Mainstreaming during the Early Childhood Years

Issues surrounding the implementation of the integration imperative during infancy and early childhood present formidable challenges to education and community providers. Key among these issues is how professionals provide high-quality services to young children with disabilities in mainstream environments. This article explores current issues related to integration and reexamines the concept of "best practices" as it applies to mainstreaming during the early childhood years. The author recommends an integrated set of indicators for high-quality programs and describes an outcomes-based process for making administrative and pedagogical decisions.