Inclusion in Early Childhood Education - PDECE 206 PDF

COURSE TITLE: INCLUSION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION COURSE CODE: PDECE 206 LECTURER: MR. SAMSON ALADE  Introduction The term and practice of inclusive education have gained significant ground in recent years. Internationa...

COURSE TITLE: INCLUSION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION COURSE CODE: PDECE 206 LECTURER: MR. SAMSON ALADE  Introduction The term and practice of inclusive education have gained significant ground in recent years. Internationally, the term is increasingly understood more broadly as a reform that supports and welcomes diversity amongst all learners. But locally, in Nigeria, it is still fresh and highly innovative in nature. Inclusion is very new and some teachers in Nigeria have very vague idea or knowledge of what it is and how it could be integrated into the learning environment at the early childhood period. For example simply finding out a child has a disability can be difficult and bewildering for parents and for children themselves in societies in Africa where people have debilitating views about disability and children with disabilities. It is quite uncommon to have preschool teachers' training centers for children with additional needs in Africa. Preschools that can address the needs of children with additional needs are either non-existent or few in numbers in many African countries. In this chapter, we shall examine the concept of inclusive education, the theory that supports it, and the role of caregivers/pre- school teachers and discuss the benefits of this approach in early childhood education.  The Concept of Inclusive Education Inclusion or inclusive education can be interpreted as the philosophy and practice of educating students with additional needs in general education settings, Inclusive education emphasizes a situation that children with additional needs are fully part of rather than being additional to natural setting of the school. The practice is anchored on the notion that every child should be an equally valued member of the school culture. In other words, children with disabilities or additional needs should benefit from learning in a regular classroom, while their peers without disabilities gain from being exposed to children with diverse characteristics, talents and temperaments. Inclusion in early childhood education simply means that early childhood professionals have created a setting where children's individual needs are met through appropriate practices and high quality care and education (Laverick, 2011). Children with disabilities or additional needs enjoy routines and activities that are challenging and interesting, not because routines and activities are specialized for their disability or need, but rather because they are individualized for each child (Mulligan, Morris, Green & Harper-Whalen, 1999 in Laverick, 2011). According to (Harrison, 2011), supporters of inclusion use the term to refer to inclusive education. This concept became popular in the 21" century as a result of the focus on "Education For All (EFA)" demands. The fundamental principle of EFA is that all children should have equal opportunity to learn and should be provided with quality education. These demands, therefore, prompted the international commitments of all African nations to deliver quality education for all of her children. Inclusive education encourages and welcomes diversity among learners (UNESCO, 2010). Many international covenants reinforced the theoretical background for the concept. Some of them include the Jomtien World Conference in 1990, OAU Charter on the Rights of the Child and the Salamanca Declaration, to mention a few. The Salamanca declaration's major focus was inclusive in education. It emphasizes the importance of equal access to education for all children in the world regardless of their physical conditions. Salamanca statement and framework for action (1994) also states that schools should accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. The statement maintains further that this should include disabled and gifted children, street and working children, children from remote or nomadic populations and children from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities and children from disadvantaged or marginalized areas or groups.  Theoretical foundation of inclusive education Vygotsky propounded a Theory of Dysontogenesis (TD). The collective upbringing of children with additional needs and the interaction with peers is one of the most important socio-cultural conditions for their development and socializing. Vygotsky emphasized the roles of social and collective life experiences for children with disabilities. According to Rodina (2006), the personality of children with disabilities is not determined by their disabilities but rather by their social environment and its dialectical interaction with the child, which Vygotsky called "a socio-psychological realization of disability". Vygotsky suggested the following for inclusive education: That age-related pre-school children with or without additional needs be put in the same class; > That an individualized measurement scale be used for them. For example "A psychological development in onto- and dysontogenesis scale (one can and must measure the blind, deaf-mute and the mentally retarded with the scale which applies to the child". Peer tutoring could be used in an inclusive environment. The Development of Inclusive Education The Salamanca Conference on Special Needs Education (UNESCO, 2004) considered the implications of the pledge made by the world community in 