by requirements for the degree of (Education) - NCRTM

communities selected included one large city, two la.rge towns, two smaller
towns, and two or three rural communities. Personal interviews were con-
ducted with over 200 prospective employers, ranging from the one-man shop
owaer to the personnel manager of chain stores. Results indicated that
there were some job possibilities for EMR's in eac community. Most of
the opportunities were in the field of unskilled labor, were seasonal, had
few fringe benefits, and lacked economic security fo the future. Job
opportunities were me.ager in some communities due to economic conditions
within the area, misunderstanding of the terms "mentally retarded" and
"mentally ill;" a lack of understanding of the meaning and implications
of the term "mentally retarded," a lack of interest in the MR, or a pre-
vious unhappy experience with a mentally retarded employee. Baldwin recom-
mended that preparation of the MR for employment should begin in childhood
'with emphasis placed on the development of good personal, social and busi-
ness habits along with basic academic skills.
Goldstein (1964) states that community attitudes are an essential
area to consider when attempting to predict successful outcome for the
retarded.
Follow-up studies undertaken by Fairbanks (1933), Ballet (1936), and
Kennedy (1948) on the employment of the educable mentally retarded reveal
that when there is ashortage of manpower the job opportunities for the
retarded compare faivorably with those of the normal worker. However, in
periods o high unemployment the retarded are adversely affected by the
competition for jobs.
The vocational success of the retarded may be influenced by the
following situational (non-subject) variables
i) The relationship between student and his supervisor or instructor;
35