Considerations in Educating Children with Cerebral Dysfunction

Abstract

The current state of educating children with cerebral dysfunctions seems to be one of dealing with a poorly defined and poorly understood commodity, through the use of unvalidated procedures and with the expectation of great gains. This paper provides elaboration and elucidation on the following constructs: (1) An “experimental attitude” stressing the tentative nature of our knowledge and the need for systematic exploration of the child's behavior and consequent modification of remedial approaches should prove more effective than an attitude of certainty, as if we had truth at hand. (2) The motivational-attitudinal system of the child and how he sees himselfand the remedial experience needs to be understood. (3) The classroom teacher will be better able to aid in the remedial process if he can understand the complexities of educating the child and if his own value system is not in conflict with program objectives. (4) There are ways of structuring the learning environment to match the child's inner psychological state that are well within the capabilities of most teachers.