Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

A comparison between educable mentally retarded and normal students, using selected social and environmental variables

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  • The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between poverty and mental retardation and to place mental retardation in its true perspective as a social condition which thrives especially in poverty areas. More specifically, this study attempted to determine if there was any significant relationship between selected social and environmental variables and mental retardation. The subjects for this investigation were limited to 25 black educable mentally retarded children placed in a special education program for the educable mentally retarded, and 25 black normal school children placed in a regular school program within Portland School District 1, Portland, Oregon. Both groups of subjects were chosen from grades 1-12 within the school district. Both groups were matched according to age and sex. The instruments used in the collection of the data follow; 1. School District Cumulative Folders 2. Land-Premise Survey 3. American Public Housing Deterioration Index 4. Telephone Survey 5. Social Questionnaire 6. Comprehensive Health Information Program System (CHIPS) technique as a communicative device Statistical procedures utilized to analyze the data of this study at the 5 percent level of significance, were the t-test for comparing means, and the Z test for comparing two proportions. Eight hypotheses were tested. The following conclusions, based on these hypotheses, were obtained from the study. 1. The mean educational level of both parents of special education children was 11.10 years, and the mean educational level of both parents of normal school children was 12.82 years. The evidence indicates that in this population there was a significant difference in the educational level of parents of mentally retarded children and the educational level of parents of normal school children. 2. The mean occupational level for the father of special education children was 4.54, and the mean occupational level for the father of normal school children was 4.41. According to the Terman and Merrill Standardization Scale, both means are between the occupational level of skilled workers and rural owners. The evidence indicates that in this population there was no significant difference in the occupational level of the father of mentally retarded children and the occupational level of the father of normal school children. 3. The mean annual income level of families of special education children was $4,416. 66, and the mean annual income level of families of normal school children was $5,708.33. The evidence indicates that in this population there was a significant difference between annual income levels of families of mentally retarded children and the annual income level of families of normal school children. 4. The mean for the family size of special education children was 7.16, and the mean for the family size of normal school children was 6.08. The evidence indicates that in this population there was no significant difference in the family size of mentally retarded children and the family size of normal school children. 5. The estimated proportion of the number of families on welfare between special education children and normal school children was .302. The evidence indicates that in this population there was no significant difference between the number of families of mentally retarded children on welfare and the number of families of normal school children on welfare. 6. The estimated proportion of the number of mothers who were the sole parent between special education children and normal school children was .125.. The evidence indicates thatin this population there was no significant difference between the number of mothers who were the sole parent of special education children and the number of mothers who were the sole parent of normal school children. 7. The estimated proportion of the number of working mothers between special education children and normal school children was .125. The evidence indicates that in this population there was no significant difference between the number of working mothers of mentally retarded children and the number of working mothers of normal school: children. 8. The mean for the number of land-premise deficiencies on the property of special education children was 6.50, and the mean far the number of land-premise deficiencies on the property of normal school children was 4.29. The evidence indicates that in this population there was a significant difference between the number of land-premise deficiencies on the property of mentally retarded children and the number of land-premise deficiencies on the property of normal school children. Recommendations for future research were presented on the basis of the findings of the study and the review of literature. Major recommendations related to; (a) educational in-service programs in poverty areas for families of the retarded, (b) environmental cleanup programs in poverty areas, (c) the use of the CHIPS technique as a communicative device to communities of the poor, (d) a more concise and workable definition of mental retardation be developed through the cooperation of all allied disciplines related to mental retardation.
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