Transition from adolescence to adulthood: perspectives of mentally retarded individuals and their families.

From ethnographic fieldnotes and life history interviews, basic descriptive data were presented that depict the adolescent life stage as it was recounted by 25 mildly retarded individuals and their parents. Patterns of adolescent adjustment are described in terms of the issues and concerns that preoccupied the retarded adolescents, the problem behavior exhibited by these young persons, and what parents did about their children's problems. Comparison of adolescent adjustment patterns and current adult status revealed that the central concerns of adolescence remain problems for only some mildly retarded adults. The majority regard normative achievements as most salient to their self-identity and well-being.