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A comprehensive and user-friendly ‘field manual’ for anyone initiating or sustaining high-quality inclusive early education.

Research that supports inclusion and specific ways to plan for and implement inclusive practices. —Joan Lieber, Ph.D., University of Maryland

This is the how-to book preschool administrators, school district leaders, child care directors, and faculty need to step up the progress of early childhood inclusion through big-picture, systems-level change. Shaped by feedback from a nationwide survey of IDEA Part B Preschool Coordinators and local school district leaders who shared their real-life inclusion challenges, this is your comprehensive toolbox of problem-solving tips, evidence-based practices, and practical checklists and handouts.

Laying the Groundwork for Preschool Inclusion

What Is Quality Inclusion?

E rin E. B arton and Jaclyn Joseph

Tools from the Toolbox

• Figure 1.1 National Data on the Slow Progress of Preschool Inclusion
• Figure 1.2 Preschool Inclusion Framework
• Figure 1.3 Inclusion For Preschool Children With Disabilities: What We Know And What We Should Be Doing

The purpose of this chapter is to provide several important introductory tools for your preschool inclusion toolbox. First, we briefly discuss the state of inclusion in the United States. Then, we discuss our preschool inclusion framework. Finally, as part of our inclusion framework, the empirically supported, effective components of inclusion are presented.

State of Preschool Inclusion in the United States

As shown in Figure 1.1, a comparison of the 2012 IDEA data to the 1985 IDEA data indicates that the practice of providing special education and related services to children ages 3–5 years old in regular EC settings increased by only 5.7% in 27 years. The limited improvement from 1985 to 2012 suggests administrators might need support for designing services, implementing systems, and crafting policies that support the inclusion of young children with disabilities in high-quality EC settings.

Empirical and Legal Support for Preschool Inclusion

Research consistently demonstrates that high-quality and responsive environments are associated with positive outcomes for young children, including for children with disabilities (Camilli et al., 2010; Espinosa, 2002; Pianta, Barnett, Burchinal, & Thornburg, 2009). High-quality inclusive classrooms with adequate ratios of more competent peers are related to positive outcomes for children with disabilities (Justice, Logan, Lin, & Kaderavek, 2014). Preschool inclusion has been at the heart of policy, professional standards, and research for decades.

The position statement, provided in Appendix IC, defines EC inclusion and identifies the relevant features and recommendations for developing quality inclusive preschool programs. Their definition of inclusion is:

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.

Effective Components of Inclusion

Several effective components of preschool inclusion have emerged. These include:

1. Intentional, sufficient, and supported interactions between peers with and without disabilities.
2. Specialized, individualized supports.
3. Family involvement.
4. Inclusive, interdisciplinary services and collaborative teaming.
5. A focus on critical sociological outcomes.
6. Effective, ongoing professional development.
7. Ongoing program evaluation.

Inclusion for Preschool Children with Disabilities: What We Know and What We Should Be Doing

The movement toward inclusion of preschool age children with disabilities originally gained national attention with the passage of Public Law 99-457, the IDEA amendments of 1986, which extended the provisions of the least restrictive environment (LRE) to children with disabilities ages three through five. The developmental importance of inclusive services is clear.

Checklist of Steps to Preschool Inclusion

The proposed next steps include:

• Evaluate your program according to the components of high-quality inclusive programs using the Inclusion Self-Checklist provided in this chapter.
• Engage stakeholders about high-quality preschool inclusion.
• Determine your program’s strengths and weaknesses, and start thinking about a plan of action for implementing or improving practices associated with high-quality preschool inclusion.

Conclusion

Data establishes that not much has changed in regard to the numbers of preschool children included with their peers, despite the academic, legal, and professional support for inclusion. The following chapters will provide the tools your team needs to get started on the important path to high-quality preschool inclusion for all children.