CONCLUSION

5.1
A developmental approach to curriculum planning for MH children is considered desirable. The curriculum content should be functional, aiming at promoting the all-round development of these children and helping them to lead an independent life and integrate into the community.

5.2
This Guide to Curriculum for Mentally Handicapped Children has discussed the various aspects of curriculum development for MH children, including the general principles underlying the design and implementation of the curriculum. It has outlined the essential areas and elements of learning, such as pre-number concepts, pre-verbal skills, perceptual training, etc. It has also suggested different teaching strategies and approaches for curriculum implementation. Evaluation, being an important part of the teaching process to reflect the children's progress and the effectiveness of a learning programme, is dealt with in some detail in the Guide. A whole-school approach to curriculum development, school-based curriculum development and TOC are current trends in curriculum development in Hong Kong, especially in special education. These various approaches to curriculum development have also been given their due shares in the Guide.

5.3
It is hoped that the teaching suggestions given in the Guide will serve as useful reference for schools, to provide them with a clear direction for further curriculum development on a school basis. It has to be pointed out, though, that these teaching suggestions should by no means be applied rigidly to the classroom situation without adaptations according to the learning difficulties and needs of individual children.

5.4
The twelve syllabuses on subjects to be prepared later are intended to provide schools with more detailed, more subject-specific suggestions to show the teacher how the principles discussed in the Guide can be put into practice in the classroom.

5.5
It needs to be reiterated here that the curriculum aims spelt out in the Introduction in Chapter I are based on the general abilities of SEN children. As MH children suffer from developmental delay, only some of these aims are applicable to them. Therefore, the teacher should refer to those curriculum aims which are compatible with the abilities of their children and prepare curriculum materials accordingly.

5.6 Last but not least, the teacher is reminded that, apart from the teaching suggestions given in this Guide, some of those provided in the subject syllabuses and curriculum guides in the mainstream curriculum may also be applicable to MH children. The teacher should therefore refer to these syllabuses and curriculum guides also if they are to benefit more from this Guide to Curriculum for Mentally Handicapped Children.

5.1	A developmental approach to curriculum planning for MH children is considered desirable. The curriculum content should be functional, aiming at promoting the all-round development of these children and helping them to lead an independent life and integrate into the community.
5.2	This Guide to Curriculum for Mentally Handicapped Children has discussed the various aspects of curriculum development for MH children, including the general principles underlying the design and implementation of the curriculum. It has outlined the essential areas and elements of learning, such as pre-number concepts, pre-verbal skills, perceptual training, etc. It has also suggested different teaching strategies and approaches for curriculum implementation. Evaluation, being an important part of the teaching process to reflect the children's progress and the effectiveness of a learning programme, is dealt with in some detail in the Guide. A whole-school approach to curriculum development, school-based curriculum development and TOC are current trends in curriculum development in Hong Kong, especially in special education. These various approaches to curriculum development have also been given their due shares in the Guide.
5.3	It is hoped that the teaching suggestions given in the Guide will serve as useful reference for schools, to provide them with a clear direction for further curriculum development on a school basis. It has to be pointed out, though, that these teaching suggestions should by no means be applied rigidly to the classroom situation without adaptations according to the learning difficulties and needs of individual children.
5.4	The twelve syllabuses on subjects to be prepared later are intended to provide schools with more detailed, more subject-specific suggestions to show the teacher how the principles discussed in the Guide can be put into practice in the classroom.
5.5	It needs to be reiterated here that the curriculum aims spelt out in the Introduction in Chapter I are based on the general abilities of SEN children. As MH children suffer from developmental delay, only some of these aims are applicable to them. Therefore, the teacher should refer to those curriculum aims which are compatible with the abilities of their children and prepare curriculum materials accordingly.
5.6	Last but not least, the teacher is reminded that, apart from the teaching suggestions given in this Guide, some of those provided in the subject syllabuses and curriculum guides in the mainstream curriculum may also be applicable to MH children. The teacher should therefore refer to these syllabuses and curriculum guides also if they are to benefit more from this Guide to Curriculum for Mentally Handicapped Children.