appropriate clothes and
4. Indicates the differences in male & napkins
fern ale 8. Changes napkins as per the need
5. Identifies the private body parts 9. Cleans body parts as and when
6. Aware that private body parts are needed.
to be treated as private 10. Washes own undergarments.
7. Aware of the need of
undergarments 3. Psycho social sexual behaviour
8. Uses appropriate undergarments I. Aware of appropriate social
behaviour
2. Maturation or Body changes 2. Aware of inappropriate social
I. Differentiates between boy & man behaviour

2. Differentiates between girl & 3. Does not change undergarments in

woman public
4. Does not touch private body parts
3. Relates his/her own body changes
in public
when he/she was small
5. Understands the need of privacy
4. Understands the body changes
6. Discriminate between private and
occurred as he/she grows
public
For Males 7. Aware of the consequence of
indecent behaviour with opposite
5. Understands the need of shaving
sex
6. Shaves with/without supervision 8. Aware how to deal with own
7. Keeps genitals clean emotions
8. Changes undergarments whenever 9. Does not use indecent words in
wet/necessary public especially to a person belong
9. Washes undergarments to opposite sex
10.
10. Discriminates the friendly behaviour
Keeps body parts clean
between friends and strangers.

151
 4. Same sex behaviour 3. Understands the relationships in
I. Tells the names of own friends of married life
the same sex 4. Aware of various emotional feelings
2. Talks friendly in groups of own sex 5. Understands how children are born
3. 6. Aware of the responsibilities if he/
Engages in group activities
she gets married
4. Share their likes and dislikes 7. Has the skills to live in a family
5. Does not touch/pull unnecessarily 8. Able to bring up children
when they are together 9. Develops appropriate communi-
6. Helps each other in dressing and cation skills in married life
grooming 10. Seeks help in family related matters

5. Opposite sex behaviour 7. Leisure time and recreational

I. Differentiates same sex and activities
opposite sex I. Able to communicate his/her
2. Talks friendly to opposite sex interest
3. Engages in group activities where
2. Select few hobbies/interested
males and females participating activities (games, stitching,
gardening listening music etc.)
4. Keeps necessary distance when
males and females work together
3. Does not sit idle during leisure
time.
5. Aware that they should not touch 4. Chooses an activity and engages in
and pull each other unnecessarily
that activity during leisure time
6. Aware the social norms when 5. Takes help to practice new leisure
males and females work together time activities
7. Respects orherc (mlt spects 6. Goes out with friends/brothers!
female and vice "r1 sisters/fani ily.
8. Uses polite words in 7. Plays simple gaines in a gi oup
communication
8. Watches TV without disturbing
others
6. Marriage and parenthood
9. Expresses feelings of happiness, joy,
I. Comprehends the word disagreement etc.,
'marriage'
10. Plans and spends a day out with a
2. Aware of the purpose of marriage friend.

152
 SEX EDUCATION
SEX EDUCATION

It helps to broaden
/ What to teach?
Accurate, developmentally
appropriate information
understanding of
is the key to content.
sexuality. Therefore
provide sex education
on When to teach? Instruction should
begin before "problems" arise-pre
puberty. This can probably best be
Anatomy
handled by integrating information into
the curriculum as well as by taking
Changes that occur
advantage of spontaneo us situations.
during puberty

• How children are Where to teach? The classroom and

conceived and born daily living situations should be
appropriately selected based on the
• How people protect specific topics to be taught.
themselves from
How to teach? The key thing here is
pregnancy and
venereal disease. to give direct, honest, short answers to
questions that provide specific
The moral and information.

religious standards
they want to live by What resources are avaiIaL"?
The teacher should identify
How to handle their community organizations that
emotional and physical sponsor counselling and
feelings in a positive, discussion groups related
to sexuality.
responsible way.

153
Parents as
Sex Educators

arents are the true experts when it comes to education in human sexuality.
p This is so for a number of reasons:
I. Parents love their children and have their best interests at heart.

