Enactment of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act stipulated that the mentally retarded, among other groups of handicapped children, be educated in the least restrictive environment. Specialized instruction and related service needs are crucial components to be considered in designing an adequate educational program for exceptional…

This paper outlines a heuristic framework for understanding basic patterns in the efforts of nation-states to achieve some degree of integration of ethnic minorities to the dominant culture. Four case studies, from Britain, Sweden, and the Netherlands, illuminate the basic typology: Assimilation, Cultural Pluralism, Socialized Isolation,…

Critically analyzes the different arguments presented in an article by James S. Frideres to support his assertion that provincial governments in Canada are consciously and systematically attempting to destroy the social and cultural framework of the Hutterite culture. (EB)

Examines the relationship between residential learning communities and students' experiences and persistence during the first year of college. Data taken from 2,678 students indicated that the residential learning communities did not improve students' academic achievement and persistence directly, but did indirectly improve students' success by…

Reviews the literature on instruction emphasizing social awareness as opposed to specific social skills for adolescents with mental retardation. Social competence is defined and discussed in terms of appropriate social behavior in work environments. Instructional approaches such as cognitive process approaches and community-based instructional…

Used concepts from community psychology literature to elaborate a revised version of Tinto's model of individual student departure. Employed a longitudinal analysis of 718 college students. Results indicate that students' sense of community in their residence halls was a source of social integration and a precursor to student departure decisions.…

A study operationally defined academic and social integration to fit the population of Hispanic two-year college students, and examined psychometric properties of the measures through confirmatory factor analysis. Findings confirmed the importance of culturally sensitive operational definitions of academic and social integration when including…

This study of 91 Canadian children (ages 10-13) investigated the effects of integration, social contact, and information on the attitudes of elementary school children toward their peers with disabilities. Students in integrated classes were found to have more positive attitudes in comparison to those in nonintegrated classes. (Author/CR)

The social functioning of primary grade students identified as learning disabled (LD; n=16), low achieving (LA; n=27), or average/high achieving (AHA; n=21) was assessed at the beginning and end of the school year. Students with LD were less well liked, more frequently rejected, and had lower academic self-concept scores. However, LD students…

Discusses the three prevailing theoretical frameworks for understanding students with disabilities: the functional limitations framework, the minority group paradigm, and social constructivism. Argues that to view disability as a social construction is to think inclusively, which acknowledges the power of environmental, structural, and cultural…

Reexamined the validity and reliability of the 24-item S.A.F.E. scale and found it to be a reliable measure of Hispanics' acculturation stress. Also studied the effect of generational status, gender, and socioeconomic status on the levels of acculturation stress experienced by this sample. (RJM)

This paper considers two major movements affecting the lives of people with intellectual disabilities: normalization and inclusion. It reviews the aims, processes, and outcomes of the normalization and social role valorization movement and explores its compatibility with inclusion. Lessons from normalization are applied to the inclusion movement.…

This article discusses the implications of a follow-up study of 56 people who had lived on average for 22 years in an institution. The study found the majority had made few community connections eight years after leaving the institution. The concept of social alienation of difference is explored. (Contains references.) (CR)

A study involving 670 nonabusive families and 166 abusive families compared Spanish and Colombian cultures in relation to community social support variables and the relationships between these variables and child maltreatment. In both cultures, abusive parents showed lower levels of community integration, participation in social activities, and…

Recommends ways of increasing social diversity at residential camps. Suggests incorporating multiethnic, multicultural purpose into camp statements, staff training, and daily program. Describes multicultural activities for campers. Emphasizes value of role modeling and discussion of sensitive issues. (TES)