The benefits and challenges of the integrated programme for children with disabilities in mainstream child care centres in Hong Kong: Implications for social change

The integrated programme being implemented in mainstream educational environments has been shown to benefit children with and without disabilities. As a British colony prior to July 1997, Hong Kong operated the integrated programme for children with mild disabilities from 2 to 6 years old in mainstream child care centres (CCCs) in 1978 in response to growing concerns for human rights and the global development of integration for children with disabilities. This study focuses on the perceived benefits and challenges of the integrated programme operated in mainstream CCCs in Hong Kong. In a total of 30 stakeholders (18 teaching staff and 12 parents of children with and without disabilities) from six integrated CCCs participated in a series of semi-structured in-depth interviews, providing a comprehensive database for the study. The data were analysed with reference to previous studies on the integrated programme for children with disabilities in the context of the current educational experience in Hong Kong. The findings indicate that the stakeholders believe that the integrated programme can benefit children with and without disabilities, but that it can also cause challenges for these children. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.