The Plight of Adults With Mild Cognitive Limitation

Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 2003, Vol 48(3), 363–365. Review of book: “The forgotten generation: The status and challenges of adults with mild cognitive limitations,” edited by Alexander J. Tymchuk, K. Charlie Lakin, and Ruth Luckasson (see record 2001-06923-000). The reviewer notes that the book is organized around concept papers in five key areas (income security, employment, and career development; housing and community living; health and well-being; familial, psychological, and spiritual well-being; and citizenship and civil rights). The reviewer really liked reading these chapters because they were well written, scholarly, very complete, and written by an esteemed set of authors. The chapters completely describe all aspects of the challenges our society presents to individuals with mild cognitive limitations and how we are failing to provide the resources and services to help these people thrive and prosper and realize their full potential as citizens of the United States, which was a theme stressed in the Six-Hour Retarded Child (President's Committee on Mental Retardation, 1969). It is suggested by the reviewer that those in the field of mental retardation really have some work ahead of them. Viable and sound models of mental retardation must be developed, especially of mild mental retardation, that have relevance for the 21st century. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)