DISCUSSION IN THE FIRST SECTION ENCOMPASSES A BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE ORIENTATION OF MENTAL RETARDATION CONCEPTS, DEFINITIONS, CLASSIFICATION, ETIOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS. EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED TO COUNTER COMMONLY HELD ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE MENTALLY RETARDED, SUCH AS THE NOTION THAT THEY REPRESENT 'CLINICALLY' DISTINCT TYPES OR THAT THEY HAVE AN UNUSUALLY HIGH INCIDENCE OF EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. NEXT, PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH ON REHABILITATION AND MENTAL RETARDATION ARE REVIEWED, INCLUDING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S ROLE OF BRINGING THE MENTALLY RETARDED INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. ALSO DISCUSSED ARE PREVOCATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS, WORK-STUDY PROGRAMS, A DESCRIPTIVE PROFILE OF FORMER SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH TO VOCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, PREDICTIVE STUDIES ON REHABILITATION OUTCOME WITH THE RETARDED, AND THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF REHABILITATION. THE LAST SECTION DESCRIBES PROBLEMS, RESEARCH, AND IDEAS ON COUNSELING AND THE MENTALLY RETARDED, AND PRESENTS THE BASIC THEME THAT RETARDED PERSONS HAVE THE SAME PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS AS OTHER INDIVIDUALS. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED FOR WORKING WITH THE RETARDED IN A COUNSELING CAPACITY. AN EXPLANATION OF A RECENTLY ACCEPTED APPROACH BASED ON LEARNING PRINCIPLES--BEHAVIOR COUNSELING--IS ALSO PRESENTED. DESIGN PROBLEMS EVIDENT IN COUNSELING OUTCOME STUDIES ARE IDENTIFIED, AND SEVEN OUTCOME STUDIES ARE CRITICALLY ANALYZED. TABLES, FIGURES, AND AUTHOR AND SUBJECT INDEXES ARE PROVIDED AS WELL AS 881 REFERENCES, 300 OF WHICH ARE ANNOTATED. LISTINGS OF 77 BASIC READINGS, REHABILITATION RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, AND FILMS ON MENTAL RETARDATION ARE APPENDED.