Early Childhood Inclusion: Participation & Support

• High-quality early childhood inclusion involves providing access to diverse learning opportunities, activities, settings, and environments.

Participation

• Some children require individualized accommodations and support to fully participate in play and learning activities.
• Adults intentionally promote belonging, participation, and engagement in inclusive settings for all children.

Systems-Level Support

• An infrastructure of systems-level supports must be in place to provide inclusive services.
• School-age staff need ongoing professional development to implement effective inclusive practices.

Strengths-Based Approach

• A strengths-based approach identifies and develops a student’s natural talents to educate the whole child.
• Weaknesses become opportunities for instruction rather than the focus of the education plan.
• Children in special education may fixate on being "deficient" if they focus on their learning disabilities.
• In a strengths-based model, children can thrive, not just survive.

Fostering Belonging

• Belonging is fostered through relationships, not programs.
• Accommodations help children participate in groups and activities, such as assigning consistent groups.
• Activities like group projects and board games support multiple participants.
• Encouraging children to help each other and ensuring everyone can do something independently promotes belonging.
• Consistent groupings help children get to know each other.
• Projects can be done as groups or pairs, such as creating a class collage.
• Ensure every child can be a leader and a helper at times.
• Accommodations should allow every child to answer questions, make choices, or comment.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

• Developmentally appropriate practice promotes each child’s optimal development and learning through a strengths-based, play-based approach.
• Educators recognize the multiple assets children bring to the program.
• Learning environments build on each child’s strengths.
• Educators design and implement learning environments to help children achieve their full potential across all domains of development.
• Practices must be culturally, linguistically, and ability appropriate.

Tenets of Developmentally Appropriate Practices

• There are three tenets of developmentally appropriate practices: Commonality, Individuality, and Context.
• Commonality: Child development theories apply to all children, with development and learning occurring in specific social, cultural, linguistic, and historical contexts.
• Individuality: Each child has unique characteristics, experiences, family, and community contexts that impact their development and learning.
• Context: Includes the social and cultural relationships for each child, educator, and the program.

High-quality early childhood inclusion ensures access to varied learning experiences. Individualized support helps children participate in activities. Systems-level support and strengths-based approaches are crucial for effective inclusive practices.