A SOCIOMETRIC TEST WAS USED TO COMPARE THE SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF MENTAL RETARDATES IN THE GRADE SCHOOL SPECIAL CLASSES AND THE REGULAR CLASSES. MODIFIED SYRACUSE SCALES OF SOCIAL RELATIONS (SSSR) WERE ADMINISTERED IN TEST-RETEST DESIGN TO 400 CHILDREN. AN EXAMINATION WAS MADE OF THE FOUR SPECIAL NEEDS SCALES. CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THE DATA COLLECTED AND ANALYZED WERE (1) THE UNMODIFIED SSSR SHOULD NOT BE USED IN ELEMENTARY GRADES, (2) THE MODIFIED VERSION EXTENDS ITS USEFULNESS TO THE THIRD-GRADE LEVEL AND TO MOST EDUCABLE RETARDED PUPILS IN SPECIAL CLASSES, AND (3) WITHIN REGULAR CLASSES LOWER INTELLIGENCE PUPILS RECEIVE FEWER PEER NOMINATIONS THAN DO THEIR BRIGHTER CLASSMATES. (RS)