C:\Documents and Settings\hooperjr\My Documents\Since 2011\test\dsat\DSAT PACKET COVER SHEET 8-11.DOC

Finger Lakes DDSO Workforce Development and Training

Test Preparation Packet

for

Direct Support Assistant Trainee

Contents:

� “What It Takes” by OPWDD � NYS Dept of Civil Service: Direct Support Assistant, 10-018

� Required Competencies: Direct Support Assistant Trainee

� Job Description by OPWDD: “Direct Support Assistant” � Problem Solving Diagnostic Worksheet � Answer Sheet - Practice Test � Improving Your Test-Taking Skills – (pages 1-16), CSEA � Concepts and Principals for Normalization, Booklet 9, CSEA

- of Mentally Retarded/Developmentally Disabled Individuals -- Therapeutic Approaches Used With Mentally Retarded/Developmentally Disabled Individuals -- Booklet No. 9

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Source: http://www.opwdd.ny.gov/careers/index.jsp

G:\fld\FL_WDT\EMP DEV_CONT ED_ED LEAVE\TEST PREPARATION\DSATCivil Service Description 8-11

Source: http://www.cs.state.ny.us/examannouncements/announcements/prom-cr/10-018.cfm

NEW YORK STATE Department of Civil Service

Direct Support Assistant Trainee 10-018

As a Direct Support Assistant Trainee, you would participate in a traineeship ranging from 6 months to 15 months depending on your qualifications and your ability to demonstrate competency in certain critical areas of consumer care. You will be required to successfully complete and be certified in Medication Administration and Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention (SCIP). At the successful conclusion of your traineeship, you would advance without further examination to Grade 9

Duties: As a Direct Support Assistant Trainee, you would help individuals with developmental disabilities lead richer lives. Under supervision, you would assist individuals with personal hygiene care, toileting, lifts and transfers, dining, dressing, and meal preparation. You would help individuals to participate in games and recreational programs; coach and encourage individuals to develop daily living skills; and provide a clean, safe, and comfortable environment. You would work with other staff to carry out and record care plans and, in accordance with special instructions, you may administer medication. These positions are physically demanding. You would need to be prepared to act to ensure the health and safety of individuals in emergency situations. You must be able to do such things as stand, bend, stretch, and lift bedridden and/or incapacitated individuals.

Required Competencies Participates On Team 1.1 Document individual-related information and implement plan. 1.2 Provide feedback to work members regarding changes in behavior. 1.3 Provide appropriate response to members of individual’s family, visitors,

representatives of other agencies and other DDSO staff. 1.4 Identify strengths and life choices of individuals. 1.5 Accompany/assist/transport individuals to programs or other activities. 1.6 Provide and maintain an abuse-free environment. 1.7 Identify and advocate for individual rights and protection. 1.8 Assist with report and investigation of incidents. 1.9 Assist clinician in the provision of services Providing A Safe And Clean Environment 2.1 Follow fire/safety procedures. 2.2 Provide and maintain a clean safe environment. 2.3 Use infection control techniques. 2.4 Respond appropriately to situations which occur when a individual is in crisis. 2.5 Apply, maintain, and report on the condition of adaptive equipment. 2.6 Proper handling and storage of food. 2.7 Demonstrate knowledge of individual's individual protective oversight plans and

take appropriate measures to ensure safety. Managing Activities Of Daily Living 3.1 Teach/assist/evaluate individuals in developing life skills. 3.2 Assist individuals in developing dining skills. 3.3 Act as a leader and role model. 3.4 Teach/assist/evaluate individuals with personal purchases. 3.5 Teach/assist independence in mobility techniques for visually impaired/blind

individuals. 3.6 Teach/assist independence in mobility and transportation skills. 3.7 Prepare individual(s) meals. Maintaining Health 4.1 Perform appropriate emergency care. 4.2 Respond appropriately to medical emergencies. 4.3 Apply dressings. 4.4 Demonstrate prevention and treatment of decubitus ulcers. 4.5 Administer medications/treatments. 4.6 Provide/assist with bath or shower. 4.7 Provide oral care.

continued

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4.8 Provide nail care 4.9 Provide hair care. 4.10 Provide care for individual who is incontinent. 4.11 Take vital signs. 4.12 Collect specimens. 4.13 Test for sugar and acetone. 4.14 Demonstration of procedure of taking weight and height measurements. 4.15 Immediately report significant changes in physical condition. 4.16 Note and report changes in voiding and elimination. 4.17 Lift and transfer using proper techniques. 4.18 Assist individuals in utilizing health services. 4.19 Provide range of motion exercises. Organizing Leisure/Recreation Activities 5.1 Assist individuals in planning and participating in leisure activities of their choosing. 5.2 Identify and use community-based resources for leisure and recreation. Maintaining Operations 6.1 Contribute to the operation of the work site by ordering/maintaining personal and

household supplies and equipment. 6.2 Use proper procedures when reporting information concerning physical

plant/environment. 6.3 Assist with general maintenance (e.g. generator use/care, lawn, snow removal,

and minor household repairs).

DIRECT SUPPORT ASSISTANT

JOB DESCRIPTION

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CLASS

Direct Support Assistants perform a wide variety of routine tasks and activities in

support of the full range of habilitative services provided to developmentally disabled

individuals. The tasks and activities performed depend upon the specific abilities of the

individuals being served and the nature of the setting where the work is performed.

These tasks involve encouraging, guiding and training individuals in developing daily

living skills and habits, taking care of their personal needs, assuring community

integration, ensuring the health and safety of individuals, and maintaining the service

environment.

Direct Support Assistants exists only in the Office for People With Developmental

Disabilities and are assigned to residential and/or program settings as members of a

Program Planning Team.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

Direct Support Assistant: entry level; under general supervision of clinical or higher

level staff provide direct care to developmentally disabled individuals in a residential

and/or program setting; assist and motivate individuals in their care to attend to their

personal daily living needs and to further develop those vocational, nutritional, social,

and personal skills necessary to maintain or achieve the highest possible level of

independent functioning in the least restrictive environment.

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

Direct Support Assistants provide observations, evaluations, and reports to other team

members to ensure and/or record an individual’s progress toward treatment/habilitation

goals. In accordance with habilitative plans, they guide and teach individuals to develop

skills required for a more independent lifestyle. Incumbents may take a lead role in one

or more of the following duties within a work site. Duties may be performed in several or

all of the following areas:

Personal Care

· Teaches and reinforces accepted infection control and personal grooming

techniques; assists in bathing, dental care, hair and nail care, personal hygiene,

toileting, incontinence care, menstrual care, and grooming routines as

necessary.

· Teaches and assists individuals in dressing, clothing selection, storage,

laundering and repair of clothing and accessories; helps them to shop for

clothing.

· Teaches and assists in proper use and care of shavers and razors, eyeglasses,

hearing aids, prostheses as prescribed by appropriate medical practitioner.

· Administers and teaches individuals first aid treatments; administers

cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques and performs other health-related

techniques as required.

· Takes, records, reports temperatures, blood pressures, pulse rate, weight, and

other significant symptoms/health-related occurrences; aids developmentally

disabled individuals in understanding, recording, and reporting such factors.

· Maintains confidentiality of information.

· Reports unusual incidents and physical or behavioral symptoms promptly and

accurately to the supervisor.

· Applies valid and accepted limits for inappropriate behavior and helps control

and restrain individuals with challenging behaviors in their care.

· Administers prescribed medications and treatments; teaches, observes, reports

problems and progress in self-administration of medications programs; assists

individuals in achieving more independence in administration of medications;

teaches use of skin care lotions, topical ointments, eye and ear drops and

assists in their use as needed.

· Accompanies individuals to medical, dental, and other health-related

appointments; delivers prescriptions to pharmacy, takes medication to home site

and logs same; and instructs and observes individuals in use of those

substances.

