Mary W. Kiarie (2006). Educational services for students with mental retardation in Kenya. International Journal of Special Education. Volume 21 (No. 2)
The article was to inform the readers that research on educational programs for mentally retarded individuals, especially in other countries is scarce. In this article we will discuss what mental retardation means, the causes of the illness, and issues that deal with the identification, assessment and evaluation of these students in Kenya. The article discusses different placement options along with the curriculum in the different placements. The American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) was founded in 1876. They came up with a new meaning of mental retardation. This definition
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There are 4 levels of mental retardation, mild (score 50 to around 70), moderate (score35 through 40to 50 through 55), severe (score 20 through 25 to 35), and profound (20 through 25). The standardized test such as the AAMR Adaptive Behavior Scale and the Vineland Adaptive Scale are used to determine an individual’s adaptive skill. Using the IQ score and the adaptive scale score would determine if the person was mental retarded if they were below …show more content…
They don’t have the academic abilities of their peers. The students with suspected of having mental retardation are usually withdrawn and hard to make friends, some have physical handicaps, and some may have autism, epilepsy, or cerebral palsy. Children with a mild mental retardation are usually educated in a regular classroom in Kenya with no modifications or accommodations. Students with Moderate to server mental retardation are educated in units at the regular schools, which sounds like out self-contained classes, or sent to special schools. It is very likely that students with profound mental retardation gets no education in Kenya. Even though the parents want their child educated some are uneducable and therefore do not belong in a school environment. In Kenya students have to take an entrance exam to predict their academic placement. If the students can’t pass this they are left in a grade until they pass it, drop out or get to old to stay. Those students with mental retardation that can’t do the normal academic work are sent to special classes or schools that teach them basic living