Teachers can play a critical role in making integration work if they have support from administrators, teachers and parents. They also need practial strategies and principles with which to work.
This chapter outlines three basic principles which can provide the foundation for successful integration: 1) a commitment to integration as a value; 2) use of a functional curriculum model; and 3) community referenced instruction.
Stainback, William and Susan Stainhack. (1989).Facilitating merger
through personnel preparation. In Stainback, Susan, William Stainback and
Marsha Forest (Eds). Educating all Students in the Mainstream of
Regular Education. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
By integrating personnel, programs and resources in special and regular
education departments, colleges and universities can set the stage for a
unified regular education system for elentary and secondary schools.
This chapter suggests steps for doing it, including a “common
professional core of courses for all educators” and “community
referenced curricular content.”
Stainback. S.B. and W.C. Stainback. (1983). Preparing regular classroom
teachers for the integration of severely handicapped students: An
experimental study. Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded,
18, pp. 204-209.
Thirty-seven teachers read and discussed information related to the
integration of students with severe handicaps into regular schools. The
results of this study indicate that teachers’ attitudes and behavioural
intentions regarding this issue can be significantly influenced by such
a program of reading and discussion.
