School integration for students with mental handicaps: A cross-cultural perspective

Descriptive information was presented which related to the school integration of students with mental handicaps in four western European countries. The investigator based his findings on a five-month visit to Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and West Germany. Observations, interviews, and documents were synthesized to draw conclusions about educational programs. Preliminary inferences were drawn about the development of educational models in these countries and the United States. Potential variables were identified which influence systems change toward integrated school models. * The completion of the research was supported by a Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship. I would like to thank Eileen Gambrill for being a catalyst, Georg Feuser for being my sponsor, Heidi Rose for being a facilitator, and Cory Gaylord-Ross for her continued support. My appreciation goes to the following individuals for their assistance in this work: Jens Bartholin, Karin Bernath, Giancarlo Cottoni, Nora Ferro, John Fish, Jorgen Hansen, Chris Kiernan, and David May.