Departmental Papers (ASC)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
7-1981
Publication Source
American Journal of Mental Deficiency
Volume
86
Issue
1
Start Page
43
Last Page
49
Abstract
The social adaptation of mentally disabled adults introduced to two new vocational rehabilitation settings was investigated. Client behavior was observed for 8 weeks in subsequent workshop settings. During the evaluation period, clients' sociability increased with time in the program. In the later workshop placements, the social milieu rather than time in the program influenced the degree of client sociability. Specifically, in the first 2 weeks of workshop placement, clients placed in Workshop A, which had more sociable milieu, remained at the high levels of sociability, similar to the last weeks in the evaluation phase. In contrast, clients placed in Workshop B showed a decline in sociability, which was related to environmental variables. Clients initially affiliated more with other clients they knew during evaluation, but this tendency decreased as they became integrated into the workshop program.
Recommended Citation
Heller, T., Berkson, G., & Romer, D. (1981). Social Ecology of Supervised Communal Facilities for Mentally Disabled Adults: VI. Initial Social Adaption. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 86 (1), 43-49. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/asc_papers/366
Date Posted: 11 July 2014
This document has been peer reviewed.
Comments
At the time of publication, author Daniel Romer was affiliated with the Illinois Institute for the Study of Developmental Disabilities. Currently, he is the Research Director at the Institute for Adolescent Risk Communication at the Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania.