A question of attitudes: integrating children with disabilities into regular classrooms?

With a view to establishing if there might be a consensus in favour of mainstreaming (the integration of children with disabilities into regular classrooms), attitudinal data from six groups of educationists were summarised by the three authors. There appeared to be considerable variability both within and between these groups in terms of the extent to which such placements were considered appropriate. Also, attitudes differed markedly according to the nature of the presenting disability or difficulty. The data are discussed with reference to information obtained concurrently and other research. Emeritus Professor James Ward was foundation director of the Centre for Research into Special Education and Rehabilitation, Macquarie University, and is now adjunct professor of psychology at Bond University. Dr Yola Center is senior lecturer and Dr Sandra Bochner is associate professor, School of Education, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia.