Transcript Chapter 1
Chapter 1 An Inclusive Approach to Early Education ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. What is it? Inclusion is any opportunity for children with disabilities to play & interact with, grow & learn alongside children who are developing in a typical way. Attitudes Toward Disabilities: Historical Perspectives 1500s • Only 50% of children reached adulthood • Infanticide, abandonment, exploitation common • Public sentiment: Children were full of evil 1.2 1700s • Children maimed to be better beggars • Strict discipline enforced • Public sentiment: Children seen, not heard ∆ ∆ 1.3 Children = workers Little thought given to persons with disabilities 1800s • First kindergartens • 80% of persons in poor housing had some disability • First disability services ∆ School for the Deaf (1817) ∆ School for the Blind (1832) ∆ National Education Association subdivision concerning disabilities (1897) • Public sentiment: Protect the handicapped 1.4 early 1900s • Institutions – isolated, overcrowded, understaffed • Residents – institutionalized for life, provided minimal care • Community – developed apathy, fear, distrust • Public sentiment – Persons with disabilities = menace 1.5 early 1900s • New science of genetics produced faulty studies resulting in misconceptions —Mental retardation was mostly hereditary —Mental retardation caused social evils • New laws removed rights of persons with disabilities • Study of children as a science emerged 1.6 mid to late 1900s • World wars ended & disabled soldiers returned home • New compassion for persons with disabilities • Civil rights movement unfolded • Federal legislation supports rights of persons with disabilities • Public sentiment: People with disabilities are people first 1.7 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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 ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Benefits of Inclusion (continued) • Benefits for typically developing children – Developmental progress • not adversely affected. • improved quality in teaching has positive impacts. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Benefits of Inclusion (continued) • Developing sensitivity – Understanding differences – Becoming aware of own strengths and weaknesses ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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 ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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 ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Practices That Interfere with Positive Attitudes toward Persons with Disabilities • Isolating people who have disabilities • Treating people with disabilities as incapable & dependent • Seeing only the disability, not the person • Using language such as cripple, idiot, retarded, deaf & dumb 1.8 Challenges to Implementing Inclusion • Negative attitudes of parents, teachers, & community • Lack of trained staff • Continued physical inaccessibility of some buildings • Lack of funding for additional staff, smaller class sizes, specialized materials & equipment 1.10 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? ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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. ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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 ©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 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.