1990 to include disabled children and other marginalized groups of learners in education. The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action was signed by the 92 participating countries and some have argued that the covenant is the most influential document in recent times (Ainscow, 1999). The statement has a strong focus on the "development of inclusive schools" in relation to the international goal of achieving education for all. Types of Inclusion Inclusion has two sub-types: the first is sometimes called regular inclusion or partial inclusion, and the other is full inclusion. "Inclusive practice" is not always inclusive but is a form of integration. For example, students with special needs are educated in regular classes for nearly all of the day, or at least for more than half of the day. Whenever possible, the students receive any additional help or special instruction in the general classroom, and the student is treated like a full member of the class. However, most specialized services are provided outside a regular classroom, particularly of these services require special equipment or might be disruphve to the rest of the class such as speech therapy, and students are pulled out of the regular classroom for these services. In this case, the student occasionaly leaves the regular classroom to attend smaller, more intensive instructional sessions in a resource room, or to receive other related services, such as speech and language therapy, occupatanal and/or physical therapy, and social work. This approach can be very similar to many manstreaming practices, and may differ in little more than the education ideals behind it. Inclusion setting Full: Children with special needs are always educated alongside children without special needs, as the first and desired opt:on wlhile maintaining appropriate supports and services. Some educators say this might be more effective for the students with special needs. At the extreme, full inclusion is the integration of all students, even those that require the most substantial educational and behavioural supports and services to be successtul in regular classes and the elimination of special, segregated'special education classes. Inclusion refers to the commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend. In different areas, the term "inclusion" may take on additional meanings such as modifying the currieulum downwards so that a student who would not be able to keep up with the school work of a "regular" class can be educated in the regular classroom (Harrison, 2011). The Council for Exceptional Childrèn (2005) describes inclusion as an ideology wherein children with special needs, should be educated in the general classroom and school in which the student would attend. The concept of inclusion moves well beyond the concept of mainstreaming in that, inclusion is broad- based and mainstreaming usually means having a child with special needs as part of one or more periods of a school day.When the concept of mainstreaming was first introduced, children were mainstreamed for lunch, art or music. The child with special needs was not part of the regular clas on a full-time basis. Harmison (2010) buttresses the fact that, for adequate inclusive education, Stakeholders, the school as well as the communities should endeavor to do the following: 1. Promote the right to an education for every child. Such education should be relevant and be a part of a broader life-long learning process. 2. Develop respect for children as individuals, each with their own aspirations to participate and achieve in education. 3. Ensure that schools and other learning environment clearly demonstrate their commitment to an education which is inclusive to all children. 4. Create awareness amongst all those involved in the education process of their roles and responsibilities as nurturers, leaders, decision makers and above all listeners. The Characteristics of Children in an Inclusive Classroom 1.Children in an inclusive classroom are children with and without disabilities. 2. They are all the children who will benefit from exposure to a developmentally appropriate curriculum; 3.They have opportunity to interact with their age-appropriate peers. 4.They are children who may need assistance and support in order to maximize their potential no matter what classroom they are in. 5. Children in an inclusive classroom in a public school are children from the neighbourhood. 6.In a non-public school setting, there are children whose parents have chosen a particular school for them based either on the curriculum the school offers, the diversity of the school population, the proximity to the parents' work location, or any other reason parents choose particular schools for their children. 1.The point is that an inclusive setting accepts children at whatever level they are without attempting to determine in September whether a child will be on "grade level" at the end of the year. 2.Even the most seasoned educator avoids predicting exactly where any child will wind up at the end of the year. 3. What educators do not know is whether a setting has the potential to enable a child to learn, grow, and develop to the best of his or her potential. If one can say that an educational environment has the potential for accomplishing that, then the setting is indeed appropriate for inclusion of children with special needs. An inclusive school should: Recognise that every child is different and every child has unique learning needs. Celebrate diferences Provide equal opportunities to educate all Promote quality learning and teaching8 Respond to the individual education, emotional and physical needs of all children.  