Mainstreaming is also known as inclusion. The term inclusion is more commonly used than mainstreaming. Some feel that these handicapped children benefit from the social aspects of the classroom environment. They learn how to deal with other people and especially ones that are around their own age. To look at both sides, the regular students also benefit because they can learn how to deal with these differences as well.
Inclusion can be very successful, but it takes a team to make it work.
It can be positive for the student as well as the parents. Teachers need to be aware of what happens with a student that is included into a general classroom. It is important that they don't view this as more work for themselves. The issues have been around for the last 25 years, but there has been a steady move forward for the inclusion of students with disabilities. History, Rhetoric, and Reality.