Reintegrating institutionalized mental retardates in the community: A descriptive survey.

Communities are giving relatively little attention to the problem of reintegrating institutionalized mental retardates into their home communities. Findings indicate that 25 percent of a group of institutionalized retardates may be capable of being reintegrated into community living. These retardates appear to be brighter, have been institutionalized a shorter period of time, and are in more consistent contact with their homes than those considered terminal cases. The data suggest that many retardates possess a variety of skills valuable to community adjustment, but that the lack of adequate community services may prohibit their leaving the institution.