A work activity program was developed and implemented to serve 16 severely mentally retarded young adults in their home community. The core of the program was subcontract bench work and custom furniture finishing. The program served as a stable and apparently appropriate outlet of activity which served to keep most of the clients in the community and enabled a few to function as sheltered workshop employees. Increase in the level of participation in various activities of the program was observed, and significant statistical and practical gains were noted in verbal intelligence.
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