Written language skills are an important goal within programs of language development for students with mental disabilities. Specific facets should be considered in the teaching of writing, such as drawing on previous linguistic experiences, viewing writing as both process and product, emphasizing writing as a form of communication, tying writing to cognition, and seeing writing as an opportunity for personal expression. The process of writing is conceptualized as having three sequential stages: pre-writing, writing, and post-writing. In the pre-writing or planning stage, concerns include stimulation, motivation, and purpose. In the writing or drafting stage, a distinction is made between teach-write approaches and write-teach approaches. During this writing stage, a number of key skill areas warrant instructional attention; these include handwriting, spelling, vocabulary development, sentence development, and paragraph writing. The revision stages involved in post-writing should become a routine and integral part of the writing process, requiring the active involvement of the writer in the careful review and revision of what has been previously written. (JDD)