There is no care or teaching that cannot take place in a regular school. Given commitment and support, inclusive education is a more efficien use of educational resources. All children need education that will help them develop relationships an prepare them for life in the mainstream. Only inclusion has the potential to reduce fear and to build friendship, respect and understanding.  The Teachers in an Inclusive Classroom The teachers in inclusive classrooms according to Harrison (2011) must be most typically regular early childhood educators. They must also be teachers who, through training, have been prepared to understand child development, ages and stages of development, and the creation and implementation or developmentally appropriate curriculum and practice as a means of providing mindful curriculum. This means that they must have experiences to accommodate varying levels of development in one classroom. They must in accordance have skills In meeting the needs of children across all areas of development. Reasons for inclusive education Wall (2003) summarises the reasons for inclusive education as follows: All children have the right to learn together. Children should not be devalued or discriminated against. There are no legitimate reasons to separate children. Children belong together with advantages and benefits for everyone. They do not need to be protected from one another. What this means is that the typically well-prepared, early childhood educator is experienced in planning a variety of activities to meet the needs and interests of these children with additional needs who are part of population that constitutes an early childhood classroom. Miller (1996) also states the Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum and Practice in inclusive early childhood classroom to include the fact that the teachers should allow the children to engage in different activities at the same time. That is, children must be involved in arts, books, and blocks, dramatic play, manipulative, science discovery, and possibly other activities taking place at the same time. They must allow particular activity and modifying it to enable a younger or less skilled child to participate in the activity. They must also learn to accept each child at the developmental level he or she presents and working with each individual child to maximize the experience s/he has in the classroom. Teachers in an inclusive class need a developmentally appropriate curriculum which will provide for integrated learning driven by the different needs, levels of functioning and interests of the children in the group. All aspects of development need to be taken into consideration when planning for the development and education of the whole child. Children learn through direct interaction with children (peer-tutoring), concrete activities and real materials, and adults. In adevelopmentally appropriate classroom, children can make choices. Harrison, (2011) advocates that no single regular educator can provide everything for the child with special needs, need in terms of education and therapeutic needs. Hence, it is very adequate as well as important to note that whether the children in an inclusive classroom are children with severe disabilities or children with mild disabilities, there must be collaboration among regular educators, early childhood special educators, and specialists in the area of identified disability need to join forces to provide an integrated, developmentally appropriate program for each child, according to specific, identified special needs (Miller, 1996, peter, 2003, NAYEC, 2009 and Harrison, 2011). Joining forces means working together in the true sense of working as a team. Without this team effort, the child will not reach maximum potential. Including children with special needs in the regular early childhood environment does not minimize the special needs a child actually has but it does provide a more active environment with more potential for the child with disabilities to observe normalized behaviours and for the adults in the setting to facilitate the development of such behaviours. The regular education environment emphasizes positive, normal behaviours while helping children to work through their deficit areas. The early childhood educator sees emerging behaviours and skills and rearranges the environment to stimulate the occurrence of new behaviours. There is another "teacher" in the inclusive environment. This "teacher" has not had any formal preparation but is often more effective in stimulating the development of a greater behavioural repertoire than any other teacher in the classroom. This "teacher", according to Miller (1996), is the peer without disabilities in the inclusive classroom. It should be noted that (and considered appropriate) no adult model can replace the modeling done by a peer. The rapport that develops between children in classrooms is often the most beneficial component of the classroom program. The idea of Miller goes in line with the theory of dysontogenesis of Vygotsky, "that peer tutoring should be encouraged in an inclusive early childhood education class".  