Validity of the Vocational Adaptation Rating Scale: prediction of mentally retarded workers' placement in sheltered workshops.

The validity of the Vocational Adaptation Rating Scale (VARS) for predicting placement of mentally retarded workers in sheltered-workshop settings was investigated. The VARS was administered by workshop supervisors to noninstitutionalized adolescents and adults, ranging from severely to mildly retarded. Frequency and severity of maladaptive behavior in six domains predicted the concurrent placement of retarded workers in workshops and their placement one year later. Results indicated low to moderate significant partial correlations with concurrent placement and one-year follow-up placement (controlling IQ, age, and sex). Multiple-correlation analyses indicated that the VARS provided significant increments in predictable variance in workshop placements (13.8 to 16.1 percent) relative to predictions based on IQ, age, and sex. Results support the instrument's incremental validity as a measure of maladaptive behavior in vocational settings.