title: Adult status of mildly retarded past-pupils from special education. II: Social adaptation.
abstract: This paper, the second in a series of two reports, on the post school adjustment of mildly retarded persons in Ireland, focuses on social adaptation. Data on marriage, children, adaptive skills, living arrangements, problem behaviours and social contact among 382 past-pupils from special schools for mildly retarded children were examined. The personal characteristics of past-pupils which correlated with success in these areas were also noted and results were related to previous findings. The results lend further support to Cobb's (1972) claim that a majority of mildly retarded persons make satisfactory adjustment in adult life. However, a considerable number still seemed to experience a degree of social isolation warranting further attention. While IQ and age were again found to relate significantly to success on most variables, sex and socioeconomic class accounted for significant differences in some aspects of social independence.
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002668:Child Rearing; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D004519:Education, Special; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012934:Social Isolation