2. Parents know their children and their needs better than anyone.

3. Parents convey attitudes and values about life and sexuality as they interact with
one another and with their children each day. In fact, children learn primarily
from this "modelling" by the parents.

4. Parents are the real guardians of their vulnerable children and need to protect
them from sexually explicit information that breaks down the natural innocence
and modesty of children.

5. Parents are available to their children for support, questions and direction.

6. Parents have much wisdom to share, that comes from faithful living out of their
commitment as husband and wife as parents.

In providing an education in sexuality to their children, parents must begin by

refusing the propaganda that outside 'experts" can do the job better than they can.
When anyone else is permitted to serve as the primary educator, parental authority is
undermined and both the right and obligation of parents to educate and protect their
children are violated.

54
 SEX IS NOT ONLY

S ex
ABOUT:
* the genitals

[exual intercourse
IS SEX IS ABOUT:
• the way you express your

viIi at thoughts and feelings

• the way you perceive
others, life, the world, God
• the way you dress up
>10 U • the way you project
yourself
• the way you talk and laugh
are • the way you smile, frown,
cry
• the way you interact with
,J _]_ others
• the way you manage your
priorities
\,vhat • the way you play
• the way you pray

SEX IS ALSO ABOUT...•

OU * frienship
welcoming, celebrating
ci fit t loving, sharing
.
* journeying
* total self-giving
'55
 Chapter - I I

SELF ADVOCACY BY PERSONS WITH

MENTAL RETARDATION
Definition

The term 'advocacy' cannot usefully be applied to every thing. In particular, 'Self
Advocacy' cannot refer to every thing a person with mental retardation does or says,
individually or with others.

Advocacy means speaking or acting on behalf of oneself or others, or on behalf

of a particular issue. Self advocacy by persons with mental retardation means that
individually or in groups (preferably both), they speak or act on behalf of themselves,
or on behalf of other persons with mental retardation, or on behalf of issues that
affect persons with mental retardation.

Professor Wolfensberger identified various components of self advocacy, It is a

very serious business. It involves cost, time, stress, money, sacrifice of sleep, leisure
or pleasure, the incurring of resentment or hostility from others.

Self advocacy can be allied with enjoyment, entertainment and fun, but it does
not by itself, consists of enjoyment, entertainment and fun.

Self advocacy by persons with mental retardation has two aspects.

I. The first involves the persons with mental retardation pursuing their own interests,
being aware of their rights and taking responsibility for tackling infringements on
those rights.

2. The second involves joining with others to pursue the interest of the group and of
persons with mental retardation in general. To develop a true self advocacy, the
persons with mental retardation require lengthy training and preparation.

157
Self advocacy is

• Knowing your basic rights.

• Standing up for your rights
• Taking responsibility for your rights
• Asking for help because you want it or need it

• Getting all the informations

• Deciding what you want to do

• Finding out what and who will support you

• Beginning to change the way things are

Founders

Groups.. of persons with mental retardation have been taught to organize

their affairs, run meetings, take decisions and carry them through, with minimal
help from nondisabled people. The groups call this development "Self Advocacy"

Typically the founders of self advocacy groups are persons with mental
retardation with good social and communication skills, often persons who have
been in institutions. To a great extent, these persons with mental retardation
identified with the problems and needs of all persons with mental retardation,
including those with much more severely disabled, and have welcomed them into
their groups.

A small number of nondisabled persons is involved in an initial process of

teaching members of the group about their rights and how to claim them, and
about running an organization. After this initial stage, the involvement of non
disabled people is reduced to the level of providing occasional advice and assistance
to the group when requested.

158
Historical development

The origins of self advocacy by the persons with mental retardation lie in
Sweden. During the 1960s a network of leisure clubs for persons with mental
retardation was established there. There was a tradition in Sweden for the persons
with mental retardation themselves to have control over their wn clubs. It
became common for the officers of the committees running the clubs to consist
of persons with mental retardation themselves assisted as necessary by non
disabled persons who withdrew as the persons with mental retardation developed
more skills.

The first conference

Courses were provided in Sweden in 1960s to teach persons with mental

retardation skills of decision making, committee work and visiting,, particularly to
enable them to run their own social and leisure clubs. Officers and members of
these clubs began to exchange views with each other and to meet each other on
short courses. Eventually some regional conferences for persons with mental
retardation were organized at which they exchanged views and ideas. Out of
these regional meetings came the idea of a national conference of persons with
mental retardation and what is thought to be the first such conference in the
world, was held in 1968.

The second conferences

Though there were only 20 participants in the first conference, a seed was
sown for a more ambitious conference. The second conference was organized in
May 1970. This took the form of a full scale three day conference attended by 50
elected members of persons with mental retardation from all over the countries
in Sweden, and some guests from Denmark. The topics for discussion included
leisure activities, residential living, vocational training and employment. Groups
of six to eight people met to discuss issues in these areas and report back to
the whole conference. Nondisabled helpers took notes and maintained some
control over the time table, but did not directly influence the outcome of the
discussion.

159
Conference in Britain

News of the second impressive Conference of Persons with Mental

Retardation themselves spread to other countries. In Britain, Ann Shearer, a
journalist had founded a pressure group in 1971 for mentally retarded persons.
She worked to set up the first national conference of British Mentally Retarded
People in 1972.

The first convention in Canada

In 1973, a group of professionals from North America decided to organize

a conference for the persons with mental retardation in British Columbia, Canada
based on the Swedish and British models. This was known as the first convention
for the persons with mental retardation in North America. Persons with mental
retardation from United States were invited for this convention.

The People First Movement in America

In Oregan there was a network of support groups of persons with mental

retardation who had been discharged into the community from the main state
institution. The idea of a convention spread among the support groups after
attending the convention at British Columbia. Each support group was asked to
elect a representative to serve n a planning group. Officers were elected from
this group and this committee began to spread the idea in the state and to plan
the convention.

Once of the social workers at Fairview, Dennis Health sought the backing
of the institution Superintendent to begin a support group with in the institution.
A group of 25 residents met regularly and discussed their rights and need for an
organization through which to express their views and problems. They decide to
join with the support groups outside in the community to plan the convention.

A joint committee of persons with mental retardation residing in the

institution and living in the community spent many months to learn to organize a
convention. The group selected the name "People First" for the new organization.

The convention with a theme 'we have something to offer' held in 1974 was
a great success. Robert Persake, a well known writer on mental retardation,
wrote in a later report to the US President, "It was evident that these people had
caught a contagious convention fever that continues to spread even today".
60
 All through the planning process for convention, the non disabled helpers
learned how to develop the organization together with the persons with mental
retardation. Thus, the content of the convention was decided by persons with
mental retardation themselves. They played a major part in all aspects of its planning
and organization. The proceedings were directed and lead by persons with mental
retardation.

Net Working

After the first convention, the organization established support groups in all
parts of the state, in institutions, in group homes and among people living at home
with their families and in their own apartments. They worked out a structure
within which the support groups could work together to hold further state wide
convention and ensure the development of the people first movement.

Technical Assistance for Self Advocacy (TASA)

In 1978, Govt. fund was made available to assist the development of self
advocacy among people with developmental disabilities in America. The money
was given to a university affiliated project called 'Technical Assistance for Self
Advocacy'. Under this project, training materials and relevant literature for self
advocacy were produced.

United Together

The TASA project organized a planning conference in Kansas city in March

I 980 for leaders and advisors of self advocacy groups from all over USA.
Representatives from Self help groups of people with disabilities of epilepsy and
cerebral palsy, as well as members from self advocacy groups of persons with
mental retardation also were included. The delegates decided to form a new
coalition, uniting all people with developmental disabilities, to be called "United
Together". Its goals were outlined as:

• Helping ourselves.
• Not letting other people do work for us that we can do.

• Serving on boards of directors and committees every where so that we can

extend better help to disabled persons.

161
• Becoming a part of politics and working to change legislation that needs
change.

• Choosing our own helpers.

