Nonmarital Cohabitation, Marriage, and Health Among Adolescents and Young Adults

I T IS certainly no secret that handicapped adolescents and young adults have received less than their fair share of the special education services to which they are entitled. Following a 1970 national survey. Metz (1973) reported that the prevalence of handicapped students at the secondary level (5.9%) was less than half of the prevalence at the elementary level (13.8%). Although some of this reduced prevalence may have resulted from maturation or remediation of handicapping conditions, it seems highly plausible that much of this attenuation is the result of disproportionately high dropout or "push-out" rates (Robinson & Robinson, 1976). The educational opportunities available to handicapped adolescents and young adults have been unsatisfactory. The mainstreaming movement that has evolved for elementary level students does not necessarily provide an adequate model at the secondary level (Clark, 1975). The academic emphasis within secondary education is inappropriate for many handicapped adolescents and young adults. Although vocational education programs would theoretically have much to offer, these programs have been extremely reluctant to spend the dollars that are legislatively set aside for services to handicapped students (Weisenstein. 1976). In spite of these present inadequacies, several trends and events that have emerged during the past five years might set the stage for improvement. Certainly, the career education movement has legitimatized nonacademic alternatives as viable and important components of secondary education. Public Law 94-142 mandates a free and appropriate education for all children up to age 21. Section 504 of the 1973 Vocational Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicapping conditions. All of the recent major legislation authorizing services for handicapped people requires the development of individualized program plans during the course of service delivery. Viewed collectively. these trends and events could result in greater opportunities for adolescents and young adults.