Abstract

Learning begins long before a child enters a school. Unfortunately, high quality inclusive education is often lacking. Young children with disabilities are increasingly served in inclusive early childhood environments (Sandall, Hemmeter, Smith, & McLean, 2005). It is imperative that children have access to effective teaching practices that meet their special needs. The effort to include young people with disabilities has undergone a shift over the past four decades from working for individual rights and access to inclusive services and programs, toward creating quality inclusive services and programs. Among the many barriers to quality early childhood programs, two barriers stand out as continuing to need attention in the twenty-first century. The first barrier is the quality of inclusive settings. The Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study Team (1995) reported in their evaluation of U.S. early childhood programs most were rated as having “poor to mediocre” quality. Children with disabilities are often placed into early childhood programs where the primary teacher or provider has limited training in working with diverse groups of children. The second barrier is the manner in which child learning is facilitated. A typical inclusive classroom represents a wide range of young learners. With group designed programs and classrooms, professionals are not always equipped with tools to meet individual educational and developmental needs of children. Quality inclusive early childhood programs are places where teachers know and use effective teaching strategies designed to maximize development and learning (Bricker, 2000). This session will share information about early childhood inclusion.

Presenters

Marisa Macy
Cille and Ron Williams Endowed Chair of Early Childhood Education & Buffett Early Childhood Institute Community Chair, Teacher Education, University of Nebraska Kearney, Nebraska, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Education and Learning in a World of Difference

KEYWORDS

Inclusion, Access, Equity, Quality

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