Sfn. Freeman et Mc. Alkin, Academic and social attainments of children with mental retardation in general education and special education settings, REM SPEC ED, 21(1), 2000, pp. 3
Parents, professionals, and researchers have been concerned about the most
appropriate placement for children with mental retardation. To shed light o
n the efficacy of integration, 36 studies were reviewed on the academic and
social attainments of school-age children with mental retardation. Results
show that children in general education classes do not attain social accep
tance ratings at as high a level as do their typically developing peers. Wh
en comparing children with mental retardation in general education and spec
ial education classrooms, integrated students perform better than their com
parable segregated students on measures of academic achievement and social
competence. Other variables are discussed that might affect child outcomes,
and related recommendations are given for future research.