Training the Mentally Retarded for Competitive Employment.

In a three year research and demonstration project to determine the feasibility of employing the educable retarded adult in a competitive work setting after appropriate vocational training, the training time and work performance of a retarded group were compared with the performance of nonretarded employees at Abilities, Inc. Results indicated that the retarded worker was able to learn the typical industrial and commercial skills needed at Abilities. The crucial matter in success was not in learning job skills per se, but in developing adequate work habits and personal social skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]