title: Pediatric nurse practitioners and educational mainstreaming.
abstract: Educational mainstreaming provides an opportunity for a developmentally delayed child to interact in an environment with nondelayed children. It fosters growth by providing opportunities that other methods of education do not have. Mainstreaming can be initiated by the pediatric nurse practitioner. As the result of the developmental assessment skills of the practitioner, early intervention, a plan of care, referral, and ongoing evaluation can be accomplished. This article looks at the pros and cons of mainstreaming, at reaching a compromise on mainstreaming, at legislation affecting the developmentally delayed child, and at how the pediatric nurse practitioner can use the integrated multidisciplinary model with these children with special needs.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarzynski
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008282:Mainstreaming, Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D014481:United States