Food Preparation, Mealtimes

· Assists individuals in eating who cannot feed themselves independently.

· Teaches individuals to eat in a family-style setting; models and teaches mealtime

socialization skills.

· Teaches and assists individuals to plan, shop, store, prepare and serve meals

using currently accepted nutritional standards; and to clean kitchen and dining

areas, and dispose of leftover food safely.

Maintaining the Environment

Under the direction of the appropriate level supervisor, the Direct Support Assistants

performs various tasks and duties to assure that the living environment is properly

maintained and kept in clean, neat and orderly condition.

· Performs/teaches developmentally disabled individuals routine housekeeping

duties such as dusting, washing floors and walls, cleaning bathrooms, and

vacuuming rugs.

· Assists developmentally disabled individuals in bed making.

· Follows safety procedures in living unit by mopping up spills, reporting unsafe

conditions, teaches and reinforces fire safety procedures. Checks to see that fire

exits are clear, night-lights and exit signs on, windows locked, etc.

· Stores supplies and assures that storage areas are kept in a neat and orderly

condition.

· Responsible for storage and replacement on linens.

· May assist in various household inventories.

· Performs/teaches minor and routine maintenance tasks such as changing light

bulbs, fuses, replacement of faucet washers; and obtains repair services for

appliances.

· Performs/teaches routine removal of trash, cleaning of trash containers,

ashtrays, etc.

· Teaches/performs outdoor maintenance tasks and repairs of residence, yard,

garden, walks; reports need for or obtains repair services for automobiles, van,

mowers, etc.

· Checks fire equipment and reports any malfunction.

· Conducts fire drills following the fire evacuation plan.

Individual Development, Personal Interests

· Teaches and reinforces use of a variety of communication skills.

· Guides individuals through motor exercises designed to increase physical

coordinative functions.

· Teaches and reinforces principles of human growth and development, including

human sexuality, as determined by each person’s developmental level and

program plan.

· Teaches acceptable work habits, e.g., punctuality, dress and grooming, to enable

individuals to develop readiness for work outside the home, or in support of

individuals’ habilitative goals.

· Accompanies developmentally disabled individuals to community activities

including worksites, cultural, religious and social events, day programs, visits to

health practitioners; aids them in developing awareness and use of community

resources and in interacting with others.

· Provides support for maximum community integration.

· Transports/arranges for transport of individuals to community events; and aids

them in development of their mobility skills.

· Maintains an adequate supply of and accounting of personal clothing and

possessions.

· Teaches money management principles to developmentally disabled individuals;

and completes/aids in completion of banking activities.

· Provides an accurate accounting of all financial transactions made on behalf of

individuals in their care.

· Helps developmentally disabled individuals to develop/maintain positive

interpersonal relationships with their peers, with others in their families, and with

others in the community. Aids in explaining feelings, resolving conflicts,

teaching/reinforcing acceptable means of dissipating frustration, and anger.

· If pets are in the home, teaches/assists with their feeding, grooming, and care.

· Teaches/supervises/participates in a variety of leisure and recreational activities,

crafts projects, seasonal and permanent home decoration; assists in planning,

supervising and conducting holiday celebrations selected by residents and staff.

· May accompany developmentally disabled individuals to dances, camping trips,

swimming, horseback riding, basketball, or other sports; assists in selection and

teaching of appropriate community inclusion leisure activities.

· Aids in the selection, purchase, care and use by developmentally disabled

individuals of age appropriate personal belongings.

Participating as Program Planning Team Member

Observes and reports on behavior and specific responses to programming, medication,

interpersonal relationships, etc.

· Actively participates at staff meetings by communicating observations concerning

progress and reaction to various therapy programs.

· At meetings, may suggest alternative programs or procedures based on

experience with the individual’s habilitation plan.

· Records all significant behavioral responses in prescribed format.

· Participates in the development of individual program and habilitation plans.

COMMUNICATION

As members of the Program Planning Team, Direct Support Assistants communicate

with other direct care staff or with supervisory or clinical staff for the purpose of sharing

information and obtaining direction for specific assignments. They also communicate

with the developmentally disabled individuals in their care, their families and others who

come in contact with them.

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Problem Solving Diagnostic Worksheet For each question you answered incorrectly, go through the checklist below and

place the number of the question missed next to each trait exhibited. This is

designed to give you more insight into why you answered a question incorrectly.

By working to improve your abilities in these areas, you should notice an improvement in

your scores.

Question Number(s) Trait Exhibited

1. I jumped to an incorrect conclusion.

2. I misinterpreted what the question was asking.

3. I had little confidence I could solve the problem.

4. I didn’t break the reading passage down into more easily understood parts.

5. I knew I couldn’t solve the problem, so I gave up and guessed.

6. I made a careless error.

7. I followed a hunch without checking it through.

8. I didn’t step back and evaluate the reasonableness of my solution.

9. I worked mechanically because I knew it was hopeless.

10. I didn’t check my work.

11. I became bored or frustrated, and took a guess.

12. I was inconsistent in my interpretation of parts of the reading passage.

13. I didn’t try to visualize the problem.

14. I misinterpreted part of the reading passage.

15. I tried to answer the question without realizing that my understanding of a section of the reading passage was

vague.

CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION, INC.

LOCAL 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO

Danny Donohue, President

CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION

Improving Your

Test-Taking Skills

Booklet ITTS

LABOR EDUCATION ACTION PROGRAM

Booklet ITTS

Improving Your

Test-Taking Skills

The CSEA Examination Preparation Booklet Series is designed to help members

prepare for New York State and local government civil service examinations. Thisbooklet is designed for practice purposes only and its content may not conform tothat of any particular civil service examination.

Copyright, Reprinted March 1998Not To Be Reproduced Without Permission

1

Improving YourTest-Taking Skills

The information in this booklet is the result of ten years of studying the Civil Serviceexam system and teaching people how to improve their scores. Many people have found

that this information has been extremely helpful to them, especially when they’vecombined it with systematic practice with exam preparation questions. We have includedpractice questions and explanations in this booklet. In addition, there are other test-taking

booklets available through CSEA which will provide you with more practice if you feelyou need it. Many of these other booklets were prepared for state promotional exams, butthe categories they cover are the same or very similar to those found on county exams.There is a list of available booklets in the Appendix.

This booklet is divided into two sections: test-taking tips and sample readingcomprehension questions. The test-taking tips section includes an outline of general test-

taking tips, a more detailed version of the general test-taking tips, and a few tips foranswering reading comprehension questions correctly. The sample questions sectionincludes the reading comprehension questions themselves, an answer key, and fullexplanations. As we mentioned above, there is also an appendix in the back of the

booklet which gives a listing of the booklets available from CSEA, as well as theDiagnostic Worksheet. We will explain the use of the worksheet later.

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General Test-Taking Tips

First, a quick review:

1. Practice, practice, practice

2. Be positive

3. Be patient and persistent

4. Know where you’re going and get there early

5. Be prepared

6. Bring food

7. Don’t be thrown by initial anxiety

8. Pace yourself

9. Take deep breaths and short rest breaks

10. Read very carefully

11. Pick the best possible answer

12. Assess the reasonableness of your answer

13. Don’t overanalyze and don’t jump to conclusions

14. NEVER, NEVER leave an answer blank

15. Treat your scrap paper with respect

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1) PRACTICE

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Practice is crucial. We have been toldcountless times by people that practicing with sample questions has significantlyraised their scores, sometimes by more than thirty points. Keep practicing, even if

you have doubts about your ability to do any better. If you take the time to practice,you will improve. As you practice, you develop an understanding of how to do wellon these exams. It’s as if you are adding a new compartment in the brain, a

“multiple-choice mind,” that you can trot out for the exams and keep in mothballsthe rest of the time if you like.

