Historical evidence indicates that conventional explanations for the development of custodial care are inadequate. An alternative explanation is suggested based on an economic model of the structure of the residential services industry. It is argued that the profession generated demand for residential services by portraying the retarded population…

The history of residental programs for the blind is reviewed, and the impact of the deinstitutionalization thrust on those schools is examined. The author asserts that residential schools must re-orient themselves to serving multiply handicapped students. (CL)

The article describes the history of educational programs for deaf children, predicts that deaf education will become more closely aligned with general education, notes shifts in student placement from residential to public mainstreamed settings, and describes several Gallaudet University programs involved in research, training, and outreach to…