While implementing Developmentally Appropriate Practices in preschool/child care programs is important, the inclusion of these practices alone is not sufficient to insure a beneficial experience for children with disabilities. In order to achieve the greatest benefit from placement in an inclusive setting, educators must not only look to Developmentally Appropriate Practice, but also to what has been proven to be effective practice in the field of Early Childhood Special Education.
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) is based on the premise that early and comprehensive intervention maximizes the developmental potential of infants and young children with disabilities (McDonnell & Hardman, 1988). Recommended practices in Early Childhood Special Education are a set of practices derived from research and professional consensus about how early childhood special education services should be provided.
The Recommended Practice components briefly overviewed below are practices that leaders in the field of early childhood special education view as indicators of quality programs.
Programs that are considered exemplary or state of the art utilize all possible opportunities to place children with disabilities into inclusive settings with their non-disabled peers. Inclusion refers to serving children with disabilities in the same settings designed for children without disabilities. For preschool age children this would mean placement in regular community preschool or child care programs. However, inclusion is more than merely integrating children with disabilities into the same physical space as their non-disabled classmates. To be fully included, children with disabilities need to be socially included, that is, have opportunities to interact with other children and participate in the same activities as their typically developing peers. Placement of children in inclusive programs is also supported by federal legislation that calls for placement of children with disabilities in the "least restrictive environment."
Age appropriate placement refers to the placement of children with disabilities in environments with their non-disabled peers of the same or similar age. Placement is based on the child's chronological, not mental age, therefore, preschool aged children with disabilities would be served in the same setting as other preschool aged children. So, you should not see three- or four-year-old children being served in a public school unless there is a typical preschool program in operation at that site.
The child's IEP/IFSP is developed by a team consisting of family members and other individuals involved in the child's educational program. The goals and objectives for the child are developed using a collaborative, transdisciplinary approach involving the ECSE consultant, related service personnel, the regular program teacher, and family members. In preparing the IEP/IFSP, team members view the child as a whole person, not as a collection of developmental domains. Each member is concerned with the needs of the whole child and does not focus only on the isolated skills within a specific domain.
The curriculum is developed with the child's IEP/IFSP as a foundation and is individualized to meet the unique needs of each child. The child should not be expected to adjust to a preconceived curricular content. Instead, the curriculum should be adapted to meet the child's needs. Skills selected for instruction should meet a clearly identifiable functional need in the child's life. That is, there should be a clear reason why each skill is being taught. These skills can be identified through criterion-referenced assessment instruments and ecological inventories or environmental assessments and should address the demands of the child's current and future environment. In early childhood settings, functional targeted skills would be those which would assist the child in interacting more independently and positively with the physical and social environment. A functional orientation gives preference to skills which will enable the child to participate more fully in an integrated setting as opposed to focusing on skills based on a developmental hierarchy or sequence. For most preschool age children with disabilities, intervention efforts emphasize opportunities to learn functional communication and social skills.
The activity based instruction approach provides for direct instruction on specific skills within the context of functional and normal preschool activities. It provides opportunities for practice on target skills within the context of naturally occurring activities (Bricker, 1995). Activity based instruction as an instructional strategy to facilitate inclusion is discussed in more detail in our 'Best Pratices" site.
The provision of related services are woven into the child's daily schedule to allow the practice of skills with other functional skills within naturally occurring activities. These services are delivered within the regular classroom setting in a consultative manner rather than in isolation from the natural setting. In this model, therapists provide classroom staff with basic skills and instruction in techniques they will need to continue target skill practice when the therapist is not on site. Services are delivered in an integrated manner, maximizing the sharing of knowledge and methods across disciplines.
Federal guidelines require the collection of data to monitor child progress on IEP/IFSP objectives. In order to maximize the effectiveness of intervention techniques it is important to collect and analyze child progress data regularly. This analysis enables the team to make educated program decisions based on precise information. Data systems also fit within the environment, in that they are unobtrusive and can be used in natural settings throughout the day.
Transition planning for the preschool aged child refers to the systematic planning process developed and followed to assist the child in the transition from the preschool/child care setting to the next educational environment. The people most frequently involved in the transition planning process, in addition to the child's family, are the sending teacher, ECSE specialist, related service personnel, and the future receiving teacher. It is important for the intervention team to meet with staff from the receiving program to identify skills which will be required in the new setting and to ensure the teaching of those skills. It is critical for staff to look at skills that will equip the child to function as independently as possible in their future setting. Failure to address these skills may result in the child with disabilities not being adequately prepared to survive in least restrictive environments and consequently being retained or placed into more restrictive settings. Planning for transition should occur well before the actual move, enabling the sending teachers to identify survival skills needed in the future environments.
The family is the heart of early childhood programs and serves as a planning and decision-making participant in all aspects of their child's program. A good school-family partnership includes a system for regular communication and opportunities for family participation in the child's program. Quality programs also include procedures for helping families link into existing community resources.
Quality educational programs have a plan for the evaluation of program goals and objectives. This evaluation may examine such factors as child progress, parent satisfaction with the program, and the need for staff training. The information gathered will reveal program strengths and weaknesses and assist in making quality changes.
For more information, please contact:
Gary Glasenapp
Early Childhood & Training Dept.