The paper examines three case studies to illustrate problems and benefits involved in attempting to integrate severely handicapped persons into community and classroom settings. The authors discuss the integration efforts for two children with severe/multiple handicaps and one with autism and report on findings from site visits across the United States and intensive case studies in New York State. Among integration efforts noted are mainstreamed lunch, art, and music groups; shopping as a community skills program for high schoolers; and inclusion of multiply handicapped child into small group kindergarten play. Reluctance of some teachers and administrators is considered along with new ideas of education held by others who have successfully integrated severely handicapped students. Three approaches to education (clinical-treatment perspective, functional life skills perspective, and developmental learner perspective) are discussed, and the advantages to integration of the whole life/functional perspective are stressed. (CL)