Adults with mental retardation often grieve the loss of their loved ones. However, many times this grief goes unnoticed and individuals are never given the chance to express their grief and recover from the death of those close to them. This guide is designed for helping professionals, including therapists, clergy, nurses, psychologists, hospice professionals, and specialists in developmental disabilities, to aid adults with mental retardation in their grieving process. It covers background information on the universal grief process and addresses grief issues specific to the mentally retarded adult population. It also provides practical guidelines for interacting and providing support. Artwork of adults with mental retardation working through the grief process is included. A menu of strategies features 108 ideas that are organized under headings that correspond with Worden's (1982) four tasks of grieving. (Contains 37 references and an index.) (MKA)