Integration of Severely Handicapped Students and the Proportion of IEP Objectives Achieved

The study investigated the educational impact of integration of severely handicapped students in regular public schools. Thirteen school districts and one residential institution were selected on the basis of their efforts to integrate severely handicapped students. Six of these sites were federally funded model programs for integrating these students. Degree of integration was defined through systematic observation of the rate of integration between severely handicapped students and nonhandicapped students. Information on severely handicapped students’ functional level and rates of interaction with nonhandicapped students and other severely handicapped students was used to predict their achievement of Individual Education Plan (IEP) objectives. Findings revealed that over and above functional level, degree of integration, as measured by interaction with nonhandicapped students, was a significant predictor (p < .025) of educational progress, as measured by the proportion of IEP objectives met. Integration was discussed as an important aspect of curricula for severely handicapped students.