"Mainstreaming" is defined as a program whereby handicapped children are placed in regular classrooms for all or part of the school day, with steps taken to see that their special needs are satisfied within this arrangement. Key court decisions are cited because the implications of mainstreaming for contemporary education can be properly understood only within the broad context of the current legal and educational status of the handicapped. The pros and cons of the special education debate are summarized, and the classification methods and effects of labeling on children are criticized. Program attributes that seem to be essential to any effective effort to mainsteam include individualized instruction, a spectrum of services and resources, and inservice teacher training to prepare teachers to educate the handicapped. (Author/MLF)