Mainstreaming, the Regular Education Initiative, and Inclusion as Lived Experience, 1974-2004: A Practitioner\u27s View

This article is an auto-ethnography detailing the lived experience of the mainstreaming, Regular Education Initiative, and inclusion movements from the teacher and administrator perspectives. The article illustrates the challenges of integrating students with disabilities in general education and the sociopolitical contexts within which this occurred. A number of factors are necessary to successfully facilitate inclusion and inclusive schooling. These include an understanding of schools as social systems, institutional and administrative authorization and leadership, collaboration and partnerships, and professional development. The implications of institutional and administrative authorization and inclusive practices have significant implications for teacher education and inclusive schooling