The purpose of this study is to compare the basic learning skills of C.P. children to normal children in relation to the grade equivalent norm and age equivalent norm and to make clear the difference among the domains of the basic learning skills and the different handicapped types so as to provide the necessary information to make a proper teaching plan and strategy for the students.
I gave the basic learning skills test to 65 C.P. Children in the first, the second and the third grades at five special school for the physically handicapped in the Kwang-ju, Tag-gu, Tae-jon and Pusan areas. The results from that test are as follows:
First, at the level of the grade equivalent norm and the age equivalent norm for the basic learning skills of the C.P. children show a lower level than the normal grade equivalent norm and age equivalent norm in the order of information processing, reading comprehension, spelling recognition, and reading recognition.
a.The grade equivalent norm each domain of all grades shows the lowest levels as -1.32 grade at the domain of information processing. The level of each domain of every grade manifests a below normal grade-level, especially in the domains of information processing and reading comprehension . It also shows an accumulation of retarded learning phenomena as students advance to the upper grades.
b.the level of the age equivalent norm of all grades is also lower than normal grade-level at every domain in the same order as at the grade equivalent norm, and it is lowest especially in the domain of information processing.
c.The level of the basic learning skill of C.P. children is lower at the age equivalent norm than at the grade equivalent norm and this is because the average age of C.P. children is higher than children of the grade equivalent norm.
Second, regarding the difference among domains of the basic learning skills of C.P. children, every child shows retardation at the reading comprehension among every domain relevant to reading comprehension.
a.At the domain of information processing and reading recognition, and third grade shows no difference, the first grade shows a low level at the domain of reading recognition and the second grade shows an low level at the domain of information processing, but they do not show significant difference.
b.At the domain of information processing and the reading comprehension, all grades (the first, the second and the third grade) are low at the level of the reading comprehension and the first grade and the second grade show significant difference.
c.At the domain of information processing and spelling recognition, the first grade shows a low level at the information processing domain and the second grade and the third grade show low level at spelling recognition domain, but no significant difference.
d.At the domain of reading recognition and reading comprehension, all grades show low level at the reading comprehension;especially the second grade shows a big gap in marks and significant difference is manifested in the first and second grade.
e.At the domain of reading recognition and spelling recognition, all grades show low level at spelling recognition, but no significant difference.
Third, in the comparison of the level of the basic learning skills between C.P. spastic type children and C.P. athetoid type children, spastic type shows a higher grade at information processing domain than athetoid type, and spelling recognition and reading comprehension. As a whole, athetoid type shows a high grade at the basic learning skill but no significant difference.
This study does not include the arithmatics domain of the learning skills test. It does not include handicaps other than cerebral palsy as subjects. Thus a follow-up study is required for a comparative examination of the results of this study.
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