A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF DEVELOPMENTAL AND SOCIAL GAINS OF CHILDREN WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES IN SEGREGATED AND INCLUSIVE PRESCHOOLS IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO

Studies comparing developmental and social gains of children with disa bilities in integrated and segregated preschool programs have tended n ot to involve children with severe disabilities. The present study is a descriptive analysis of pre-assessment differences and gains of chil dren with severe disabilities in segregated (N = 48), and integrated ( N = 46) preschools over a preschool year on 3 measures of children's d evelopment (Uniform Performance Assessment System, Teacher Vineland Ad aptive Behavior Scale, and Parent Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale) an d on changes in naturalistic observation of children's social interact ion during free play periods. Also included in the comparisons were ga ins of children with mild/moderate disabilities (N = 66) and typically -developing children (N = 63). Preschoolers with disabilities were sel ected at random from an initial pool of 1,300 children with disabiliti es, aged 2.5 - 6.0 yr, attending preschools in southern Ontario and sc reened for their level of disabilities. The results indicated that seg regated programs for children with severe disabilities were characteri zed by more enriched adult/child ratios and shorter hours of daily ope ration. Children with severe disabilities in segregated preschools sho wed less development gains than children in the other 3 experimental g roups. Moreover, no group of children with disabilities increased the amount of time they interacted with peers from the low levels found at pre-assessment. Implications for programming for children with seven disabilities are discussed.