Work-study programs for mentally retarded adolescents, in which retarded youths are trained intensively for adult roles both in the classroom and on the job, are becoming recognized as critically important in the education-habilitation process. Communities without such services cannot adequately provide the help the retardate needs to bridge the chasm between childhood schooling and adult work responsibilities. This article is devoted to a discussion of the philosophy underlying the work-study approach, as well as examples from Wisconsin, Texas, and Alabama on studies of the method. Work-study develops three important dimensions: vocational skills, sociocivic responsibility, and self-image.
John R. Peck (Fri,) studied this question.