In light of hypothesized and documented changes within the population of educable mentally retarded (EMR) students in the schools, the authors analyzed data collected on 130 older and 104 younger EMRs. The intent of the study was to describe the demographic and sociobehavioral characteristics of these students and then to compare these findings to traditional conceptualizations of this population. Data are presented on intellectual level, racial background, degree of integration into regular programs, placement history, social status and presence of specific behavioral disorders. The results are discussed in terms of current practices and implications for programming needs in the future.
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