Guidelines for Supervising People with Moderate Special Needs in the Work Place.

These guidelines developed out of a study identifying support systems for supervisors of people with moderate special needs (MSN) in training internships and employment situations. Generally MSNs are dependable, loyal employees who are eager to please and to do a good job. Problems occur because the MSNs are insecure about their role at work, have low self-esteem and doubt their capacity to live up to others' expectations. For some MSNs, distractibility and having a short attention span are major problems. Strategies for supervision of MSN staff are discussed in two sections: general techniques, such as welcoming techniques, for working with MSNs across time, and specific strategies for handling problem behaviors ranging from shyness to poor judgement regarding safety issues. (PB)