We have included a number of sample questions and complete explanations for them

in this booklet. If you make a separate answer sheet for yourself rather than markingyour answers in the booklet, you’ll be able to work with the questions more thanonce. It’s best to do a few questions and then check your answers rather than doing

all of the questions at once. In this way, you can see whether or not you’re on theright track. Even if you've answered a question correctly, read the explanation onceto make sure your answer is right for the right reasons. If you have time, go backover the questions the week before the exam. You should be able to see an

improvement in your scores, and this should increase your self-confidence. Doingthe same questions over a period of time will also help you to be more aware of thetendencies and habits you have that do you in. In order to further help you assess

your test-taking habits, we’ve included a diagnostic worksheet in the Appendix. Itcontains a listing of some common problems people have and has proven to be avaluable self-assessment tool.

Practicing is also important because the exam can be a test of your endurance asmuch as a test of your reasoning ability. Most of us are not used to sitting for hoursreading something that we aren’t particularly interested in, and trying to figure out

questions that we could care less about. Since practicing with exam preparationquestions at home does not require the same amount of endurance as taking theactual exam, we’ve tipped the scales a bit by making the reading passages in thisbooklet longer than the ones you would most likely find on an exam.

If you’d like more questions to practice with, you can match up many of the subjectslisted on your exam announcement with the other test preparation booklets that are

available through CSEA, and order those you feel might be helpful to you. No matterhow many questions you choose to work with, try to spread your studying out over aperiod of time. It isn’t wise to pack all of your studying into the week or night beforethe exam. Some people are successful at cramming, but, for most of us, cramming

results in lost sleep and not being able to think clearly during the exam. It’s fine todo something fun the night before the exam if you can, but not too much fun or elseyou’ll be tired and unable to think. Of course, if you would rather spend the evening

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before the exam reviewing some test-taking material, then you should do so. In

either case, whether you decide to work or play, moderation is important.

Plan to reward yourself after you finish the exam. Getting ready for and taking anexam can make people feel deprived; having something to look forward to can do a

lot to foster perseverance. It doesn’t have to cost money. It might be something you'd

feel guilty about otherwise – taking the rest of the day to do something just for

yourself perhaps. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it makes you feel rewarded.

2) BE POSITIVE

It helps so much to look at this as a positive experience rather than as a dreadedactivity that’s being forced upon you. You may hate the idea, the very thought maysend you into a spasm of negativity, but please try to figure out some way that takingthis exam is benefiting you. (At the very least, it’s good practice for the next one.)

Whenever you start to feel anxious, put upon, resentful, or whatever, remind yourselfof the benefits.

Of course, we aren’t saying that positive thoughts are all that are necessary. In mostcases, practicing with the test-taking booklets is more valuable. But what we tellourselves has a great effect on how we view what’s happening to us, and this canaffect what will happen to us. Many studies have shown that people who consciously

try to think positively can improve their performance significantly. This is true evenin such areas as job interviews where it would seem that our own thoughts wouldn’tcarry as much weight as those of the interviewer.

What do you tell yourself about the exams and your prospects? If your internalcommunication runs something like: “I’M NOT A TEST-TAKER, I NEVER DOWELL ON TIIESE EXAMS, AND I’M TERRIBLE AT MATH,” it’s probably

preventing you from doing as well as you otherwise might. If we already feeldoomed to failure, how can we put much energy into learning how to do well? Themore we repeat negative phrases, the more we reinforce them and the more difficult

it is to overcome them. If we worry and obsess about the exam before, during and/oreven after it’s over, we’re also wasting a lot of energy. Thinking takes energy, andnegative thinking takes even more energy. Fear, anxiety, or any other type ofnegative thinking is often very draining. That’s why we feel exhausted when we’re

extremely worried about something or when we’re under a lot of emotional strain.

It’s very important to take the time to listen to your thinking so you can discover

what really goes on in your mind. Once you have become better acquainted withyour thought processes and have observed patterns of negative communications, you

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can change these habits by saying things that are the opposite of your fears or

expectations. If math is your demon, then keep telling yourself, “I do well in math.”If you get anxious when taking tests, and the page starts swimming before your eyes,tell yourself, “I think clearly under pressure.” Create sentences that are positive andin the present. It’s better to say, “I am perfectly calm whenever I take an exam” than

to say, “I will not be nervous during the exam.” The latter phrase introduces anelement of doubt, and there are generally enough doubts in our minds already.

For some people, their negative self-talk involves putting themselves down, perhapsbecause they don’t feel they do well on tests. If this is true for you, try to rememberthat being able to answer test questions correctly does not reflect upon yourintelligence, your worth, or how well you actually do your job. It just reflects upon

your ability to answer test questions. That’s all. If you doubt this, think about peopleyou know who are good at taking tests, but lacking in other areas like jobcompetence or personality or basic human decency. Then think of those who are

great people, highly intelligent, or incredibly effective in their jobs, but who doterribly on the exams.

3) BE PATIENT AND PERSISTENT

Have patience with yourself, with the exam preparation questions we’ve provided,and with the exam itself. When you practice, don’t get depressed or upset if you dopoorly at first – or if you have done poorly in the past. You will improve.

A favorite trick of the impatient mind is to think that there must be a typo in theexam booklet or to be overly enamored with choice d: “none of the above.” Typosdo occur, but not that frequently, and “none of the above” is rarely the correct

answer. In fact, it’s not even given as a choice for most questions.

There are good test-takers and there are bad test-takers. Good test-takers haveconfidence; they believe that the problem can be solved and that they can solve it.

Because they believe they can do it, they have the persistence to be good problemsolvers. They stick with a problem until they get an answer. They analyze problemsstep by step, breaking them down into parts, and solving them piece by piece. And

finally, they are active thinkers. They do anything to make the problem manageableand concrete: translate it into real life examples, draw diagrams, write things downin simple terms, or reorganize the facts.

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4) KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING AND GET THERE EARLY

Make sure you know where you’re going, how to get there, and if parking will be aproblem. Try to leave the house a little bit early. Of course, you can still take theexam even if you’re late, but why do that to yourself?

5) BE PREPARED

Be prepared – provision yourself.

1. Bring your admittance card, and some form of I.D. in case you need it.

2. Bring a calculator if math or tables are included on the exam. In the past, peopleweren’t allowed to use calculators in the exams, but people have been able to use

them in recent years. So bring one just in case.

3. Bring a watch to reassure yourself that you have enough time, or to time yourself.There is generally enough time to answer the questions, but timing yourself will

keep you from using up too much time and energy on one section.

4. Bring a few #2 pencils.

6) BEING PREPARED INCLUDES BRINGING FOOD

We made this a separate category because it is so important.

Civil Service tells people to bring food for the longer exams, but very few people doso. For some, it’s hard enough to get themselves there without packing a lunch, too.Others are self-conscious about bothering people with noisy bags and wrappings. Ifthat’s the case, use plastic wrap instead of aluminum foil, but please take food.

Blood sugar levels rule our lives. Our brains need a constant, steady supply ofglucose (blood sugar) to function properly. The average American lifestyle – full of

stress and fueled by a diet laden with sugar, caffeine, nicotine, processed foods, andalcohol – very often interferes with the proper functioning of the brain. Most peopleneed coffee, Coke, or donut injections throughout the day, but because their internalregulating mechanisms are so out of whack, they still feel as if they’re in a trance by

11:30 in the morning and after 3:00 (or so) in the afternoon. When blood sugar islow, we are likely to become spacy, irritable, frustrated, depressed, or impatient. Wemay get headaches, or have trouble thinking clearly and concentrating. And during

7

an exam, when the stakes are high, we often get anxious, so the adrenaline is

pumping and throwing off blood sugar levels even more. For this reason, bringingfood to an exam may be critical. But stay away from candy bars and other sweetsbecause they provoke an adrenaline response. While they will bring the blood sugarup, they cause it to rise too high and too quickly. Blood sugar levels drop quickly

when they are elevated by processed sugars, and so not too long after the quick highcomes an equally rapid low. These extreme fluctuations are hard on the body andprevent the brain from functioning as well as it could. Instead of bringing sweets or

junk food, take foods that contain protein: cheese, nuts (preferably unsalted),chicken legs, a tuna fish sandwich. If you’re a smoker, you especially need to bringfood because your body is used to using cigarettes to stabilize your blood sugarlevels. Since you can’t smoke in the room, you’ll feel the effects of the blood-sugar

roller coaster even more than a non-smoker would. But if you’re addicted tocaffeine, and can’t think without it after 10 AM (or even before), bring a big thermosof coffee or tea by all means. This is no time to decide to do without and get healthy.

