Mainstreaming mildly retarded children into regular classrooms: successful modes and strategies

Throughout history the handicapped have been at the mercy of society and their treatment has reflected the attitudes of their particular civilization. During the pre-Christian era they tended to be neglected and even mistreated. The spread of Christianity in the Middle Ages brought some measure of pity and protection. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the establishment of institutions which provided segregated management; the 20th century introduced differential diagnosis and some measure of education, (Kirk and Gallagher, 1979). This brief historical overview suggests a picture of gradual enlightenment and progress but the past two decades have witnessed even greater changes within most educational systems throughout the Western world. This paper is an endeavour to examine the literature concerned with educational mainstreaming, and the research which has already been done in this area, in an effort to identify those strategies which have contributed to the successful integration into regular classes of mildly handicapped children