The impact of inclusion on language development and social competence among preschoolers with disabilities

This article describes progress in language development and social competence among 96 preschoolers with disabilities in inclusive and segregated classes. Pretest ability was the strongest predictor of progress. Other child, parent, and family characteristics were not associated with pretest developmental abilities or with progress. Degree of disability did not moderate the impact of placement type on developmental outcomes, controlling for pretest ability. Effect sizes, however, indicated thatposttest scores were comparable in both settings for children with “not severe” disabilities, but not for children with “severe” disabilities. Children with severe disabilities in inclusive classes had higher posttest scores in language development and social skills than their peers in segregated classes, but problem behaviors were lower for children in segregated classes.