Introduction

This chapter begins with a brief statement of the working model of language teaching, and offers some definitions and discussion of the terms used in this model. Teaching mentally handicapped children brings the teachers to face with some of the most baffling and fundamental questions of human development. One important difference between mentally handicapped and other children lies in the necessity to plan for development. Teaching a child to understand and use his own language is perhaps the most exciting challenge that can confront a teacher. The chapter provides detailed examples of how six teachers adapted the working model of language teaching to their own needs, by developing and defining their own objectives. It is concerned with fundamental questions about the source of the curriculum – what to teach. The chapter consists of detailed illustrations of children being taught by their teachers to communicate non-verbally. The chapter also presents some concepts discussed in this book.