Abstract
Learning begins long before a child enters the doors of a school. Unfortunately, high quality inclusive educational program are often lacking. Young children with disabilities are increasingly served in inclusive early childhood environments. 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 21st 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 shares information about early childhood inclusion.
Presenters
Marisa MacyJohn P. Ellbogen Foundation Professor of Early Childhood Education, School of Teacher Education, University of Wyoming, Wyoming, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Inclusion, Early Childhood, Education, Development
