Accountability in Habilitation of the Severely Retarded: The Issue of Informed Consent

In: AAESPH review: the official publication of the American Association for the Education of the Severely/Profoundly Handicapped, Band 4, Heft 1, S. 24-35

Abstract

Normalization and deinstitutionalization trends indicate that retarded adults are going to be returning to or staying in their local communities. The current emphasis on accountability suggests that the educational, recreational, and vocational programs designed to meet the needs of retarded adults must comply with legal, social, and ethical requirements. One such requirement is informed consent. In this paper, a legal analysis of informed consent is presented, and implications of this analysis for retarded adults in community settings are outlined.