Behavioral skills for employment of the intellectually handicapped.

Parents, teachers, and supervisors in competitive industry and sheltered workshops ranked the same behavioral items. Each group followed different directions. The items, thought to be basic requirements for successful employment of the intellectually handicapped, were sorted into four categories corroborated by university students. Chi-square analysis showed many significant differences in ranking among samples at p less than .0005. Parents and teachers emphasized items in the job-task category significantly less than did industry and workshop supervisors. Parents stressed basic reading skills more than other samples. Occupational therapists aware of the handicapped person's potential for employment could take the role of providing experiences stressing behaviors sought by employers.