In the process of cultivating mentally retarded children, we should not only aim at students' physical and mental defects, but also promote their coordinated physical and mental development. For children with moderate and severe mental retardation, it is necessary to proceed from reality and teach students in accordance with their aptitude. For example, students who are "born stupid" have short fingers, thick palms, slow movements and poor coordination. For such children, we consciously ask them to do more hand movements, such as holding beans, paper-cutting nails, origami, and wearing beads. Finger exercises are also arranged, and "333" learning tools are used to make them do some fine hand movements, so as to train their coordination ability and achieve the purpose of making up for the defects.

2. Incentive principle

Children with mental retardation often play the roles of "disabled", "laggard" and "loser" in life, and their long-term role makes them lose confidence in themselves. Therefore, in teaching, teachers can use motivation theory to encourage them to try to experience the joy and happiness of success, so that they can be satisfied physically and psychologically, thus stimulating their desire to participate and forming a huge internal motivation. Especially when students make some achievements, teachers must seize this opportunity to give encouragement, even if it is a gesture or a look, so that they can get spiritual satisfaction and achieve the effect of stimulating emotions.

3. Individualized education principle

There are great differences among children with mental retardation, and there are obvious differences in acceptance and hobbies. Therefore, before training students' life skills, teachers should fully estimate the characteristics of each student, set different goals, and choose the content and training intensity suitable for each mentally retarded student's ability level and personality characteristics. For students with strong acceptance, good physical strength and good living habits, we should set higher goals and let them do some difficult training. For students with poor physical strength, obvious dyskinesia and slow understanding, the goal should be set lower and let them do something easy. For some students who can't master it well, we can strengthen extracurricular counseling, improve their self-care ability and social adaptability, and lay the foundation for them to enter the society and participate in the labor within their ability.

4. The principle of combining home and school.

In the process of cultivating mentally retarded students with self-care ability, housework ability and simple productive labor ability, if we only rely on the unilateral efforts of the school, we will certainly gain little. Therefore, parents' cooperation and support are needed to cultivate the adaptability of children with moderate and severe mental retardation in order to achieve twice the result with half the effort. As a school, we should actively do a good job in parents' ideological work, get in touch with parents at any time, let parents understand the importance of improving children's living ability, cooperate with schools to create practical opportunities for children, urge and encourage children to complete the tasks assigned by teachers, and give appropriate guidance, so that families and schools can form a joint force to improve children's living ability, make up for children's defects and develop their potential.

5. The principles of practicality, practicality and adaptability

In addition to the above principles, the life adaptation course for children with moderate and severe mental retardation should also highlight the principles of practicality, practicality and adaptability. That is, the teaching content should adapt to the ecological environment of students' lives and reflect practicality. Teaching methods should be based on the premise that students learn well and do well, reflecting practicality. The teaching effect should be based on students' use and good use, reflecting adaptability. Only by following the principles can children with moderate and severe mental retardation apply what they have learned, guide their lives and improve their quality of life.