1. Chapter 1 An Inclusive Approach to Early Education
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2. Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
Provide a definition of inclusion
Describe an overview of the history of inclusion
Provide a rationale for inclusion in early childhood education
Discuss the implications for teachers and their responsibilities to ensure effective inclusion
Outline the potential benefits of inclusion
Identify concerns and challenges about inclusion for children with and without disabilities

3. Inclusion Defined
Inclusion means that children with special needs attend school with typically developing peers.
Inclusion is belonging, being valued, and having choices.
Inclusion is accepting children and families and supporting their participation.
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4. Historical Perspective of Inclusion
Forget and hide—children with disabilities were placed in institutions, and families were told to forget about them.
Screen and segregate—people with disabilities now had civil rights.
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5. Historical Perspective (continued)
Identify and help—children were now identified earlier, so treatment could begin earlier.
Include and support—Americans with Disabilities Act is passed and inclusion begins.
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6. Rationale for Inclusive Early Education
Ethical issue—segregated classes for children with disabilities often do not have the materials, funding, and support of regular classrooms, making their education inadequate.
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7. Rationale for Inclusive Early Education (continued)
Socialization issue—through inclusion equal social status is implied:
Children of varying abilities grow up together, and acceptance is mainstream.
Re-entry into the social norms is not necessary because they are already a part of the norm.
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8. Rationale for Inclusive Early Education (continued)
Developmental issues
Children with and without disabilities are provided lessons that enhance their level of development.
Children learn from each other.
Children model appropriate interactions with others.
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9. Rationale for Inclusive Early Education (continued)
Cost issue—cost is actually reduced, because existing program structures are already in place.
Segregating typical and atypical children would be a setback.
Not enough quality programs to serve all children in segregation.
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10. Supporting Inclusion: Implications for Teachers
Structuring child-child interactions
The teacher needs to structure his/her activities on encouraging play between children with and without disabilities.
After a period of imitating each other’s behaviors, children will begin to play together on their own.
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11. Supporting Inclusion: Implications for Teachers (continued)
Planning activities
Activity-based approach has the teacher develop lessons based on typical preschool activities and incorporate IFSP and IEP goals at the same time.
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12. Supporting Inclusion: Implications for Teachers (continued)
Professional collaboration
Interdisciplinary teams are developed and must work together to meet the needs of the individual child.
Interdisciplinary teams partner with families.
Professionals share their strengths to improve the child’s educational outcomes.
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13. Benefits of Inclusion Benefits for children with disabilities
Gains are made in
social competence
social play
developmental domains
higher levels of play
higher academic achievement
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14. Benefits of Inclusion (continued)
Benefits for typically developing children
Developmental progress
not adversely affected.
improved quality in teaching has positive impacts.
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15. Benefits of Inclusion (continued)
Peer tutoring
Both children receive significant benefits.
Provides social interactions.
Promotes acceptable play behaviors.
Promotes appropriate and enhanced use of materials.
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16. Benefits of Inclusion (continued)
Developing sensitivity
Understanding differences
Becoming aware of own strengths and weaknesses
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17. Benefits of Inclusion (continued)
Benefits for families
Parents’ attitudes become more positive over time as they see
their children become more accepting of differences
their children become more comfortable around all people
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18. Benefits of Inclusion (continued)
Benefits for society
As the children grow into adults, they are
more accepting of individual differences
more mature in their responses around others
able to respect others for what they can do
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19. Concerns and Challenges of Inclusion
Will special needs be served?
Parents and professionals often feel that they cannot meet the needs of the child.
Are specialized services going to be available?
How well are the teachers prepared?
If so much time is spent on children with disabilities, will the typical children feel shortchanged?
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20. Concerns and Challenges of Inclusion (continued)
Concerns about inappropriate behaviors
Typically developing children will begin to imitate inappropriate behaviors of children with disabilities.
This is unfounded and false.
Children will not imitate unusual or stereotypical behaviors.
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21. Concerns and Challenges of Inclusion (continued)
Will children with special needs be teased?
Not if given good role models who answer questions honestly and support friendships
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22. Final Thoughts Inclusion is the law.
There are more benefits than downfalls.
Society will be more accepting of all individuals.
Cost should not be a deterring factor.
Try it; you might like it.
©2015 Cengage Learning.
All Rights Reserved.

23. Objectives: Revisited
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
Provide a definition of inclusion
Describe an overview of the history of inclusion
Provide a rationale for inclusion in early childhood education
Discuss the implications for teachers and their responsibilities to ensure effective inclusion
Outline the potential benefits of inclusion
Identify concerns and challenges about inclusion for children with and without disabilities