Learning Capabilities Of Mentally Challenged Children In Meru South District Kenya

Mentally challenged children are first and foremost children with similar needs and desires like normal children. A net work of forces, the most important of which are the family, the school and the society in which the child lives, influences their development and learning abilities. The impact of each of these forces changes as the child develops and shapes also the kind of intra and interpersonal interactions of the child with people and the environment in socialization. The purpose of this study was to assess the learning capabilities/styles of the mentally challenged children with the aim of proposing good instructional methods for individualized training. The study was carried out among the mentally challenged children in special units in mainstream schools of Meru South District, Kenya. The study was a descriptive survey in which mentally challenged children were sampled from identified special units. Stratified sampling was used to obtain a finite population of children under each of the desired subgroups referred to as categories in the study. The data was collected by use of questionnaire administered to the teachers, face-toface interview and interaction with the children, as well as observing the children as they carried on with their normal daily routine. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The null hypothesis was tested using non-parametric test under 0.05 level of significance. Based on the findings, the study established that mentally challenged children in the special; units in regular schools had varied learning styles and capabilities. This however was depending on the magnitude of the mental challenge