These laws did not contain the word inclusion, but they defined the most appropriate setting as one that was described as the least restrictive environment. Education in the least restrictive environment means that students would, to the extent possible, be educated with their nondisabled peers. Following are links to related ERIC Digests as well as selected citations from the ERIC database and the search terms we used to find the citations. EJ490859 EA529803 Room for All. Districts need not educate every disabled child in a regular classroom for the entire day, but have numerous options, so long as each child is carefully evaluated.
Recent lawsuits brought by parents of mentally retarded children support mainstreaming practices.
To Meet the Educational Needs of All Students. Belcher, Charles Mar 1997 10p. Although LRE has increased the number of disabled students in the general education classroom, the dual system of general and special education continues to exist. The Regular Education Initiative calls for regular and special education professionals to work together to assess the educational needs of students with learning problems and to cooperatively develop educational strategies for meeting those needs. Although a research review indicates that teachers support inclusion and express a willingness to teach disabled students in regular classroom settings, little has been done to prepare teachers for implementing a unified educational system.