The paper presents observations of families having adult members with learning disabilities and describes a residential program to facilitate the transition to independent living of lower functioning learning disabled young adults. The program, called Independence Center, involves placing participants in apartments with roommates and helping them learn how to cook, clean, market, budget, improve social skills, and find and keep a job. Observation of the participant success rate suggested that each individual with an unfavorable outcome had come from a dysfunctional family. A brief review of family systems theory follows. Common family problems observed included detached or very devoted siblings, parental ambivalence, lack of acceptance of the disability, communication difficulties, overprotectiveness, family tendency toward rigidity, and inability to resolve conflicts. More functional families who successfully "let go" of the learning disabled young adult are characterized by such behaviors as teaching independence skills, setting consistent limits, setting reasonable expectations, and demonstrating good communication skills. (DB)