L. Allen Phelps is an Associate Professor of Vocational, Technical, and Special Education as well as Director of the Office of Career Development for Special Populations at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Phelps earned his master's degree in 1971 at Central Michigan University, having majored in industrial education. His doctorate in vocational and special education was granted from the University of Illinois in 1976. Dr. Phelps's professional experience ranges from that of a classroom teacher and curriculum consultant to researcher, author, professor, and postdoctoral intern at the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, U.S. Office of Education. He currently serves as the president of the Special Needs Division of the American Vocational Association. In this interview Dr. Phelps describes some of the major issues confronting vocational programming for the mentally retarded in the 1980's. Also discussed is the extent to which professional roles, responsibilities, and certification patterns are changing. He calls on professional organizations to help facilitate these changes and offers recommendations for interagency coordination in the education and employment of mentally retarded individuals.
M. Angele Thomas (Tue,) studied this question.