Assessment and intervention to teach age recognition skills: a suggested programme using the example of a case study to illustrate

A 43-year-old man with mild intellectual disabilities was referred after se veral contacts with the law when he had been seen in the street talking to children who were unknown to him. Some staff members feared that he had a s exual interest in children. Other colleagues considered that the behaviour was innocent, reflecting his friendly nature, but that it was a behaviour w hich was misinterpreted by others. The present paper charts the assessment of this man's difficulties and abilities over a wide range of relevant area s, and a reassessment following an intensive period of one-to-one training on age-recognition skills. Although the training was unsuccessful, the meas ures used assisted in making a detailed assessment and providing clear inst ructions to care staff, all of which was to the subjects long-term benefit. The present paper also illustrates the way in which difficulties of this n ature can be assessed and uses allied assessment measures which may be help ful in looking at the whole picture of any person with such problems. It al so considers how these areas may then be addressed. Although, in this case, the subject was unable to learn to discriminate specific age groups despit e intensive training, he was consequently able to be advised in a manner wh ich should keep him from getting into trouble in the future and the now det ailed knowledge of his abilities in all these areas is valuable for his lon g-term support in the community.