THE LACK OF PREPLANNING FOR DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION HAS RESULTED IN A NUMBER OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT INCLUDE COMMUNITY READINESS FOR AND CITIZEN ATTITUDES TOWARD INSTITUTIONAL PATIENTS, ARCHAIC BUILDING AND HOUSING CODES, INACCESSIBLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, APPROPRIATE EMPLOYMENT OR TRAINING, AND LACK OF SOCIAL AND MEDICAL SERVICES. FACTORS TO CONSIDER TO COMPLETE THE BONDING PROCESS BETWEEN HANDICAPPED PERSONS, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY AFTER DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION ARE PERSONAL TRANSITION, OVERCOMING COMMUNITY RESISTANCE, AND FAMILY UNDOING. FAMILY UNDOING REFERS TO THE FACT THAT DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION, IN MOST CASES, REQUIRES PAINFUL REVERSAL AND REVISITATION OF PRIOR DECISIONS TO SEPARATE A MEMBER FROM THE FAMILY. THE ADVENT OF A HANDICAPPED PERSON, PARTICULARLY A CHILD, TO A FAMILY OR THE DISCOVERY OF AN EXCEPTIONAL CHILD CAN LEAD TO DISORGANIZATION, AMBIVALENCE, GRIEF, HOSTILITY, AND DOUBT FOR MANY FAMILIES. OBSERVABLE CATEGORIES OF FAMILY PATTERNS FOR EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF HANDICAPPED CHILDREN ON FAMILY INTEGRITY INVOLVE OLDER PARENTS, THE ISOLATED COUPLE, THE PROFESSIONAL FAMILY, THE LOW-INCOME FAMILY, THE DISTURBED FAMILY, THE LARGE FAMILY, THE BROKEN HOME, THE RELIGIOUS FAMILY, AND THE 'AVERAGE' FAMILY. THE 17 CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK ARE ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THREE SECTIONS: (1) DEFINITIONAL ASPECTS OF DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION; (2) THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION; AND (3) STRUCTURES AND STRATEGIES RELEVANT TO DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION. AN INDEX IS INCLUDED.