Community-based occupational therapy (OT) services are intended to promote social integration and minimize disability. The objective of this study was to describe community-based OT services for children in the province of Quebec, Canada. Specific aims included (a) to determine the proportion of Centres Locaux de Services Communautaires (CLSCs)…

This speech calls for an end to prolonged debate about integration of preschool children in early intervention programs, discusses what is known from research on integration, describes quality indicators of early intervention programs, and makes suggestions for institutionalizing quality early intervention services. (JDD)

Agencies (n=117) providing services to individuals with disabilities were surveyed regarding professional terminology, philosophy, programs, and perceptions of Special Olympics. Results suggest that Special Olympics should place more emphasis on inclusion opportunities and provide opportunities for a wider variety of individuals with disabilities…

The paper describes Project STIP (Supported Transition to Integrated Preschools), a demonstration project in San Francisco, California, which is developing and evaluating a model for integrating preschool children with special needs into regular education preschool programs. Project STIP also developed and evaluated a district-wide model for…

This article provides a British perspective on the future of special schools for children with disabilities in the context of increasing integration efforts. It documents the decline of special schools and notes the influence of various special interest groups. It concludes that a range of adaptive learning environments rather than doctrinaire…

This report examines preschools for children with disabilities in Sweden. In Swedish society the roles of the family and the environment are emphasized with the preschool serving as part of a family support system for children with disabilities. The value of a family oriented intervention is stressed. The first section discusses Swedish provision…

The paper reviews trends in the integration of young disabled children and proposes replacement of the traditional concept of least restrictive environment as a continuum of placement with a concept of integration opportunities determined by individual child needs, family needs, and community resources. The need for integrated service delivery…

This article argues that current models of intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities suffer from conflicting research results and practical implementation problems and discusses alternative approaches, including the need for comprehensive needs assessment, protocols for matching services with needs, interagency system changes, and a…

Three examples of successful integration efforts in England are presented. Springfield Junior School in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, originally comprised three separate institutions--an ordinary junior school, a special unit for children with severe learning difficulties, and a special unit for children with moderate learning difficulties. The three…

Six dimensions of consultative services in early intervention for young children with disabilities are described: location, presence of other children, adult-child initiations, goal functionality, context of intervention, and consultant's role. A continuum of consultative models from totally segregated to fully integrated is presented, and data on…

The article describes the Finnish special education system which provides instructional modifications ranging from remedial education to individual instruction at home, with most students receiving part-time special education by resource room teachers. The last decade has seen emphasis on individual and group integration and individual special…

This paper examines policy options in implementing least restrictive environment (LRE) requirements of federal legislation (Public Laws 99-457 and 94-142), and offers recommendations regarding the array of placement options that should be available in relation to preschool children with handicaps. First, the legal interpretation of LRE is analyzed…

This review analyzes the impact of the traditional school reform model on students who are "at-risk" and disabled. Several goals of current reform initiatives are felt to be exclusionary, such as specifying national or state goals for student achievement, establishing rigid graduation requirements, and relieving schools from "burdensome…

Origins of the criterion of the next environment (CNE) are examined for its continuing applicability to mainstreaming and integration of young disabled children, in light of changes in kindergarten classrooms, commitment to integrated education for all students with disabilities, collaborative partnerships, and instructional support services.…

This article discusses seven "megatrends" in rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. They include changes in the demography of disability, the empowerment of people with disabilities, the policy of integration, and the rising cost of health and social services. Also considered are changes in rehabilitation service delivery…