Vocational Education: A Source of Promise for Students with Mental Disabilities. Chapter Twenty.

Overview & Synopsis

Practices are identified for use in teaching vocational education to students with mental disabilities. Iowa's definition of vocational education is presented, along with definitions for seven major delivery areas of vocational education: home economics, industrial arts/technology, trades and industry, business/office education, distributive/marketing education, health occupations, and vocational agriculture. Best practices in the implementation of a vocational education program include careful consideration of student placement, modification of materials, use of effective teaching methods, modification of evaluation procedures, use of competency checklists, development of vocational student organizations, incorporation of vocational education into the development of individualized education programs, and use of cooperative education techniques. Included is a checklist to assist vocational education teachers to assess their personal ability to reach low-achieving students. (JDD)