Behavioral characteristics of habilitated retarded persons.

An assumption that habilitated retarded persons had higher social competence than nonhabilitated persons was investigated by comparing 65 discharged residents of Lynchburg Training School and Hospital who had completed vocational training with 60 residents matched in age and IQ. The results obtained from the hospital record revealed that the habilitated group fought less but attempted to escape and cursed more than the nonhabilitated group. Social history indicated the existence of cultural-familial components in the majority of the habilitated group. Psychometric scores, the Emotional Index of the Bender Gestalt test, and an analysis of the medical diagnosis supported the above finding. Since interpersonal adjustment was an important factor in successful habilitation, an increased emphasis on counseling in vocational-training programs was suggested.