Once an early childhood classroom becomes an inclusive environment, the team working in the early childhood classroom needs to add specialists to the group. Such specialists might include a speech and language professional, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a vision specialist, a special education liaison teacher, or an adaptive physical education teacher. The specialists who come into the classroom to become part of the team working with the children with special needs works within the program offered in the classroom. This is a critical component of the delivery of service to the child with special needs. Collaboration and consultation are very important parts of the service delivery model in inclusive education. Effective inclusion is characterized by its virtual invisibility. Children with disabilities are not clustered into groups of persons with similar disabilities. They are no longer in separate classrooms labeled "LD Resource", "ED", of "EMR". There children with disabilities are able to be included in the classroom (Miller, 1996, Peter, 2003). These supports may include a special educator, a persoral aide (paraprofessional) for the child who serves as a facilitator for the child, supportive personnel such as a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, vision specialist, or technology specialist.  The child may use a computer to facilitate learning and communication and it may be advisable to have adaptive equipment or furniture for the child. This may depend on the nature and level of the disability of the child. The most important conceptual component of inclusion is that the child with special needs has every right to be in the same classroom with age appropriate peers who are in turn able to provide the child with special needs with normal models of language, social interaction, and cognitive functioning (Miller, 1996).  Benefits of Inclusion to Children with and without Disabilities When inclusion is practised on a regular basis from the early childhood years on major benefits to the children with and without disabilities can be seen in several areas, such as: Children learn to be comfortable around individuals with disabilities from not only being around them, but also by interacting with them, learning with them, and learning from them. Parents of children with disabilities see the potential peers have for influencing appropriate behaviour in their children.  Parents of children without disabilities see their children respecting other children-and learning acceptance and the value and dignity of life in a very different way. Inclusion is a practice that supports an anti-bias curriculum approach. The early childhood years are sensitive period for redirecting energy to the provision of what is every child's right and due-the right to an appropriate program that is designed to meet the needs of every child at the level of the Child at that point in time. Inclusion helps children understand the importance of working together and fosters a sense of tolerance and empathy among them as a collective. It is also believed that children with disabilities in inclusive settings make adequate progress language and cognitive development and perform better in the area of social competence with peers. Evidence also underscores that inclusion does not impede learning for typically developing children. In fact, inclusion helps typically developing children. In fact, inclusion helps typically developing children to foster tolerance for and acceptance of individual differences their peers. Miller, (1996); Weiner, (2003); Winter, (2009); Fletcher, (2010); and Harrisen, (2011), address the major problems facing inclusive early childhood education as the teacher attitudes as one of the essential factors in determining the effectiveness of inclusion in special education. Campbell and Gilmore (2003) also contend that teachers are guided by their beliets and values about the importance of inclusion, 2nd thus, the effeciveness of its inplermentation. In conclusion, inclusive eariy chidnood education is beneficial to all the children in a class, not just children with special needs. Teachers on their part must observe children in their classrooms under a variety of conditions in order to learn about the children and their special ways of learning. Individual children have different personality styles and different learning styles which distinguish them from others. Miller (1996) and Fletcher, (2010) differently maintain that play is the natural medium for young children to learn, grow and develop. Play also affords children opportunites to explore, discover, and attempt varying roles, relate to others, and exercise creativity. Play needs to be child initiated, child directed, and teacher supported. All children in the inclusive class need time to work with activities and materials and teachers need time to connect with children for effective outcomes.  Policy makers should help these children by creating strong awareness on the concept of inclusion in early childhood care and education and provide a solid infrastructure for educational leaders who are instrumental in guiding policy and practice, as well as those who are intimately engaged in inclusion practices. The policy and practice of inclusion should support teachers and staff to plan and collaborate; Training and workshops on effective inclusion practices, as well as sharing of best practices for inclusion instructional practices should be provided to support them.  Furthermore, advocates of inclusion should realize that the tenets of successful inclusion are not solely contingent on the teacher, but on the parents, as well as the support and resources garnered from the school administrator. Policy makers should encourage the educational leaders at institutions of high education to include courses of study in effective inclusion practices, differentiated instruction, and instructional strategies and techniques. Finally, policy makers should continually seek to maintain quality inclusion programs, at the same time, providing for a variety of approaches to be implemented.