The levels of political knowledge of 62 institutionalized and 55 noninstitutionalized mildly retarded adults were compared with those of fifth- and eighth-grade children and nonretarded adults. On all four knowledge indices, the retarded adults' performance closely resembled that of nonretarded fifth-grade children. (Author)

The paper uses survey responses of 370 dependent children (10 to 18 years old) to examine claims made about the purposes of child welfare institutions. The data suggest that institutions are the least supportive form of surrogate care, that group homes share some of their defects, and that, in practice, neither are therapeutic environments.…

The "relocation syndrome" in 16 multiply handicapped, institutionalized mentally retarded residents (mean age 18 years) was examined in an observational study. Weight change and the initiation and duration of constructive and nonconstructive behavior were observed, as well as resident-staff interactions before and after relocation to a new living…

Demonstrates the importance of shape of the hazard function in determining rate of accumulation of chronic patients. New facilities characterized by length-of-stay distributions with decreasing hazard functions may at first appear to prevent chronicity even though eventual, steady-state patient mix includes many more long-stay patients than…

Data presented in this paper suggest that mentally retarded males are more likely to be institutionalized than retarded females, and that males tend to be institutionalized at earlier ages and for milder disorders. (Author/EB)

Intellectual assessment of institutionalized delinquents is discussed as a social labeling process. A three step hierarchical evaluation schema is proposed to maximize the accuracy and efficiency of assessment procedures and minimize negative labeling. (Author)

Restoration of a major social role to institutionalized aged through a program of social interaction and socialization with adult mentally retarded is described and evaluated. The over-all findings encourage this innovative opportunity for institutionalized aged. (Author)

With consideration given to tort law, specifically Negligence, the author analyzes the standard of care, determines what factors may alter the standard, and suggests how the standard of care may vary with the advent of new developments in any field. (LBH)

Utilizing flexible community-supporting services integrated with a hospital-based program of planned intermittent relief of the patients' supporters, patients (N=50) were maintained in the community at an average cost of 79.5 hospital bed days per patient per annum. The Continuing Care Program is an alternative to institutionalization. (Author)

The effect of age on foster care outcome was examined for 572 male psychiatric patients referred for foster care from five VA hospitals. Patients in foster care changed significantly compared with hospitalized controls by having less social dysfunction and better adjustment. (Author)

A behavioral program to train elderly nursing home patients (N=25) in interpersonal skills was systematically developed and evaluated. On a behavioral measure of responses to situations that had been included in training, the Skill Training program was superior to the control conditions. However, learning failed to generalize to novel situations.…

Sixty child care workers in a British residential assessment program for male adolescents with possible behavior disorders rated vignettes describing either physical or sexual assault. Sexual assaults were perceived to be more serious than physical assaults and their perpetrators more dangerous. Female care workers perceived a greater difference…

Developmental Record protocols were obtained from archival files for 1,069 institutionalized mentally retarded adults and children. Analyses revealed high internal reliabilities, but questionable validity. The Developmental Record did not adequately discriminate the five areas of functioning it purportedly assesses (self-care, perceptual-motor,…

As a sequel to an earlier case study, the article recounts the author's visit with a young man in the Nebraska penitentiary whose journey began 12 years before with special education services and subsequent placement in a variety of diagnostic and treatment centers. (JW)