Bring something to eat even if it is a short exam.

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7) DON’T BE THROWN BY INITIAL ANXIETY (if you have any)

Are you one of those people who takes one look at the booklet and gets an anxietyattack? Do the words of the first question swim before your eyes? Do you enter atrance-like state? Are there times when you can read a passage over and over yet

have no idea what the words mean? There is hope for you, too.

One trick is to take a deep breath – perhaps you might even close your eyes – and

just take a few seconds to become aware of how you feel. Fear or anxiety is a signalsent by your body. Your body is urgently telling you that you’re in some kind ofdanger. If you acknowledge the signal and just watch it, your body becomes satisfiedthat you’re paying attention, and it will allow you to calm down. If you try to ignore

the signal or push it away, as most people do, then it often acts like an alarm thatgets louder and louder if no one turns it off. The more you try to ignore it, the worseit affects you.

You might try taking inventory. Notice how your body is reacting, anddispassionately make a list of the symptoms: pounding heart, panicky feeling, wordsswimming, and so on. Believe it or not, this helps by allowing you to witness what’s

happening as if it were happening to someone else. It gives the body time to calmdown rather than feeding it more anxiety-producing thoughts. (When we try to argueaway a feeling or get mad at ourselves for feeling a certain way, we usually prolong

the feeling.) You may also want to think about your past experiences in this kind ofsituation and reassure yourself: “I’ll be nervous at first, but I always settle down andam able to think after a while. Even if I waste some time being nervous, I still haveenough time to finish the exam.” (If you tend to stay nervous and unable to think,

skip this step because it obviously won’t be very reassuring.)

Another technique that works for many people is to spend a few seconds doing some

deep breathing. Try it now:

Sit up straight, cross your legs at the ankles or put your feet flat on the floor,close your eyes, and place your hands loosely on your abdomen. Take a long,

slow breath in through your nose and pretend that you are breathing into yourabdomen. Allow your abdomen to expand. Then exhale slowly and evenlythrough your nose. As you exhale, allow your abdomen to go in, to slowly

collapse as if the breath were coming out of your abdomen like air slowly beingreleased from a balloon. Continue to breathe in this way for five to ten breaths.

If you took the time to do this exercise, rather than just read it, you probably feel a

difference in your state. You may feel calmer, more peaceful, or more energized. Weasked you to close your eyes and put your hands on your abdomen because it’s easierto learn the technique this way, but you can do it more discreetly. You can keep your

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eyes open and simply take slow, quiet breaths into your abdomen whenever you feel

anxious –and no one will know what you’re doing.

If you are still anxious after doing the above exercises, you might try one or both ofthe following techniques:

1. Skim the passages until you find one with a question that you can answer. Afteryou’ve successfully completed one question, you will most likely feel more

calm and be able to return to the first question with your mind functioning. (Becareful when you skip questions, however, and be sure to mark the correctspace on your answer sheet.) This approach does work for a lot of people, but itcan backfire. All the passages might look like gibberish, even the most simple

ones, and your panic might increase.

2. You might want to work from the answers and the question stem. Figure out

what the question stem is asking of you and then look at the first answer choice.Next, skim the passage to see if you can find something similar to the answerchoice or something that contradicts it. Do this for each choice, and then selectthe best answer for that question.

8) PACE YOURSELF

Know how much time you have, and watch the time so you can pace yourself. Youdon’t have to speed through the exam; the individual sections aren’t timed, and you

generally have enough time to finish them all. You usually are given 3 to 5 hours for60 to 90 questions, but some sections and questions will take longer than others. Ifthis isn’t your first exam, you probably know which sections will take more of your

time. If this is your first exam, just be aware of the time and don’t get bogged down.There is often enough time both to finish the exam and to go back into each sectionto recheck the difficult questions or the ones you weren’t sure of.

9) TAKE DEEP BREATHS AND SHORT REST BREAKS

It helps to take short rest breaks throughout the exam to reduce the building cycle oftension. The exams can be tedious, anxiety-producing, and frustrating. Often we areforcing ourselves to concentrate – using all the will power we have to keep from just

giving up and saying the heck with it. All this creates fatigue and a building cycle oftension which can interfere with optimal performance. By taking deep breaths,stretching, staring into space (or out the window if there is one), closing our eyes, or

10

doing other tension release exercises, we break the cycle of tension and start over

with a relatively cleaner slate.

Here are a few tension-release exercises that might help you:

Hold your arm out in front of you. Make a fist, as tight as you can – tighter,tighter. Now quickly release it and let your arm just fall. Do the same with theother arm.

Hunch your shoulders as if you were trying to touch your ears with the tops ofyour shoulders – higher, higher. Now drop them.

Straighten your leg out in front of you and lift it about 6 inches off the floor.Point your toe – more, more. Now point your heel – tighter, tighter. You shouldfeel the stretch all the way up your leg. Now drop it. Do the same with your

other leg.

As we mentioned earlier, it’s also helpful to take deep breaths every once in a while.

The brain normally uses 20 percent of the oxygen we take in. The trouble is thatwhen we are under stress we tend to need more oxygen but take air in lessefficiently. When the brain doesn’t have enough oxygen, it tends to get spacy, unable

to focus, unable to concentrate, impatient, anxious, and so on. Doing a little quietdeep breathing (like that described in Point 7) can significantly improve our abilityto function when taking an exam because deep breathing increases oxygen intake,calms the nervous system, and increases vitality. The problem is that we often forget

to do these things at the times we need them the most. If you (discreetly) practicedoing these exercises at work and while you are practicing with the exam booklets inthe days before the exam, you’ll be more likely to remember to do them during the

exam. Try to remember to do them often because they are worth the few secondsthey take. (It is not advisable to take deep breaths in an area where the air quality ispoor. Sometimes heavily polluted air is very noticeable – when pumping gas orstanding near a bus, for example. At other times, when the pollutant is asbestos or

odorless chemicals, there are no obvious clues. If you find yourself feeling worseafter doing some deep breathing, go back to your normal breathing habits.)

The most relaxed you can stay in general, the better off you will be. Along withpracticing with the test-taking booklets, it would be good to practice relaxationtechniques before the exam. If you develop a habit of relaxation, you will be able tothink more clearly and easily, and you will be less likely to produce an excess of

adrenaline.

11

10) READ VERY CAREFULLY

We can’t stress this enough. Sometimes there will be just one word in an answerthat will make that choice the wrong one.

11) PICK THE BEST POSSIBLE ANSWER

Read all the choices and pick the best one. If you want to do well on the exam, youhave to get used to picking the least rotten choice. It’s like voting for president

sometimes. Your candidate didn’t make it, you don’t like what you’re stuck with,but you have to pick the best of what’s available. And, as sometimes happens whenvoting for president, it comes down to just two choices, and you have a heck of atime deciding.

Don’t expect all the questions to be well-written. Civil Service has tight budgetsand a lot of exams to prepare. Remember this, and don’t get frustrated when you

come across a badly written question. Do the best you can, and try to appeal it later.If you come upon a question that you feel is incorrect and should be appealed, try tomake a mental note about it so that you can remember it later.

