Effective use of action-oriented studies in Pakistan.

Little formal research has been done in special education and rehabilitation in Pakistan because of a lack of basic groundwork and trained researchers. However, the absence of formal structures permits innovative approaches. Several low-cost, action-oriented participatory studies have been carried out at the Mental Health Centre, Peshawar. These have ranged from community survey exercises to more complex studies of attitudes towards disability, childhood developmental skills, trends in polio paralysis and casual educational integration. The studies were undertaken in collaboration with education and welfare authorities. Formal and informal channels were used to disseminate the study findings widely in Pakistan and many other countries, and to generate an on-going movement for policy development and service provision. This article summarizes results from some of these studies. It also considers problems associated with the dissemination of special education and rehabilitation research findings in developing countries like Pakistan.