The Movement of Children with Mental Retardation from Institutional to Community Care

Abstract

The post-release experiences of 68 children with mental retardation were investigated to determine the residential and educational consequences of deinstitutionalization. Research questions focused on the type and stability of community placements, the degree of restrictiveness of such placements, and the types of services received during community placement. The findings were interpreted in light of historical factors occurring during the period of community placement (1970 to 1985), with emphasis on the relationship between the experiences of discharged children and the enactment of federal and state special education laws in 1978 and the issuance of a federal district court order in 1981. A relationship was noted between policy development and improved experiences of deinstitutionalized children, particularly those with severe and profound levels of retardation.

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