The purpose of this study is to identify the requirements for the success of the integration program and to find out the causes of success and to provide optimal services for the students with disabilities in regular schools. The study attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What are the most important requirements of the success of the…

A case study is presented of a girl (age six) with multiple disabilities including moderate to severe mental retardation who was fully included in a regular first-grade classroom. The experience indicated that students with multiple disabilities can learn to follow classroom routines, follow directions, acquire new skills, and improve their…

This article discusses mainstreaming of a student (age five) with physical, intellectual, visual, and suspected auditory impairments in her neighborhood school in Auckland, New Zealand. Comments of the people involved in the program, including the principal, teachers, teacher's aide, family members, and fellow pupils are reported; and the success…

This paper reviews the concept of integration, identifies present practices in Alberta (Canada), and describes related issues and trends. Terms are clarified, current initiatives are outlined, the effectiveness of integration is discussed, and the legal and judicial context is examined. The North American experience with integration is briefly…

This study of 14 children (ages 3-5) with disabilities participating in the Classwide Social Skills Program found that the program increased subjects' positive play and levels of teacher reinforcement, but these increases did not generalize to 3-month or 6-month follow-up periods nor to another play session in the day. (Author/JDD)

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…

This paper presents the testimony concerning special education reform and inclusion programs of the Director of Education and Employment Issues before a House of Representatives subcommittee. The speaker concludes that inclusion programs can work (as in districts in California, Kentucky, New York, and Vermont) but take tremendous effort and…

This paper presents the philosophy, goals and curriculum of the San Jose University Demonstration Preschool Project and presents preliminary data on the integration of mild to moderately handicapped preschool children into the program. The program, which enrolls 6 handicapped children and 14 non-handicapped children, is based on the developmental…

This study compared regular education teacher evaluations of the social competence of elementary children with learning disabilities (n=68) receiving services in either traditional "pull out" models or in "integrated" programs. It found that service delivery model alone without any specific planned social-behavioral interventions did not have a…

This booklet presents photographs and quotations illustrating the effective inclusion of children with disabilities in New Hampshire's public schools. The booklet was created to acknowledge and celebrate families, educators, and communities who have welcomed all students into neighborhood schools and classrooms; to energize dedicated people who…

Twenty-four abused children, judged unable to participate in a public school setting due to developmental delays and abnormal behaviors, attended a therapeutic preschool for physically and sexually abused children from 1985-88. Most children made developmental gains at a faster-than-expected rate, and over 79 percent were staffed into the public…

This study of 20 preschool children with disabilities and 8 normally developing children found that more peer interaction occurred during play activities that were more structured, whereas teacher interaction rates were not related to activity structure ratings. Among children with disabilities, rate of peer interaction correlated positively with…

A survey of 281 mothers of young children with cognitive delays, communication disorders, physical disabilities, risk of delays, or typical development revealed widespread support for the benefits of mainstreaming and a substantial number of perceived drawbacks. Mothers' perceptions of mainstreaming were similar across family demographics, child…

This article describes a demonstration project that utilized 28 community early childhood programs as intervention placements for 30 preschool-age children with disabilities. Results suggested significant developmental gains for all children. Service delivery characteristics identified as necessary for the effective implementation of intervention…

This study evaluated a social skills training program with 18 deaf children (ages 9 to 13) in mainstream settings in three elementary schools in the Canary Islands. It found the intervention improved students' social problem solving skills and their assertive skills. However, no significant differences in social or academic integration as judged…