Social disruption and residential relocation of mentally retarded children.
Effects of relocation on 50 severely and profoundly mentally retarded and physically disabled children transferred from two facilities into a third one were examined. Social disruption, which referred to changes in daytime staff and programming, was manipulated 3 weeks after the move; the health and personal adjustment were measured prior to and 1 to 3 weeks, 4 to 6 weeks, and 11 to 13 weeks after the move. Relocation resulted in short-term decrements in positive behavior and in deterioration in health for all the groups. High staff disruption produced a short-term increase in abnormal behavior.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities; D006274:Health Facility Moving; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment