Preschool handicapped in Italy: A research-based developmental model

In Italy preschool attendance is not compulsory. By 1983, however, 83.8% of the 3- to 6-year-olds were attending some form of early childhood program. National legislation passed in 1971 mandates education of all handicapped children, including severely handicapped, from ages 6 to 14. Since 1971 the great majority of handicapped children have been integrated, and the number of special schools has sharply declined. Integration at the preschool level, together with the service model for therapeutic and social assistance in Arezzo, Italy, is the topic of this article. Case studies of three severely handicapped children integrated at the preschool illustrate how the model functions and how its assumptions are tested. Theory and research supporting the model are noted, as is continuing research through case studies and empirical investigations.