• Closing all large institutions.
• Getting more jobs for disabled people themselves.

• Getting equal pay for equal work

• Encouraging others to help themselves.

• Keeping 'United Together", together.

• Making United Together by raising money.

The Aims of Self Advocacy

The self advocacy movement becomes a cooperative venture between

nondisabled helpers and persons with mental retardation in which mentally
retarded persons are in the vast majority and have the power. It works towards
the ideal of a world wide movement based on the following pinciples.

The need of persons with mental retardation every where for dignity, respect
and voice of their own is the same

• Persons with mental retardation want to be perceived by others as people

who have something to offer and skills to share, rather than only as persons
with disabilities and limitations.

• Self advocacy aims to allow persons with mental retardation to learn, to speak
for themselves, listen to others, make decisions, solve problems and ultimately
develop leadership skills.

• Every one should be able to participate to the best of her or his ability. For
some, it is to show their full support at the level of simply being present at
meetings. Others may become able to represent the self advocacy movement
at local, regional and national level.

I 62
 the advice and assistance of dedicated,
• Self advocacy develops through aware of the limit to their role, in
sensitive helpers who are particularly
and leadership
providing the support for the development of self advocacy
skills among mentally retarded people themselves.

The Components of Self Advocacy

Wolfensberger identifies two distinct types of action or activity that can

constitute advocacy on behalf of others.

I. Instrumental action

2. Expressive action

I. Instrumental action
of practical and material problems.
It involves helping others in solving

For example

• advising and assisting with day to day problems

• decision making
• transport
• shopping
• medical help
• ensuring inclusions in appropriate services for training

• education
• managing income I property

I 63
2. Expressive action

It involves meeting the needs of others for communication, relationship,

warmth, love and support.

For example

• providing emotional support during stress

• maintaining interaction
• bringing friendship and fellowship to lonely or abandoned people.
• trips, events

• sending cards, gifts, meals on special occasions like birthdays, festivals, etc.

• organizing of entertainments.

Promoters of Self Advocacy - Guidelines to Follow

The promoters of self advocacy has to change their attitudes and wrong
perceptions towards the persons with mental retardation.

Perceptions to Foster

• Adult
• Valuable and serious people who can act responsibly

• Capable of seif nnf; and courage

• Capable of contriFunng to se1f :dvocacy

• Capable of !earran. sHIs of paying attention, cooperating with others, and

taking decisvs.
• Having important things to say that are worth listening to

• Capable of working for the benefit of others

164
• Having much to give

• Capable of having a voice of their own

The Issues to be Tackled

• Labelling practices

• The lack of dignity and respect accorded to disabled people by others

• The treating of people inappropriately to their actual age

• The practice of leaving people in institutions

• The lack of availability of adequate housing

• Explanation : social, financial, employment matters

• Poverty
• Brutality and ill treatment of handicapped people

• Lack of educational opportunities

• Over protectiveness by staff I families

• Denial of freedom or rights

There is a need for change in society's system of values towards disabled

people, and this is the overall aim of self advocacy by mentally retarded people.

Guidance for Advisors

I. Patience : There is a tendency to rush disabled people to move faster than

they are ready to do; patience allows the helper to see the smallest changes.
The movement may take years and we have a long way to go.

2. Generating enthusiasm : Enthusiasm shows involvement. A helper must

be able to laugh, to be compassionate and to be firm. He/she shall not be
neutral.

I 65
3. Having a vision : Helpers must realize that self advocacy is a lengthy process
and that growth and development happen slowly. Helpers with vision will
preserve and overcome any obstacles; especially traditional professional
barriers. Some people lust will not believe that handicapped people can do
and achieve what is actually happening in the persons with mental retardation
when they receive age appropriate services. Without helpers having belief
and vision in the process the movement would not bring the result. There
would be no movement continuing without the vision and support of helpers.

4. Finding other helpers : Helpers need other helpers. It is the exceptional

person who will actively show the energy and vision to be involved in an
effective movement.

5. Financial concerns : Support for self advocacy is critical but it does not have
to be financial support. Helpers should explore potential financial resources
for the movement, which could be through donations and grants.

6. Defining roles : In self advocacy movements the, power belongs to the

mentally retarded members. The professional who is involved with the
movement must learn to be comfortable in accepting a secondary role. If
there is glory to the movement, it belongs to the disabled people.

The Rewards Being an Advisor

Advising a self advocacy group is one of the most rewarding activities an

individual can under take. It is a privilege to be with people who are learning to
value themselves, who are finding the courage within themselves to 'speakout
and to try to change their worlds.

• The advisor learns new skills in order to impart those skills to the leaders of
self advocacy.

• The advisors learn self assertion when they see the mentally retarded people
who learn assertives and begin to practice by expressing their thoughts and
feeling and demanding their rights.

• The advisors review their own values and understand the way in which
society's values have been damaging to mentally retarded people
historically.

166
Formation of Self Advocacy Group

The remunerative employment brought a remarkable change in the overall

behaviour of persons with mental retardation. Their communication and social
skills have been improved. They started comparing their stipend with their non
-disabled co-workers. They complain if they are ill treated. It is the beginning
stage of their awareness of their own rights.

Preparatory stage

• Select some of these special employees (initially I 5 of them) who started

realizing their own rights.

• Conduct group meetings and encourage them to discuss their needs,

aspirations and problems.

• Give them chance to select their leaders from the group

• Allow them to express the reason for the selection of a particular person as
their leader

Group formation

• Conduct few meetings with a minimum of I 5 members.

• Tell the need to have office bearers (president, secretary and treasurer) for
the group.

• Explain the duties of the office bearers

• Ask them to select appropriate office bearers

• Guide them to select a name for the group

• Help the secretary to write down the names of office bearers and members

• Nominate adviser I promoters toassist the group

67
Conducting regular meetings

• Fix up regular meetings

• Train the group to conduct meeting

• Train to make reports

• Select the agenda I issues for discussion

• Train to make choices and take decisions

Expansion of group- local level

• Prepare an admission form for new members

• Invite more adult mentally retarded persons to attend the meeting

• Admit those who are interested to join

State level

• Conduct state level programmes on selfadvocacy

• Invite parents, promoters and persons with mental retardation to attend the
programmes
• Elect state level office bearers
• Nominate state level advisors / promoters

National level

National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad organized 6

national level special employees meets. Self advocacy programme was introduced
during this meet. The core group at Secunderabad demonstrated the functioning
of their group. One representative from each state was requested to join
the group and discussed on employment issue. During the 4th meet (1999) the
core national group was formed. It is expected to have a national meet of self
advocates.

168
Tips to be an Effective Promoter of Self Advocacy

Promoting a self advocacy group is one of the most rewarding activities of

those who are working with adults with mental retardation. It is a privilege for
the promoter to be with people who are learning to value themselves. He/she
should have a positive attitude and learn new skills in order to impart those skills
to the leaders and members of the self advocacy group.

The promoters should review their own values to understand the way in
which society's value have been damaging the mentally retarded people
historically. They should read the folFowing recommended books.

• The People with Disabilities (Equal opportunities, Protection of rights and

Full participation) Act 1995.

• The principle of normalization : A foundation for effective services, by John

O'Brien, Atlanta, USA-l980.

• We can speak for ourselves - Williams and Shoultz.

Guidance for Promoters

People first international (self advocacy group) has suggested the following
points to help the promoters.

Patience

Patience for the self advocacy process is critical. The promotor should
understand that he/she has a long way to go with the group to achieve the ultimate
aim. The tendency to rush the mentally retarded people to move fast will not
help them to organize and speak for themselves.

Involvement

The promotor must show his/her total involvement. He/she should be able
to laugh and cry, to be compassionate and to be angry. The promotor should not
be neutral. At the same time he/she should have skill to stand behind and push
the persons with mental retardation in front to talk for themselves.

