Since the passage of 94-142 in 1975, many children with severe handicaps have been educated in integrated settings. As a result, researchers have developed and evaluated procedures for increasing the social interactions between children with and without handicaps. In general, these have been implemented by experimenters skilled in the specific teaching procedures being evaluated. In addition, few of the effective procedures have been developed into training packages and disseminated to teachers to use as a means of promoting social integration. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of specific teaching procedures used by Special Education teachers to promote the social interaction of children with and without handicaps. Seventeen teachers served as subjects. Direct observations of the teachers indicated that consistent implementation of teaching, planning, and monitoring procedures to promote social interaction resulted in greater increases in children's interactions during freeplay than simply providing children with opportunities to play. The results are discussed in terms of the teacher's importance in systematically programming the environment to promote social interaction in integrated settings.
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