Don’t get angry, and don’t let a question unnerve you. Everyone taking the examhas the same questions you have, so no one has an advantage when a question isbadly written. And please don’t pick an answer on principle. In other words, don’t

pick an answer because you think it’s the best one even though you know that theexam writers would probably disagree with you. This is most likely to occur withsome supervisory questions. You may know the “proper” response, the one youbelieve the exam writers would prefer, but you may feel that there is no way that

that response would work in real life. You may very well be right, but it doesn’tmatter. It’s not worth throwing the points away just to make a stand.

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12) ASSESS THE REASONABLENESS OF YOUR CONCLUSIONS

Above all, be sure to evaluate the reasonableness of your answer. Don’t be falselyreassured if your answer is one of the choices. Have you ever spent a lot of timeworking on a math problem and then discovered that your answer wasn’t even

there? Perhaps that’s better than a false positive: being so relieved that the answer isthere that we don’t recheck or rethink the question. Test-makers will often figureout the mistakes people are most likely to make and use those as the choices.

Sometimes we pick an answer that is so far off that it’s hard to imagine how wecould have ever done such a thing. For example, on one exam there was a questionthat went something like:

How much does June earn per month if the $350 she pays for rent is 20% of hersalary?

You wouldn’t believe how many people came up with $70 as an answer, saw that itwas one of the choices, and selected it. They multiplied by 20% rather than dividing– a natural mistake. But if they had stopped to wonder how June could pay $350 for

rent if she only made $70 a month, they would have noticed their mistake. It’salways better to stop for a moment and think about the answer because wesometimes get into a trance when doing exam problems and make mistakes as

outrageous as this one.

13) DON’T OVERANALYZE; DON’T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS

Be careful of having too analytical (too picky) a mind. Some people get tooinvolved in one aspect of a question, or they start reading too much into thequestion. This kind of behavior is normal, but it can cause a lot of frustration andlead to the wrong answer. A related problem is knowing too much about the subject

of the question. When we know too much, we may not read very carefully, or wemay read things into the passage that aren’t there.

Don’t jump to conclusions – don’t be in such a rush to get the dreaded thing overwith that you fasten onto something too quickly. Also, beware of picking the firstchoice prematurely. It’s not that “Choice a” can’t be the answer, but it is sometimesused to mislead people who tend to be impatient and careless.

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14) NEVER, NEVER LEAVE AN ANSWER BLANK

In many cases, each section of the exam will consist of three or four questions thatseem so difficult you’ll want to give up, and three or four more that are so easy

you’ll think there has to be some trick to them. The rest will be in between.

Don’t be afraid to skip the really hard questions for a while. Just remember to go

back and answer them. Since you can generally eliminate one or two choices, thisgives you a 33 to 50 percent chance of getting the right answer. Even if you aretotally at sea, you have a 25 percent chance of getting the right answer. If you doneed to skip a question for the moment, don’t forget to skip the corresponding space

on the answer sheet. There is nothing worse than getting to the end and realizingthat you have a space left over. If that happens, don’t see it as a sign you were nevermeant to take this exam. Just patiently work backwards, retracing your answers to

see where you went wrong.

Don’t be intimidated by technical topics or strange words in reading comprehensionquestions. The answer has to be there, and you don’t need to be an expert in the

subject to answer the question correctly.

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15) TREAT YOUR SCRAP PAPER WITH RESPECT

Try to keep your scrap paper labeled and in order. It can help you later, particularlyin the math sections when you need to check your work. It can also help in thosecases where a math question could be answered based on information already

written on your scrap paper.

As far as tabular questions are concerned, it’s wise to look over all of the choicesfirst. You may not need to do as much calculating as it might appear at first. For

example, sometimes tables on exams contain question marks instead of data. It’simportant to not waste time doing the calculations to fill in all of the question marksbefore you begin because it’s unlikely you’ll need all of the information.

Concepts and Principles of Normalization for

Mentally Retarded/Developmentally Disabled

Individuals

Therapeutic Approaches Used with Mentally

Retarded/Developmentally Disabled

Individuals

Booklet No. 9

Booklet #9

Concepts and Principles of Normalization for Mentally

Retarded/Developmentally Disabled Individuals

Therapeutic Approaches Used with Mentally

Retarded/Developmentally Disabled Individuals

Prepared for CSEA LEAP

Revised 1997 by Carl Filbrich, Glenville Communications

Copyright September 1997

Not to be reproduced without permission

1

Introduction

This booklet is designed to assist CSEA members taking the “Paraprofessional Careers in Mental

Hygiene” promotional examination. People taking this examination often have a great deal of

training and invaluable job experience. This should help you a great deal in successfully answering

the exam questions. Most people have found it helpful, however, to practice with sample questions

in the subject areas outlined in the exam announcement. In addition to the practice test questions,

the booklet also contains explanations for each question at the end of each section. Where

appropriate, these explanations also outline the best way to approach the question, and this can be

very helpful with questions that are tricky or vague.

Other booklets you may find helpful in preparing for this exam are No. 6, Supervision, No. 10,Principles and Practices in the Treatment of Mentally Ill/Emotionally Disturbed Individuals, andNo. 17, Written English/Preparing Written Material II.

Individuals who have practiced with sample questions before exams report improved performance

and confidence when actually taking the test. We cannot guarantee that the actual questions will be

like the practice questions in this booklet, but practicing with these questions will help your

performance.

It is recommended that you review this booklet and try answering the questions again the week

before the exam. Good luck!

Note: This booklet is designed for practice purposes only and its content may not conform

to that of any particular Civil Service Examination.

2

Concepts and Principles of Normalization for Mentally

Retarded/Developmentally Disabled Individuals

Questions in this category are designed to test for basic concepts and procedures involved in

providing services to mentally retarded/developmentally disabled individuals. Questions in this

category will cover the following areas:

• The philosophy of normalization

• Habilitative techniques

• Programs for the preparation of individuals to live in the least restrictive environment

The emphasis of these questions will be on understanding and applying these concepts through the

team process.

Many of the terms used in previous announcements are no longer used by OMRDD. For example,

OMRDD no longer uses the term “clients” to refer to individuals with developmental disabilities.

Also, OMRDD no longer refers to “the mentally retarded/developmentally disabled” as a group.

The emphasis, instead, is on serving the individual. This booklet uses currently accepted

terminology and reflects OMRDD’s current philosophy of providing services and supports to

individuals with developmental disabilities.

There may be fifteen to twenty questions on this topic. That means that there should be three to

seven questions on each of the subcategories listed above. The exam announcement states that the

exam will test for basic concepts and procedures, so it shouldn’t be necessary to have a lot of

highly technical knowledge in these areas.

We have provided twenty practice questions for you. Keep in mind that some of them may be more

difficult than what you will actually get on the exam. Since we can’t be sure of the level of

difficulty, we’d rather give you a few questions of this type. Explanations follow the questions.

1. Which of the following is a feature of an Individualized Service Environment?

a. Services are provided uniformly to all individuals in certain categories.

b. Goals are based on professional opinions about what is best for an individual.

c. Services are responsive to an individual’s goals.

d. Services are standardized as much as possible to reduce costs.

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2. Which of the following is one of OMRDD’s governing principles for providing services to

people with developmental disabilities?

a. A person with a developmental disability is better off in an institutional setting.

b. A person with a developmental disability shall be as independent as possible.

c. A person with a developmental disability cannot expect to enjoy the same freedoms as

other people.

d. A person with a developmental disability should rely on others to make his or her

decisions.

3. Persons with developmental disabilities have the right to make life choices for themselves.

Under what circumstances should a service provider restrict this right?

a. If the individual’s choices endanger his or her health and safety.

b. If the individual’s choices reflect mere personal preferences.

c. If the individual’s choices reflect a lack of experience in the “real world.”

d. If an individual’s choices show a lack of maturity.

