The document contains two articles based on papers presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association on Mental Deficiency (Detroit, 1981). The first paper by D. Mott, et al. is titled "Emotional Needs of People with Mental Retardation--A Preliminary Review." Based on discussions held by staff at the Western Carolina Center (Morganton), the authors consider the following hypotheses: the mentally retarded have the same basic emotional needs as nonretarded; the mentally retarded need to develop self-acceptance; the mentally retarded need to have successful life experiences; and the mentally retarded need a positive, rewarding, stimulating, and secure environment. Treatment implications of these hypotheses are discussed. A second article, "Innovative Mental Health Programs for People with Mental Retardation" by H. Benson, Jr. and J. Gilday, describes four innovative programs for retarded/disturbed individuals. The programs mentioned are the John Merck Program (Pennsylvania), Stone House (North Carolina), Rock Creek Foundation (Washington, D.C.), and Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center (New York). The rationale behind preventive measures is examined. (SW)