ROLE PLAYING AS A TRAINING DEVICE IN PREPARING MULTIPLE-HANDICAPPED YOUTH FOR EMPLOYMENT

Abstract

The use of role playing in training handicapped youth for job situations proved to be a highly practical and effective method of preparing them to get and to hold a job. Role play provided opportunities for gaining missing life-experience and practice, for anticipating requirements and demands of job situations, for establishing suggestive patterns in behavior and verbal response for meeting these situations more adequately. In addition it provided opportunities for developing competence and confidence. "Living through these experiences" in role play provided a different level of participation and involvement for these youngsters who for reasons of disturbance or retardation could not as easily be reached on only a discussion level.