The study compared the attitudes of 216 college students who saw a slide presentation of a mentally retarded woman participating in either the Special Olympics or typical community recreational activities. Students who saw the Special Olympics slide presentation regarded the woman as younger and felt she should be in more segregated school and…

Defines multicultural education and its objectives. Suggests real multicultural environment encompasses school policy, staff attitudes, procedures, materials, and especially teachers' activities. Identifies several skills needed for effective multicultural teaching. Notes problems with and recommendations for setting up bilingual programs.…

Analyzes the results of a study undertaken in Switzerland, which was designed to determine the degree of integration of non-Italian children in Italian-language nursery schools in the German part of Switzerland. Attempts to synthesize the ethnic and lingusitic elements of the study are made. (CFM)

Provides a definition of multicultural education (ME) and challenges the six myths most frequently voiced about it. The myths addressed include the argument that ME does little to eliminate structural inequalities, that it impedes learning the basic skills, that ME is the same as political correctness, and that ME rejects the notion of common…

This article compares the inclusive schools movement and the Regular Education Initiative in terms of advocates, goals, tactics, and understanding of and links to general education. The article finds that the inclusive schools movement has become increasingly strident, and its perspective has become increasingly insular and disassociated from…

Examines integration of refugee Ethiopian children into Israeli schools, and contrasts their circumstances with those of Afro-Caribbean children in British schools. Discusses racism, racial stereotypes, beliefs about intellectual capacity and intelligence quotient, student self-esteem, culture conflict and acculturation, language difficulties,…

Attitudinal data concerning integration of students with disabilities into regular classrooms were gathered from six groups of Australian educators (principals, regular teachers, resource teachers, school psychologists/counselors, and two groups of preschool directors). Considerable attitudinal differences were found both within and among…

This article describes strategies to assist toddlers with special needs in inclusive settings to acquire social interaction skills. Strategies include: (1) arranging the environment; (2) group affection activities; (3) imitation of peers; (4) teacher prompts; (5) teacher reinforcement; (6) correspondence training; and (7) peer-mediated…

Inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education in the United Kingdom calls for matching diversity of learning need with diversity of educational approach for all students. A three-dimensional matrix relating varied teaching approaches, types and levels of expertise, and grouping of pupils is proposed. (DB)

This article describes a dialog writing project which has involved hundreds of deaf students exchanging journals with hearing peers. A class of hearing-impaired students is paired with students from a general classroom, and dialog journals are physically exchanged. Practical pointers for developing and implementing the program are given. (DB)

This article presents a literature survey and conceptual model of the perceptual-motor performance of children with visual impairment, in relation to their social development. The relationships between visual impairment and orientation, visual impairment and mobility, and motor performance and social integration are examined. (Author/SW)

Evidence supporting the use of a revision of the Opinions Relative to Mainstreaming scale, called Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities, is presented. Scale testing with 376 professionals revealed satisfactory item characteristics, adequate reliability and homogeneity, and initial support for construct validity. The scale…

This article examines the challenges and successes experienced over four years by three academically gifted students with deaf-blindness in inclusive educational programs, and presents recommendations about placement of students with similar needs in inclusive programs. (Author/DB)

Compares three models positing differing roles for values in predicting fairness judgments and support of affirmative action: Tetlock's (1986) value pluralism models, Lind's (1992) fairness heuristic hypothesis, and Jackman's (1978) model involving no role for values. Results support the fairness heuristic hypothesis, indicating that values play a…

This study of societal attitudes in Tanzania, based on interviews and examination of a collection of proverbs, riddles, and poems, determined that persons with disabilities are not marginalized and that principles of normalization and integration underlie traditional community living. (SW)