DESCRIPTION OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS OF STUDENTS WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION IN REGULAR PHYSICAL-EDUCATION SETTINGS

Many students identified as trainable mentally retarded are moving to less restrictive placements. These moves may provide increased opportu nities to interact with peers without disabilities and regular educato rs. The specific aim of the study was to characterize the interactions of students with moderate and severe mental retardation with their pe ers and instructors during physical education activities in regular el ementary school settings and to examine the relationship between the n ature of physical education activities and interaction patterns using direct observational methodology. Ten subjects with moderate to severe mental retardation were observed during regular physical education cl asses. Behavioral data and activity conditions were recorded using an IBM-compatible laptop computer. This study was a first step toward ide ntifying social and environmental variables associated with successful participation of students with mental retardation in regular physical education settings.