The Willowbrook State School is an important part of the history of disabilities in the United States and is regarded by some as the ''ground zero'' of the disabilities civil rights movement. This informative text describes in great detail what life was like for the people who lived and worked at Willowbrook and how and why the institution evolved as it did. The focus is primarily on the period before Geraldo Rivera's sensational television expose in 1972. A History and Sociology of the Willowbrook State School explores a general history of disabilities and institutions and increasingly concentrates on the ''medicalization'' of disability, which was the impetus for the creation of large-scale institutions. The early history of institutions in New York State, New York City, and Staten Island is adroitly presented as a backdrop that allows the authors to showcase the particulars of Willowbrook itself. Since 1876, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) has been providing worldwide leadership in the field of disabilities. AAIDD is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization of professionals and citizens concerned about intellectual and developmental disabilities. AAIDD publishes books for professionals in developmental disability in the areas -Supported living -Definition of intellectual disability -Disability funding -Positive behavior support -Palliative care -Quality of life -Health