4. Which of the following is not a benefit of taking a person with a developmental disability to aneighborhood store.

a. It gives the person an opportunity to interact with other members of the community.

b. It shows members of the community that individuals with developmental disabilities are

under constant supervision.

c. It allows the person to practice handling money.

d. It gives the person an opportunity to make choices about how to spend his or her money.

4

5. Which of the following statements is most accurate?

a. Relationships with other members of the community can help a person with

developmental disabilities become more independent.

b. Relationships with other members of the community cannot take the place of institutional

supports.

c. Relationships with other members of the community should be carefully controlled by

staff.

d. Relationships with other members of the community are not usually beneficial to a person

with developmental disabilities.

6. Which of the following is not an appropriate function for a service coordinator?

a. Locating community resources that an individual can use.

b. Helping an individual make informed choices.

c. Deciding what is best for an individual.

d. Locating agencies or service providers for an individual.

7. In the past, people with developmental disabilities were isolated from the community. What

should staff who provide services and supports do about this?

a. Be careful to protect individuals who have developmental disabilities from the rest of the

community.

b. Warn persons with developmental disabilities that most people are afraid of them.

c. Try to minimize contact between individuals with developmental disabilities and other

members of the community.

d. Promote interaction between individuals with developmental disabilities and other

members of the community.

8. What is one characteristic of the “Person-Centered Approach” to providing services to

individuals with developmental disabilities?

a. The staff determine what is best for each individual.

b. Each individual is categorized by his or her ability to live independently.

c. The staff help the individual make informed choices.

d. The staff determine who should assist individuals in making decisions.

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9. How should a service provider respond to fears expressed by an individual?

a. Make a joke out of the situation to cheer the person up.

b. Restrict the person’s activities to make the person less anxious.

c. Reduce the person’s exposure to other members of the community.

d. Try to help the person understand the reasons for his or her fears.

10. Which of the following has been an important trend in recent years?

a. Integration of persons with developmental disabilities with the rest of the community.

b. Growth in the number of centralized developmental centers.

c. Less emphasis on providing supports to family care providers.

d. Less emphasis on independent living.

11. Which of the following is a characteristic of a person-centered living environment?

a. Decorations (such as wall posters and curtains) chosen by residents.

b. Group bed times.

c. Walking in line.

d. Group showers.

12. Which of the following is an example of “natural supports” in the community—persons or

groups in the community who can promote the independence of individuals with

developmental disabilities?

a. Medicaid-funded services.

b. Services provided by OMRDD.

c. Services funded by the State Education Department.

d. Hobby groups.

6

13. Which of the following statements is most accurate?

a. Individuals with developmental disabilities can make a contribution to their communities.

b. To avoid conflicts with neighbors and other members of the community, individuals with

developmental disabilities should be isolated as much as possible.

c. Individuals with developmental disabilities can benefit from strict rules that govern every

aspect of their lives.

d. Families are not a significant source of support for individuals with developmental

disabilities.

14. Which of the following is not a characteristic of an individualized service environment?

a. Consumer empowerment.

b. Lowest cost services.

c. Informed choice.

d. Community integration.

15. Which of the following is not an advantage of using “natural supports” such as friends,

neighbors, and other members of the community?

a. Natural supports reduce the need for paid services, allowing OMRDD to focus its

resources on individuals who do not have such supports.

b. Natural supports promote closer integration with the community.

c. Natural supports can help a person develop his or her social skills.

d. Natural supports allow service providers to escape their responsibility for the health and

safety of individuals.

16. Which of the following is consistent with OMRDD’s governing principles for providing

services?

a. Freedom of individuals to relate to their families when and how they choose.

b. Strict limitations on contacts between individuals and their families.

c. Control of all interactions between an individual and the community.

d. Categorization of all individuals according to their “mental age.”

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17. Which of the following statements is not true?

a. Individuals with developmental disabilities should share in the responsibility to keep their

homes clean and pleasant.

b. A clean and pleasant living environment can improve an individual’s self-image.

c. The staff has sole responsibility for keeping a living environment clean and pleasant.

d. Individuals should have an opportunity to decide how to decorate their homes.

18. Which of the following has not changed in OMRDD’s approach to providing services?

a. Understanding of “acceptable risk” for individuals.

b. Approaches to community integration.

c. Emphasis on consumer empowerment.

d. Commitment to quality.

19. When taking a bus ride with a person with a developmental disability, what should a staff

member do?

a. Allow the individual to speak for himself or herself to other riders on the bus.

b. Make sure that other riders on the bus know that the person has a developmental

disability.

c. Answer any questions directed to the person.

d. Instruct the person not to say anything to other riders.

20. Which of the following is one of OMRDD’s governing principles in providing services to

individuals with developmental disabilities?

a. Individuals with developmental disabilities should not be burdened with making choices

for themselves.

b. OMRDD’s primary obligation is to reduce the cost of services it provides.

c. Most people with developmental disabilities are not capable of deciding what is best for

them.

d. A person with a developmental disability shall receive supports and services that are

effective and meet his or her needs.

8

Explanations for the Above Questions

1. The answer is c. Choice a sounds all right at first, but it talks about putting individuals into

categories and then treating them all the same. One of the features of an Individualized

Service Environment is that it treats people as individuals. Choice b also may sound good,

but it violates one of the basic principles of an Individualized Service Environment—that

individuals should set their own goals. Choice d is incorrect because standardized services are

incompatible with an Individualized Service Environment. Choice c is in keeping with the

basic principle that individuals should set their own goals. This is a difficult question. Two of

the incorrect answers may sound all right at first, but they are not really compatible with the

idea of an Individualized Service Environment. With this question, you have to think hard to

choose the best answer.

2. The answer is b. Choice a is incorrect because, for many years, OMRDD has worked to move

people out of institutions and into the community. Choice c is incorrect because OMRDD is

committed to ensuring that the rights of individuals are not restricted because of their

disabilities. Choice d is incorrect because OMRDD believes that individuals should make

decisions for themselves. Choice b is the only answer that is in line with OMRDD’s

governing principles.

3. The answer is a. Choice b is incorrect because service providers should encourage individuals

to make choices based on their personal preferences. Choice c is incorrect because making

choices for himself/herself is an essential way for an individual to gain experience in the “real

world.” Choice d is incorrect because service providers should not make judgments about

what they consider the “maturity” of an individual. Such judgments reflect an unwillingness

to treat an individual as an adult who has the right to make his or her own decisions. Choice a

reflects an overriding concern of all service providers—a commitment to the health and safety

of the individuals they serve.

4. The answer is b. This is a tricky question because it asks you which answer is not a benefit oftaking a person with a developmental disability to a neighborhood store. You will probably

have at least one question like this on your test. Be sure to read each question carefully so that

you can spot “tricks” like this. Choices a, c, and d all describe benefits of taking an

individual to a neighborhood store. Choice b does not.

9

5. The answer is a. Choice b is incorrect because other members of the community often take the

place of institutional supports. For example, a person may come to rely on a co-worker

instead of a staff member for a ride to work. Choice c is incorrect because staff should not

restrict the relationships of individuals unless those relationships endanger the person’s

health and safety. Choice d is a broadly pessimistic statement, and it is not true.

6. The answer is c. This is another tricky question. It asks you to choose which answer is not an

appropriate function for a service coordinator. If you are not sure of the answer to a question

like this, you could use the process of elimination. Choices a, b, and d are all appropriate

functions for a service coordinator. So the answer must be c.

7. The answer is d. Choice a is incorrect because the staff should try to integrate individuals with

the community, not isolate them. Choice b is incorrect because saying something like this will

make an individual reluctant to venture out into the community. Choice c is incorrect because,

again, it talks about isolating individuals from the community.

8. The answer is c. Choice a is incorrect because the staff should encourage individuals to make

their own choices, not make choices for them. Choice b sounds all right at first, but it talks

about “categorizing” individuals. Staff should treat each person as an individual rather than a

member of a category. Choice d is incorrect because the staff should not attempt to restrict

family or friends from helping individuals make decisions.

