A structured small group instructional setting helps to teach mainstreamed handicapped preschoolers the skills necessary to interact with the classroom materials without direct supervision. Examples are cited of individualized play activities with puzzles, paint, and play dough. (CL)

Ten suggestions for successful mainstreaming on a preschool level are presented. Among the suggestions included are to provide an interaction structure in some play situations, discipline handicapped the same as other children, establish realistic goals, and be honest. (PHR)

Fifty-one parents of preschool handicapped or nonhandicapped children were surveyed to determine their perspectives on integration. Both parents of handicapped children and parents of nonhandicapped children held positive perspectives on the philosophical aspects of integration, the social-emotional impact of integration on their children, teacher…

The bibliography of 90 items lists books and journal articles for professionals and parents on the topic of integration of early intervention programs. The list encompasses publications on program models, parental expectations, financial concerns, effects on development of handicapped and nonhandicapped children, social behavior, and educational…

The monograph is intended to help administrators clarify issues regarding mainstreaming in preschool education. Four chapters are presented as outgrowths of a workshop on preschool mainstreaming. The first, "Fundamental Issues in Preschool Mainstreaming," by M. Guralnick, focuses on four issues: (1) understanding the purposes of…

The article examines service provisions for preschool-aged handicapped students in terms of two legal issues: what constitutes an appropriate program in terms of the intensity/frequency of program length; and how the least restrictive environment provision should be applied to this population. (Author/DB)

The attitudes of 204 parents of nonhandicapped children toward preschool mainstreaming were examined. Maternal attitudes were related to the positiveness of their experiences with handicapped individuals, family income, education, age, and age of the nonhandicapped child. Fathers' attitudes indicated a relationship between age of their child and…

The paper draws on the experiences of a mainstreamed early education program to consider ways that preschool programs can make themselves accessible to families with handicapped children. The importance of clearly stated program intent is stressed along with accurate staff perceptions of handicapping conditions. Ten steps are then offered: (1)…

Developed by the staff of the Albuquerque Integration Model (Project AIM Outreach), the guidelines present a framework for organizing and conducting an integrated classroom for handicapped and nonhandicapped preschoolers. AIM is reviewed in terms of its conception of placement along a continuum of less restrictive environments. Guidelines center…

The paper is a product of the 3-year project, "Functional Mainstreaming for Success," designed to develop a model for instructional mainstreaming of handicapped children (3-6 years old) in community settings. The paper reviews the literature defining "mainstreaming," notes that mainstreaming is not the wholesale return of exceptional students from…

Eighteen handicapped and six nonhandicapped preschool children were observed during free play time. Children engaged in social behavior more often when playing with toys classified as social toys compared to isolate toys, and the incidence of social play was higher in integrated groups than in nonintegrated groups. (Author/JDD)

Presented in a question and answer format, the paper examines ways to provide resource services to handicapped children within the regular preschool or kindergarten class. Benefits (such as the presence of appropriate role models and increased acceptance of individual differences) of resource services in the regular classroom for both the special…

Three preschool children with significant behavioral and developmental delays were taught to participate and respond to teacher commands during large group instruction, important skills for later mainstreaming. Techniques included increasing "opportunities to respond" through increased rates of teacher commands to the group and instituting a group…

Nine studies reporting child change data for nonhandicapped children participating in integrated preschool settings were analyzed in terms of methodology and specific classroom practices. The studies suffered from methodological weaknesses common to many early intervention efficacy studies. Documentation of child progress is only one measure of…