Abstract
When trying to teach living skills with any client, the OT must decide whether to take a ‘developmental’ or ‘splinter skills’ approach, i.e. whether to teach a skill by progressing through the various stages in sequence, or devising a way for the individual to perform the task fairly quickly. For example, if a client has poor grasp and cannot open a door, the OT will have to decide between developing the client’s hand skills and building up muscle strength versus finding a mechanical means to open the door, e.g. by installing an electronic door that opens via remote control. In the situation where a person only wears a tracksuit and slip-on shoes, there is a strong case for the therapist teaching the person how to dress/ undress with regard to these items only. The skills of doing up buttons or tying laces are not relevant on a practical day-to-day basis (although they are on a developmental scale).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Further Reading
ADL
Candish, E. (1984) A feeding workshop for the mentally handicapped. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47(3), 79–80.
Carr, J. (1980) Helping your Handicapped Child: A Step-by-step Guide to Everyday Problems, Penguin, London.
Dunlap, G., Keogel, R.L. and Koegel, L.K. (1984) Continuity of treatment: toilet training in multiple community settings. Journal of the Associations for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 9(2), 134–41.
Hallas, C.H., Frazer, W.I. and MacGillary, R.C. (1982) The Care and Training of the Mentally Handicapped, 7th edn, Wright PSG, Bristol.
Johnson, M. and W. Werner, R.A. (1980) A Step by Step Learning Guide for Retarded Infants and Children, Constable, London.
Smith, P.S., Britton, P.G., Johnson, M. and Thomas, D.A. (1975) Problems involved in toilet-training profoundly mentally handicapped adults. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 13, 301–7.
Behavioural Techniques
Kazdin, A.E. (1980) Behaviour Modification in Applied Settings, Dorsey, Homewood, Illinois.
Norris, D. (1982) Behavioural approaches to care, in Profound Mental Handicap (ed. D. Norris), Costello Educational, Tunbridge Wells.
Perkins, E.A., Taylor P.D. and Capie, A.C.M. (1983) Helping the Retarded, British Institute of Mental Handicap, Kidderminster.
Thompson, T. and Grabowski, J. (eds) (1977) Behaviour Modification of the Mentally Retarded, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, New York.
Yule, W. and Carr, J. (eds) (1980) Behaviour Modification for the Mentally Handicapped, Croom Helm, London.
Individual Programme Plans
Blunden, R. (1980) Individual Plans for Mentally Handicapped People: a Draft Procedural Guide, Mental Handicap in Wales — Applied Research Unit, Cardiff.
Houts, P.S. and Scott, R.A. (1978) Planning for Client Growth, University of Pennsylvania, Pittsburg.
Jenkins, J., Felce, D., Togood, S. et al. (1988) Individual Programme Planning: A mechanism for developing plans to meet the specific needs of individuals with mental handicaps, BIMH, Kidderminster.
Mansell, J., Felce, D., Jenkins, J. et al. (1987) Developing Staffed Housing for People with Mental Handicaps, Costello Educational, Tunbridge Wells.
Throne, J.M. (1977) Unified programming procedures for the mentally retarded. Mental Retardation, 15(1), 14–17.
Mobility, Seating and Positioning
Bobath, B. (1978) Adult Hemiplegia: Evaluation and Treatment, William Heinemann Medical, London.
Bobath, I.C. (1980) A Neurophysiological Basis for the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy, London Spastics International Medical/William Heinemann, London.
Brown, S. (1984) An evaluation of chair bases for use on carpet by children with cerebral palsy. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 31 (4), 152–55.
Chia, S.H. (1985) The Bobath approach and its application in OT for children with cerebral palsy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 48 (1), 4–7.
Folkerd, P. and Andrews, J. (1987) Equipment review: the use of colour coding to aid wheelchair management. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 50 (2), 52.
Macreill, M., Roser, R.M. and Clarke, E. (1985) Equipment review: the Rutherford kneeling frame. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48 (1), 19.
Meyers, J. and Massue, B. (1987) Wheelchairs and their use — a Guide to choosing a Wheelchair. RADAR, London.
Mulcahy, C.M. (1986) An approach to the assessment of sitting ability for the prescription of seating. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49 (11), 367–8.
Mulcahy, C.M. and Pountney, T.E. (1987) Equipment review: ramped cushion. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 50 (3), 97.
Presland, J.L. (1982) Paths to Mobility in Special Care, British Institute of Mental Handicap, Kidderminster.
Stewart, P.C. and McQuilton, G. (1987) Straddle seating for the cerebral palsied child. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 50 (4), 136–8.
Taylor, R.H. (1972) An approach to designing for the handicapped. Community Health, 3 (4), 162–6.
Wilson, B. (1980) The development of seating for posturally handicapped children. Action Magazine, ISSN 0309 2650, p. 25–8.
Sex Education
Craft, M. and Craft, A. (1977) Health and Sex Education for the Mentally Handicapped (Kit: 1 audio cassette (23 min.), 15 colour slides; covers rationale and method.
Craft, M. and Craft, A. (1982) Sex and the Mentally Handicapped: a Guide for Parents and Carers, Revised edition, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Kempton, W. (1975) A Teacher’s Guide to Sex Education for People with Learning Disabilities, Duxburg Press, North Scituate, Massachusetts.
Kempton, W. and Forman, R. (1976) Guidelines for Training in Sexuality and the Mentally Handicapped. Planned Parenthood Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
McCarthy, W. and Fegan, L. (1984) Sex Education and the Intellectually Handicapped, Addis Health Science Press, Sydney.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Debbie Isaac
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Isaac, D. (1990). Living skills and training. In: Community Occupational Therapy with Mentally Handicapped Adults. Therapy in Practice Series. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3344-7_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3344-7_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-412-32720-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-3344-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive