Little, Donald M. (1988). The redefinition of special education:
Special-ordinary education … individualized and personalized in the
regular class, Education Canada, 28(1), pp. 36-43.
The author defines “special-ordinary education” as “individualized
education” and notes that “teachers in the regular classroom have been
making modifications and allowances for years in order to accommodate
individual needs.” He changes the focus from learning problems to
problems of instruction, suggesting that, with support, teachers can
modify and individualize the curriculum for any student, especially if
they regard every student in the class as a potential co-teacher.
Little, Donald M. (1985). A crime apinst childhood — Uniform curriculum
at a uniform rate: Mainstreaming re-examined and redefined. Canadian
Journal of Special Education, 2(1), pp. 91-107.
The author challenges ten often-heard objections to mainstreaming.
Attitudes detrimental to mainstreaming include a tendency to think in
terms of a unified prescribed curriculum and a focus on the disability
rather than on the person and the person’s abilities, “hence building a
case against the child, rather than for the child’s inclusion in the
regular classroom.”
He further states that there is a need for regular classroom teachers to accept responsibility for all students and to accept a wider range of individual differences. The corollary to this is the provision of appropriate support, information and resources to teachers. He concludes that, “It is not that mainstreaming has been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
