[What has become of them? The careers of the physically handicapped--a model study]

The study deals with the vocational careers of 102 cerebral palsied young people who had ceased to attend the educational and therapeutic programmes provided by the Nuremberg "Day Centre for Physically Disabled Children", following varying periods of service utilization between 1973 and 1978. Of the study group total, 19 are mildly disabled, 40 moderately, and 43 severely disabled. Of 23 persons who were fully integrated vocationally at the time of study, 19 (i.e. 84 percent) are moderately to severely disabled. Tabular information included shows that achievement of full occupational integration is determined less by disability severity than by intellectual potential. It also becomes clear that earliest possible transition from special schooling to mainstream education will be of advantage to the vocational opportunities available to the individual.