Emotional Disturbances in Mentally Retarded Children

The experiences of a multidisciplinary team with 256 emotionally disturbed mentally retarded children are discussed, and descriptive diagnostic findings for four frequently noted types of emotional disturbance are presented, along with treatment-management considerations. The author notes that in the past, treatment of such children has too often been based on individual symptoms rather than on a long-range, total approach that flexibly focuses on the child's multilevel needs. He outlines some suggested guidelines for future clinical research.