AN AUTOMATED TECHNIQUE FOR THE TRAINING OF RETARDED CHILDREN

Abstract
An automated training system, the Touch‐Tutor, was used to train matching to sample behaviour in severely subnormal children. Two programs were used: a simple program which contained four classes of stimuli (colour, pictures, shapes and words) and a complex program which included frames investigating confusion between the letters b, d, p and q. Twelve out of the 16 subjects were trained to criterion on the simple program and’ tested on the complex program. In the simple program significant differences in performance on the four classes of stimuli were obtained, viz. pictures, colour, shape and words in increasing order of difficulty. An analysis of errors in the complex program showed similar errors to those reported with normal children. The success of the system in maintaining the behaviour of the children and providing data for detailed analysis has implications for assessment as well as the training of these children.

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