Past and present trends in residential treatment.

The history of residential care for those with autism and other developmental handicaps is summarized for the past 200 years. Residential trends toward community integration in the past three decades are traced for autism in general and for one state institution in particular. Parallel cycles for residential care from previous periods are identified. Some negative side effects of current trends are identified if the needs of the population with handicaps and the community are not better integrated in the future.