9. The answer is d. Choice a is incorrect because making a joke out of the situation suggests that

the service provider is not taking the person’s emotions seriously. Choices b and c are

incorrect because restricting a person’s activities or contacts does nothing to help the person

overcome his or her fears.

10. The answer is a. Choices b, c, and d have not been important trends in recent years.

11. The answer is a. Choices b, c, and d all reflect an inappropriate attitude. Group bed times,

group showers, and walking in line may make things easier for the staff but they are

demeaning to individuals.

10

12. The answer is d. Again it is important to read the question carefully. Medicaid, OMRDD, and

the State Education Department all provide funds for important services, but they are not

“natural supports.” As the question explains, natural supports are persons or groups in the

community who can promote the independence of individuals. The key words here are “in the

community.”

13. The answer is a. Choice b is incorrect because it talks about isolating individuals from the rest

of the community. Choice c is incorrect because rules should be kept to a minimum.

Individuals should have as much control as possible over how they conduct their lives. Choice

d is incorrect because families are a significant source of support for many individuals with

developmental disabilities. Choice a is correct because individuals can make a contribution to

their communities by volunteering for community projects and simply by being good

neighbors.

14. The answer is b. This is another tricky question because it asks you which of the following is

not a characteristic of an individualized service environment. The only one that is not is b,

lowest cost services.

15. The answer is d. All of the other choices are advantages of using natural supports in the

community.

16. The answer is a. Choices b and c are incorrect because the staff should not try to control an

individual’s relationship with his or her family or with other members of the community.

Choice d is incorrect because the concept of “mental age” is misguided and harmful. It puts

an artificial limit on an individual’s development and leads to the assumption that an

individual should be treated as a child rather than as an adult.

17. The answer is c. This question asks you to choose the statement that is not true. Statements a,

b, and d are all true. Statement c is not true because the residents of a home should share in

the responsibility for taking care of it.

18. The answer is d. All of the other approaches to providing services have changed in recent years,

but OMRDD’s commitment to quality has remained constant.

11

19. The answer is a. Choice b is incorrect because there is no reason to call attention to an

individual’s disability. Choice c is incorrect because a person should be allowed to speak for

himself/herself. Choice d is incorrect because staff should be encouraging interaction with

other members of the community, not restricting it.

20. The answer is d. Choice a is incorrect because OMRDD believes that individuals should

make decisions for themselves. Choice b is incorrect because reducing the cost of services is

not OMRDD’s primary obligation. Choice c is incorrect because it is not possible to make a

generalization about the capabilities of “most people with developmental disabilities.” Each

person should be treated as an individual, with unique capabilities to make decisions. Choice d

reflects two of OMRDD’s basic commitments—a commitment to providing effective, quality

services and a commitment to meeting the unique needs of each individual.

We suggest that you review any relevant training materials you may have as well as these questions

again the week before the exam. We also suggest that you review the various principles contained in

the questions themselves, rather than just focus on the correct answer, as some of these principles

may appear on the exam in a different format.

12

Therapeutic Approaches Used with Mentally

Retarded/Developmentally Disabled Individuals

This section of the exam will include questions in the following areas:

• The various types and levels of developmental disabilities

• Therapeutic interventions

• Situational problem solving

Some of the terms used in previous announcements are no longer used by OMRDD. For example,

OMRDD no longer refers to “the mentally retarded/developmentally disabled” as a group. The

emphasis, instead, is on serving the individual. This booklet uses currently accepted terminology

and reflects OMRDD’s current philosophy of providing services and supports to individuals with

developmental disabilities.

The exam announcement states that “the terminology used is that which is common to OMRDD

facilities and programs,” so you shouldn’t worry about learning new technical terms or definitions.

Your job experience and the training you have received should be helpful to you in answering these

questions. Again, we suggest that you review this material before the exam.

There may be fifteen to twenty questions on this topic. That means that there should be three to

seven questions on each of the subcategories listed above.

We have provided twenty practice questions for you. Keep in mind that some of them may be more

difficult than what you will actually get on the exam. Since we can’t be sure of the level of

difficulty, we’d rather give you a few questions of this type. Explanations follow the questions.

1. Which of the following statements is most accurate?

a. The term “mental retardation” has been applied to persons with a broad range of

disabilities.

b. The majority of individuals who are considered mentally retarded have IQ’s below 50.

c. A person’s IQ is the best indication of what services that person will need.

d. IQ is a useful way for service providers to categorize the individuals they serve.

13

2 Which of the following statements is not true?

a. In some cases there is a definite organic cause for mental retardation.

b. Tay-Sachs disease is an example of a genetic cause of mental retardation.

c. In some cases there is no clear organic cause for mental retardation.

d. All cases of mental retardation can be traced to genetic abnormalities.

3. Which of the following statements is most accurate?

a. The IQ of a child at age 6 is a good indication of what that child can learn.

b. “Mental retardation” is a relative term that means different things to different people.

c. The “cutoff point” for considering a person mentally retarded is an IQ of 60.

d. If a child is diagnosed as having a developmental disability, he or she probably cannot

learn to become self-sufficient.

4. Which of the following is an appropriate way to teach a skill to adults with developmental

disabilities?

a. Teaching how to tie shoe laces by first working with a baby shoe.

b. Teaching how to button clothes by using a doll for practice.

c. Teaching personal hygiene skills in groups of four or five.

d. Teaching how to trim nails with real nail clippers.

5. In planning recreational opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities, what is

the most important thing to take into account?

a. Their interests and preferences.

b. Their experience with team sports.

c. Their athletic ability.

d. Their ability to master the rules of a given game.

14

6. What would be the most appropriate way to teach an individual with developmental disabilities

how to buy groceries?

a. Practice with play money and toy food.

b. Accompany the individual to the store and allow him or her to choose groceries and pay

for them.

c. Read to the individual a set of instructions on how to buy groceries.

d. Show the person a video about grocery stores.

7. What should the staff do to implement a nutrition plan developed for an individual?

a. Allow the individual to eat whatever he or she chooses.

b. Encourage the individual to eat the foods called for in the nutrition plan.

c. Restrict access to any foods not included in the nutrition plan.

d. Force the individual to eat the foods called for in the nutrition plan.

8. What does error-free learning involve?

a. Asking individuals to perform only tasks that they have already mastered.

b. Ignoring mistakes.

c. Giving individuals all the assistance they need to complete a task.

d. Avoiding all difficult tasks.

9. What should you keep in mind when establishing learning schedules for individuals?

a. Frequent practice is vital for successful learning.

b. Training is not an essential activity.

c. Training activities should be assigned a relatively low priority.

d. Most individuals will not profit from instructional activities.

10. What does an individual service plan define?

a. The cost of services.

b. Goals and objectives.

c. The limits of an individual’s abilities.

d. Federal regulations.

15

11. Which of the following is not one of the causes of disruptive behavior?

a. Need for attention.

b. Inability to communicate a need.

c. Lack of appropriate ways to handle emotions.

d. Self-esteem.

12. What is an appropriate response to physically aggressive behavior?

a. Withdrawal of services.

b. Planned preventive intervention.

c. Withdrawal of privileges.

d. Prolonged physical isolation.

13. An individual has been breaking things lately. The staff feel that she may be looking for

attention. What they can do to help her?

a. Give her as much attention as possible when she is not breaking things.

b. Ignore her destructive behavior.

c. Give her more attention every time she breaks something.

d. Give her less attention at all times.

14. An individual has injured himself several times because when he is angry he punches the wall.

What can the staff do to help him?

a. Restrict his activities every time he injures himself.

b. Show him other ways to express his anger, such as punching a pillow.

c. Have him wear gloves at all times.

d. Make a joke out of the situation.

