“Inclusion is about community: Inclusion is more than a placement or a service. It is about creating shared spaces, bringing people together, and giving them a voice.
“Inclusion is a dynamic process: It takes place within a living classroom community that continually changes, according to its members, their interests, and their needs.
“In their joint position statement on inclusion, the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Association for the Education of Young Children encourage a holistic approach. The statement articulates three primary areas that are essential components of inclusion: access, participation, and support,” note authors Yoon-Joo Lee and Susan L. Recchia in their article "Early Childhood Inclusion: Fostering Classroom Community for Diverse Learners" (Young Children, November 2016).
“…Rather than being simply a type of placement, high quality inclusion is about belonging and membership, positive social relationships and friendships, and development and learning. Most importantly, an inclusive community must be conceptualized for all children, not just those with disabilities.”
Including One, Including All |
Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsPenn State (retired)
State College, PA, United States
I read sometime ago that in Reggio Emilia, when a deaf child was enrolled in a "regular" classroom, all the children in the class were taught sign language. What a beautiful way to bring an atypical child into the community! What an easy way to help that child make friends and feel wanted, and part of the group.
CSBC
Denver, CO, United States
Inclusion must also involve receiving needed services within the early childhood community. Unfortunately, in many cases children identified with developmental delays or special needs are automatically removed from their home program and placed within public school programs. This is the antithesis of inclusion! Programs - including private and religious programs - need to find ways to work with the public schools so that children with special needs are not removed. They need to be able to remain in their home program.
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