The efficacy of integrating elementary school students with moderate mental retardation into regular classes is compared to that of their integration into two types of elementary-level, self-contained classes. In addition, the efficacy of these two types of special classes, one a community-based program, the other a traditional developmental program, are also compared. Forty-one students with intellectual handicaps (25 boys and 16 girls) participated in the study. They were tested three times: Before beginning the experiment and after the first and second year. The assessment of the students' progress included measures of academic achievement, adaptive behaviors and behavior disorders. After two years, no one program proved to be superior to the other two, each one having strengths and weaknesses. This study leads us to ask which goals should be focused on in the elementary-level education of students with moderate mental deficiencies.
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