Family life education needs of mentally disabled adolescents

This study identifies the family life education needs of minimally and mildly mentally disabled adolescents as a basis for curriculum development. Respondents were 134 students from 11 school districts in a midwestern state. Through the administration of 50 needs statements, they were asked to indicate the magnitude of need and the extent to which the need was being met. Special education teachers were allowed to assist in reading or interpreting the directions and needs statements. Priority need statements--those with a high need score which were not being met--are related to the decision to parent, careers and work, marriage and parenthood, decision making and goal setting, and resource management. Six clusters or groups of family life education needs were identified: Basic Nutrition, Teenage Pregnancy, Sex Education, Developmental Tasks of Adolescents, Marriage and Parenthood, and Planning and Decision Making. Females reported significantly greater need for information on nutrition, teenage pregnancy, and marriage and parenthood.