ABSTRACT
Empirical tests of current standards and definitions of an acceptable treatment environment are likely to result in improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of many dimensions of services. For example, when eval uating the acceptability of an environment, an issue commonly raised relates to the age appropriateness of the materials available in that environment. This quite legitimate issue should not, however, eclipse an equally vital question of whether leisure and habilitative materials are actually used and whether they actually teach functional skills. Regardless of their apparent social appropriateness and instructional potential, materials should not be consid ered acceptable unless they are actually engaging to clients. Thus, appear ance alone cannot define appropriate materials; their functional use must be empirically assessed.
