This handbook contains the proceedings of a workshop designed to assist home economics educators in working with exceptional children, especially the mentally retarded. The rationale, objectives, organization, content of sessions, participant descriptions, and outcomes of the workshop are described in the introduction. The body of the handbook contains material from each of the workshops, covered under the topics of characteristics of the mentally retarded, trends in mental retardation, life-skill competencies, curriculum suggestions, and school and community resources. The appendix includes the workshop agenda, list of program presenters, the questionnaire used to attract participants, criteria for judging behavioral objectives, a model for systems approach to curriculum, and a resource list. (WL)