6.6: Public Policies on Inclusion

Learning Objectives

1. Identify key federal laws that support the inclusion and educational rights of children with disabilities.
2. Explain the role of professional organizations such as DEC and NAEYC in advocating for inclusive early childhood practices.
3. Describe how early childhood professionals can create inclusive, developmentally appropriate environments that promote access, participation, and support for all learners.

Public Policies on Including Children With Special Needs

Throughout the past 40 years, there have been some significant changes in both state and federal laws, as well as in public policy and social attitudes towards integrating children with special needs and learning disabilities into typical classroom settings. Stigmas from the past have dissipated, and more inclusive practices are in place. Several federal laws serve to protect children with special needs, including:

1. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): This act ensures free, appropriate public education (FAPE) for children with disabilities and provides early intervention, special education, and related services.
2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973): Prohibits discrimination based on disability in federally funded programs and provides accommodations to ensure equal access to education.
3. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): This act extends anti-discrimination protections to all public and private spaces, including schools, ensuring equal opportunities for children with disabilities.
4. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): This act includes provisions to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities, emphasizing accountability and inclusive practices.
5. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): Protects the privacy of student education records, including those of children with disabilities.

In addition to these federal laws, national associations such as the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) rally to protect the rights of children with disabilities or other special needs. As stated in their joint position on inclusion, the DEC and NAEYC believe:

Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society. The desired results of inclusive experiences for children with and without disabilities and their families include a sense of belonging and membership, positive social relationships and friendships, and development and learning to reach their full potential. The defining features of inclusion that can be used to identify high quality early childhood programs and services are access, participation, and supports. (p. 141; DEC and NAEYC 2009, 1)

When early childhood professionals and preschool teachers practice monitoring as part of their regular routines, they demonstrate accountability and responsive caregiving. Nearly 65% of children are identified as having a special need, disability, delay, or impairment, and will require some special services or intervention. As early educators, our role is twofold:

1. Provide an environment where children feel safe, secure, and cared for; and,
2. Help children develop coping skills to decrease stress and promote learning and development.

Creating Inclusive Learning Environments

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\). Playing Together. Image by Antoni Shkraba is licensed CC0.

To ensure that all children feel safe, secure, and nurtured, teachers and early childhood professionals must strive to create a climate of cooperation, mutual respect, and tolerance. To support healthy development, teachers and professionals must offer multiple opportunities for children to absorb learning experiences and process information at their own pace. While one child may be comfortable with simple verbal instructions to complete a particular task, another child may benefit from a more direct approach, such as watching another child or adult complete the requested task first. Those who are devoted to observing their children are motivated to provide experiences that children will enjoy and be challenged by. The classroom is not a stagnant environment - it is ever-changing. In order to maintain a high-quality classroom setting, it is essential to utilize your daily observations of children and the environment to monitor the experiences and interactions to ensure there is a good fit (Morin, 2020).

References, Contributors and Attributions

The section on Creating Inclusive Learning Environments is a derivative from:

Peterson, G., Elam, E. & Studinka, D. (2020). Observation, assessment, and participation in early childhood. College of the Canyons, CA. https://www.palomar.edu/childdevelop...rly-childhood/ CC BY 4.0.

Division for Early Childhood (DEC) & National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2009). Early childhood inclusion: A joint position statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute.

Morin, A. (2020). Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): What You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school...u-need-to-know