169
Having a Vision

Promoters with vision will persevere and overcome any obstacles, especially
the traditional attitude of the parents, professionals and the public. They should
realize that self advocacy is lengthy process and the growth and development
happen slowly. It is impossible for the movement to continue without promotors
with proper vision.

Promotor needs the help of other promoters for the growth and development
of the movement.

Promoters have the responsibility to explore potential financial resources

for the movement which could be through donations and grant.

In this movement the power belongs to the mentally disabled members.

Particularly the promoters and members must work together putting aside their
roles. The promotor who is involved with the movement must learn to be
comfortable in accepting secondary role.

If there is success, it belongs to the members.

Qualities of Promoters of Self Advocacy Group

I. Emphasis I positive qualities and achievements

Promoters should express their genuine interest in the strength and growth
of the group and of individual members. Even when problems or conflicts arise,
an emphasis on the positive aspects of the problem can assist the group to resolve
it.

2. Encourage a sense of mastery and control

The self confidence that develops in the members who have gained this
sense of control will spread to others and will encourage the development of a
feeling of autonomy.

I 70
3. Treat each person with respect and dignity

All people, including those who are mentally retarded, are quick to discern
signs that they are viewed as children, or as sick, or as anything less than an
equal person. A climate of respect and dignity can be enhanced by a promotor
through real & active listening.

4. Examine Yourselves

The promoters should periodically examine their behaviours towards the

group. They should be non-defensive, If any negative attitude is reflected, they
should be ready to change.

171
 //
Rights of Living
How to foster skills for self advocacy?
Selecting own clothes to buy and wear.
Using own pocket money for shopping.
Having friends.
Having a job and fair wage.
Selecting food to eat.
Celebrating a special day - birthday/parent's day.
Going to church/temple/mosque.
Choosing own bed time.
Planning own daily routine.
Freedom to choose the place to live.
Spending own leisure time.
Being not ignored when speak.
Going out and mixing into the community.
Participating in social function.
1
/

I 72
 Train the Self Advocates

To visit the sick and lonely,

To assist to get a job,
To be a friend.

Help for travel

Explore ways and means to solve the problem of travel

By helping to get a bus pass and escort pass
By escorting the severely retarded person to his school/home/workplace

Social Events

Organize social events - small parties, picnics, outings.

Give opportunities to all members by bringing food items or arranging.

Arranging Professional Help

Adult Living Skills

• Managing family finances.

• Selecting, managing and maintaining a home.
• Caring for personal needs.
• Raising children and living as a family.
• Buying and preparing food.
• Buying and caring for clothes.
• Engaging in civic activities.
• Using recreation and leisure.
• Getting around the community (Mobility)

173
 VOICE

A new voice can be heard in our environment. As yet it is hesitant,

unsure, but it is steadily gaining in strength. It is the voice of those we
once thought incapable of speaking, hence our battle cry used to be: 'We
speak for them'. It is the voice of those once considered ineducable, who
are now attending schools. It is the voice of those once deemed
unemployable, indeed deemed 'incapable of sustained effort', who now
bring a pay cheque for a full work week.
/ have been privileged to attend some conferences managed largely
by people with mental handicap themselves. Thus I was not surprised when
I learned a few days ago that at a recent major policy meeting to discuss
the future of the Canadian Association for the Mentally Retarded, no less
than ten persons with mental handicap, one from each province, participated
in the deliberations.

I am aware that many of our readers will comment: 'This may be

possible for those who are only mildly handicapped, but surely for the majority
this is just a fantasy, an impossible dream'. No more impossible than the
dream that all persons with a mental handicap can go to school, can gain
acceptance in the community, can learn to move about, can learn to make
responsible choices.
Let us not argue how soon or how many of our young people will be
able to express themselves. Let us instead ask ourselves: Are we ready to
listen to their new voice?

Professor Gunnar Dyb wad, President

of the International League of
Societies for the Mentally Handicapped
(from the ILSMH Newsletter, /980)

I 74
 REFERENCES
AND
SUGGESTED READINGS

175
 REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

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182