Patterns of Educational Integration: International Perspectives on Mainstreaming Children with Special Educational Needs

The integration of children with special educational needs was a crucial issue for the 1990s. Many countries were reassessing and reorganising their systems of provision in the light of legislation to provide entitlement for all. There was noticeable worldwide trend away from entirely separate provision for learners with special educational needs. At the same time there was no agreement on how exactly they should be integrated with other students. The reader will gain a clear understanding of educational provision, the societal forces that push for greater integration and the attitudes that promote or hinder educational success. CONTENTS: Introduction. PART ONE: Segregation or Integration? Towards Integration; Attitudes and Integrating. PART TWO: Whose Problem Is It Anyway? Resources for Disabled Pupils in the Mainstream Class; Integration and the Specialist Unit: problems of balance; Opening Doors: changes of policy; Mayfield Park: developing an enrichment programme; Working Together: interschool integration; The Support Team: in-school support; Educational Programmes: planning for the individual; Continuity of Care: mainstreaming whole persons through their school years; A Parent's Perspective. PART THREE: Ways Forward: implications and practical strategies for successful integration.