16

15. An individual starts screaming whenever something unexpected happens. What can the staff

do to help her?

a. Restrict her activities so that she will be less likely to be surprised by unexpected events.

b. Limit her contact with other members of the community.

c. Ignore her behavior.

d. Warn her in advance of changes in her normal routine.

16. Which of the following is not important for a person’s emotional well being?

a. Privacy.

b. Recreation.

c. Social interaction.

d. Punishment.

17. Which of the following statements is not true?

a. Fetal alcohol syndrome may lead to mental retardation.

b. Down syndrome is the result of a genetic abnormality.

c. Most cases of mental retardation are caused by poor prenatal care.

d. There is no organic explanation for some cases of mental retardation.

18. What guideline should staff members follow in helping individuals with personal hygiene?

a. The staff should spend as little time as possible on these tasks.

b. The staff should not allow individuals to perform personal hygiene tasks themselves.

c. The staff should protect the privacy of individuals as much as possible when performing

these tasks.

d. The staff should not be responsible for assisting individuals with these tasks.

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19. All of the following are causes of mental retardation, except:

a. organic defects.

b. brain lesions.

c. genetic abnormalities.

d. increased sexual activity.

20. In the most common use of the following terms, the great majority of individuals with mental

retardation are considered:

a. Mildly retarded.

b. Moderately retarded.

c. Severely retarded.

d. Profoundly retarded.

Explanations for the Above Questions

1. The answer is a. Choice b is incorrect because 80 to 90 percent of individuals who are

considered retarded have IQ’s over 50. Choice c is incorrect because there are many other

factors that are more important than IQ in determining what services an individual will need.

Choice d is incorrect because classifying individuals by IQ is not in keeping with the concept

of individual service plans.

2. The answer is d. Again, this question asks which statement is not true. Statement d is not true

because in many instances mental retardation occurs with no evidence of genetic

abnormalities.

3. The answer is b. Choice a is incorrect because a person’s IQ is only a rough indication of that

person’s ability to learn. Choice c is incorrect because most definitions of “mild retardation”

use an IQ range of 50 or 55 to approximately 70. Choice d, an extremely negative statement,

is incorrect because many persons with developmental disabilities learn to become self-

sufficient.

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4. The answer is d. Choice a is incorrect because it is inappropriate to teach adults as if they

were children. Choice b is incorrect for the same reason. Choice c is incorrect because

teaching personal hygiene in a group shows a lack of respect for the members of the group

and violates their personal dignity. Choice d is correct because the best teaching involves real

practice in real situations. This question requires careful thinking. Choices a and b may sound

practical, but they are not in keeping with the idea of treating individuals as adults. Too often

in the past, individuals were treated like children because of their disabilities. Choice c may

sound all right at first, but it has a significant problem—in the real world, people perform

personal hygiene tasks in private. Therefore, it is not appropriate to teach these skills in

groups of four or five. Choice d may sound incorrect at first because nail clippers, like any

sharp object, can be dangerous. But for most individuals nail clippers do not present a

significant hazard, and it is not appropriate to restrict an individual’s learning for such a trivial

concern.

5. The answer is a. Choices b, c, and d have to do with an individual’s experience with a sport or

athletic ability. These are not “the most important thing to take into account” when planning

recreation. The most important thing to take into account is the interests and preferences of

the individuals involved. Again it is important to read each question carefully so that you can

choose the best answer.

6. The answer is b. Choice a is incorrect because it is inappropriate to treat adults like children.

Choices c and d are incorrect because they are not effective teaching methods—at least not as

effective as real practice in choosing groceries and paying for them. In this question you have

to give careful thought to each of the answers to choose the best one.

7. The answer is b. This is a difficult question. In implementing a nutrition plan, the staff need to

take into account both the preferences of individuals and their health. Choice a is incorrect

because allowing individuals to eat whatever they choose may endanger their health, especially

if they are on a carefully prescribed diet because of a medical problem. Choice c is incorrect

because it is too restrictive and does not leave any room for personal preferences. Choice d is

incorrect because forcing someone to eat certain foods is an impractical and undesirable way

to implement a nutrition plan.

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8. The answer is c. Choice a is incorrect because there is no learning involved in asking

individuals to perform tasks that they have already mastered. Choice b is incorrect because

ignoring mistakes does not promote learning. Choice d is incorrect because a task should not

be avoided just because it is difficult. Mastering a difficult task can be very satisfying and

rewarding.

9. The answer is a. Choices b and c are incorrect because they are based on the assumption that

training is an unimportant activity. Choice d is a strongly negative statement and it is not true.

10. The answer is b. If you were unsure of the answer to this question, you could probably find it

by the process of elimination. Choices a, c, and d are obviously incorrect.

11. The answer is d. All of the other choices are potential causes of disruptive behavior.

12. The answer is b. The other choices are incorrect because they would all be inappropriate and

ineffective responses to aggressive behavior.

13. The answer is a. Choice b is incorrect because ignoring destructive behavior sends a person

the message that this behavior is acceptable. Choice c is incorrect because giving a person

more attention whenever she breaks something encourages more destructive behavior. Choice

d is incorrect because giving a person less attention will do nothing to change her destructive

behavior.

14. The answer is b. Choice a is incorrect because restricting the person’s activities would be an

inappropriate and ineffective way to deal with his behavior. Choice c is incorrect because it is

completely impractical. Choice d is incorrect because making a joke out of the situation would

probably make the person more angry because it would belittle his emotions.

15. The answer is d. Choices a and b are incorrect because they involve limiting the individual’s

activities or personal interactions. In addition, they do not really address the individual’s

problem. Choice c is incorrect because ignoring the person’s screams is not likely to help her

with her problem.

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16. The answer is d. All of the other choices are important to a person’s emotional well being.

17. The answer is c. This question asks you to choose the statement that is not true. While poor

prenatal care causes some cases of mental retardation, it does not cause “most” cases. All the

other statements are true.

18. The answer is c. Choice a is incorrect because personal hygiene skills are important to the

independence and self-esteem of individuals. Choice b is incorrect because staff members

should encourage individuals to be as independent as possible in performing these tasks.

Choice d is incorrect because the staff is responsible for providing individuals whatever help

they may need in this area.

19. The answer is d. Organic defects, brain lesions, and genetic abnormalities may all cause

mental retardation. Increased sexual activity does not.

20. The answer is a. In the most common use of these terms, 89% of individuals with mentalretardation are considered mildly retarded.

We suggest that you review this material again, and any relevant training material you may have, a

week before the exam. Keep in mind that we expect that some of our questions are more difficult

than most of the questions on the actual exam, so you shouldn’t be concerned if you’ve missed

some of the questions in this booklet.

Besides reviewing this booklet, and any relevant training material you have, we also suggest that

you:

1. Go to the exam site early the day of the exam.

2. Come prepared to concentrate on the test. Put other concerns out of your mind and focus your

attention on the test.

3. Bring a watch.

4. Take short, frequent rest breaks to stop the building cycle of tension during the exam.

5. Check and re-check all your answers.

6. Do not leave any answers blank, even if you have to guess. Unanswered questions will count

against you.

We hope this booklet has been helpful. Good luck!

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We would especially like to thank the Bureau of Staff Development and Training of the Office of

Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities for their kind assistance in providing source

materials for this booklet.

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Answer Key

Concepts and Principles of Normalization for Mentally Retarded/DevelopmentallyDisabled Individuals

1. c 6. c 11. a 16. a

2. b 7. d 12. d 17. c

3. a 8. c 13. a 18. d

4. b 9. d 14. b 19. a

5. a 10. a 15. d 20. d

Therapeutic Approaches Used with Mentally Retarded/Developmentally DisabledIndividuals

1. a 6. b 11. d 16. d

2. d 7. b 12. b 17. c

3. b 8. c 13. a 18. c

4. d 9. a 14. b 19. d

5. a 10. b 15. d 20. a