Data collection for the evaluation of mental retardation prevention activities: the fateful forty-three.

A schema for measuring the effects of prevention programs in mental retardation was presented using items that are quantifiable, accessible, and pertinent to disability outcomes. These elements relate to interventions in the prenatal, perinatal, and childhood periods. They also reflect improvements in agency systems. The items were classified as service indicators, risk indicators, and incidence/prevalence information. The list is called "The Fateful Forty-Three" because of its intimate alliance with the stakes for children now and in the future. Representative data were given for these components, as were the sources for gathering such information. The inventory was proposed to be used as a program checklist and a base for discussion and planning.