Thirty-three low achieving regular class (RC) and 46 educable mentally retarded special class (SC) adolescents from a white, low-income, urban district were administered the learning potential procedure and were interviewed to determine the differences in their familial relationship. The learning procedure involved three administrations of 16 test and five coaching designs prior to coaching and 1 month following coaching. Ss were considered gainers whose pre to posttest four designs score change was more than nongainers (whose pre-to posttest score change was less than four designs), and high scorers (who solved a difficult block problem in upper level of test during pretest). Results indicated that SC Ss tended to report spending free time with families rather than friends, that both groups reported being given responsible roles at home, and that RC Ss tended to report more responsibility in the home. Also findings showed that nongainers reported themselves most alienated from their parents, desired increased physical contacts, and did not desire verbal interactions; that high scorers and gainers to a lesser degree reported spending free time outside the family though they had good relations with their families, that high scorers reported having good relation with their fathers; and that gainers reported good relations with their mothers and desired better relations with their fathers. The data provided further support for the finding that the more able SC students by the learning potential assessment probably severely educationally retarded; also, data showed that nongainers evidenced the alienation and immaturity in family relations ascribed to the mentally retarded. (Author/MC)