RETARDATION HAS BEEN REGARDED AS AN INTELLECTUAL LIMITATION WITH LITTLE CONSIDERATION BEING GIVEN TO FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT. THIS VIEW DID LITTLE TO EXPLAIN THE FAILURE OF THE RETARDED TO NAVIGATE THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. OVERLY SIMPLISTIC ANALYTIC MODELS HAVE BEEN USED IN THE PAST WHICH TENDED TO TREAT THE RETARDED INDIVIDUALS AS A HOMOGENEOUS GROUP, RESISTING THE IDEA OF CLASSIFYING THEM ACCORDING TO A VARIETY OF CHARACTERISTICS. VARIOUS INVESTIGATORS HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE RETARDED OFFENDERS CONSISTED OF SEVERAL SUBGROUPINGS. BERTRAM BROWN REFERRED TO THOSE SCORING ON THE UPPER END OF THE INTELLEGENCE TEST AS SUFFERING FROM 'CULTURAL-FAMILIAL RETARDATION.' MANY RESEARCHERS BELIEVE THIS TYPE OF RETARDATION RESULTS FROM POVERTY, BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUAL SUFFERS FROM A LACK OF THE STIMULATION NECESSARY TO GROW AND DEVELOP. OTHERS, SUCH AS EDGARTON, VIEW RETARDATION AS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS ARE JUDGED RETARDED BECAUSE OF AN INADEQUACY IN SOCIAL CONDUCT. RETARDATION HAS ALSO BEEN VIEWED AS AN INABILITY TO DEAL COMPETENTLY WITH THE CONCEPTS OF SPACE, TIME, AND NUMBER WHICH MUST BE DEALT WITH IN ORDER TO FUNCTION IN THIS SOCIETY. THUS THE PHENOMENON OF RETARDATION SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS A SINGLE, INCLUSIVE CONDITION. INSTEAD, EFFORTS TO HELP THE RETARDED SHOULD CENTER AROUND DEVELOPING THEIR FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY AND MANAGING THEIR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. INSTEAD OF EMPHASIZING THE MENTAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE PROBLEMS, AN APPROACH STRESSING SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT SHOULD BE USED. THEIR INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENT SHOULD BE VIEWED AS PARTIAL, NOT TOTAL, AND THEIR TREATMENT SHOULD EMPHASIZE THOSE SKILLS WHICH WOULD ENABLE THEM TO FUNCTION IN THEIR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND NORMALIZE THEIR LIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. BY A COHERENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM, THOSE EXHIBITING SERIOUS PATHOLOGY AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY COULD BE SEPARATED FROM THOSE WHO SIMPLY HAVE HAVE A LOW LEVEL OF FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY. THE FORMER COULD BE TREATED IN INTENSIVE REHABILITATIVE CENTERS, WHILE THE LATTER COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND TREATED THROUGH ROUTINE HEALTH SERVICES. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (STB)