Human Development and Education.; Temple Univ.,

This chapter considers the situation of special needs children who are seen as wrongly segregated due to federal, state, and local regulations, and identifies needed reforms and changes to remedy the problem. Presented from a social work perspective, the paper notes the trend toward mainstreaming of children with disabilities, children in Chapter 1 programs (low-achieving children in poor areas), and children performing at a marginal level. School social workers are urged to help parents and educators coordinate their efforts. Especially criticized are "disjointed incrementalism" (when a series of narrowly framed programs is independently developed and implemented) and "proceduralism " (when excessive resources go into determination of eligibility). Other problems documented include the lack of consistency in defining categories of children and special services needed for students with learning disabilities o