This survey of 53 students (ages 13-15) at a Leeds (England) secondary school found confusion between mental and physical handicap, confusion between mental handicap and mental illness, and confusion about causes of mental retardation. Most students felt that persons with mental handicap belonged in the community. (JDD)

This article suggests strategies that general educators, in collaboration with integration facilitators and other specialists, can use to include students with severe disabilities in the regular classroom curriculum within inclusive schools. Implementation considerations focus on a team approach, peer involvement, emphasis on functional skills,…

The individualized education programs (IEPs) of 22 students with severe disabilities were analyzed during students' placement in special classes and general education classes. No difference was found in the curriculum content of the IEPs written for students attending a special versus a general education class; however, IEP objectives' quality was…

This article examines research methodology, dependent measures, and programmatic variables used to analyze the effects of preschool integration of children with disabilities. Analysis provides support for the benefits of preschool integration with respect to social and other behavioral outcomes, though not for developmental outcomes over time.…

This review of research on the social integration of children with disabilities in mainstreaming programs addresses the problems of generalizing findings to other groups of children, use of simplistic measuring techniques, limited evidence supporting the use of multivariate statistical procedures, and interpretation of treatment effects.…

A program providing preparatory training and integrated primary schooling for blind children in Goroka (Papua New Guinea) is described. Specialized training at the Mt Sion Centre for the Blind prepares students for mainstreaming at the local community school. The center also provides teacher training services and a specialist resource teacher to…

Asserting that schools often label students who do not learn quickly enough as "learning disabled," this personal account of one young man's determination to overcome the label demonstrates the effect of a trusting teacher-student relationship and the need to reevaluate educational practices for these students. (SK)

This article examines questions about educational placements for children with hearing loss, including the equity of placement decisions and the impact of placement on academic achievement and social development. It is concluded that applying principles of placement in the least restrictive environment requires reexamination of existing…

This article, in the form of a letter from the parent of a teenager to parents of younger children with disabilities, encourages parents to take advantage of integrated educational opportunities for their children. Negative aspects of segregated education are illustrated with examples from the teenager's life. (DB)

The author of EC 602 983 comments on his areas of research interest, speculates about the reasons why the social adjustment of kindergartners appears so different from that of older elementary school children, and examines the benefits of providing kindergarten experiences that maximize interactions among bright pupils. (JDD)

This article examines the status of mainstreaming of students with hearing impairments, the growth of the Student Development movement, and the reality versus the vision of mainstreaming. Attention to the four "P's" of mainstreaming--people, place, purpose, and process--is urged in order to build a supportive mainstream program. (JDD)

Examines the need for least restrictive environment (LRE) options in physical education (PE) for students with disabilities who traditionally receive regular, adapted, or no PE. The paper proposes an alternative approach to identifying LRE options based on the outcome of a three-year Department of Education Special Projects grant. (SM)

Elementary and secondary classroom teachers (n=142) were surveyed regarding the specific instructional approaches and/or modifications used with students having mild disabilities. Results suggest that general classroom teachers do not consistently make effective accommodations for students with mild disabilities. (DB)

This study of the patterns of contact among 12 students (ages 4-17) with deaf-blindness and their nondisabled age peers at school revealed that students engaged in slightly less than 90 minutes per day in social contact. Many students with deaf-blindness were not developing stable (repeating) contacts with any of their peers. (Author/JDD)

Stresses the benefits of mainstreaming disabled children and offers general criteria and specific suggestions for teachers to improve the inclusiveness of their curricula. Activities focus on five areas of early childhood development: language development; physical development; cognitive development; social and emotional development; and self-help…