Developmental disabilities and the new paradigm: directions for the 1990s.

There has been considerable attention focused during the past decade on defining the respective roles of federal, state, and local governments as well as nongovernmental entities in providing resources and service initiatives to persons in need. Editorial pages have been crowded with terms such as federalism, local control, deregulation, federal-state partnership, and the like. All of these terms have been used to describe the debate regarding the organization and distribution of power and resources, the optimal "locus of control" in social affairs. Recently here in Washington, a new conceptual framework has emerged and in some ways, has synthesized many of the elements ofthis debate: the so called "new paradigm." Simply put, the new paradigm envisions a social order wherein most important decisions are made at the local level, the role of the federal government is diminished in operational aspects of service delivery, and, in the ideal, people are empowered to develop their own solutions to issues affecting their lives. It is not surprising that new paradigm thinking has caused some concern among advocates for human services and education, who have often sought assistance from federal sources when such assistance was not available at the local or state level. This is, of course, quite true in the field of developmental disabilities, wherein our most recent history is filled with examples of the federal initiatives and interventions in major areas. Beginning in 1963 with the passage of the Mental Retardation Facilities and Construction Act, the field has witnessed a steady stream of federal legislative initiatives, such as the Developmental Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and, most recently, the Americans With Disabilities Act. These legislative initiatives and others have provided national level attention to the needs and capabilities of persons with developmental disabilities and have led to fundamental changes in the types of opportunities available and the quality of life experienced by these people and their families. In all of these initiatives, Congress has found that there is a major national interest in expanding rights and access to resources for people with developmental disabilities. Today, there are very few individuals with developmental disabilities whose lives have not been affected by federal initiatives and funding programs. At first glance, it may seem that new paradigm thinking would be in opposition or contradiction to the recent history of our field. However, upon a more careful analysis there is …