Biomedical prevention of mental retardation. A model state plan.

A model state plan for prevention coordinates human, economic, and social resources in a thoughtful process of identification of causes and prevention of mental retardation and a systematic application of that knowledge through a variety of approaches. Systems approaches suggest that "everything is connected to everything else." In this connection, a program, by definition, should be a planned effort to approach various aspects of an identified major problem by means of a series of interrelated projects; a single, isolated, one-shot project is not a program. This definition of program connotes a sustained commitment consistent with planned social change in order to modify institutions to make them more responsive to community need (Goldston, 1977). A sustained commitment is the cornerstone of a model state plan for prevention. The meshing of effort and services demanded of comprehensive prevention planning requires the support of both the executive and legislative branches of government.