Successful Inclusion Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers

Cynthia Simpson, Laverne Warner

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000503593
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Éducation
• Subtopic: Éducation générale

With increasing emphasis on inclusive classrooms, primary and elementary school teachers can use the information included in Successful Inclusion Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers to build a supportive, caring, learner-driven environment that takes into account the needs of all students.Covering topics from incorporating the needs of students with a variety of special needs to working one-on-one with students to modify classroom experiences, this book offers field-tested strategies for teachers in a concise, friendly format. The authors also provide an overview of how special education law affects inclusive classrooms.The book provides multiple vignettes describing special needs most often found in inclusive classrooms, including autism, ADHD, visual and hearing impairments, and developmental delays, as well as suggested tools and strategies for working with these students.A special section on adapting classroom materials provides teachers with guidance for modifying and differentiating their curriculum to encourage learning in children with special needs. This book is a valuable resource for early childhood teachers, administrators, and childcare directors.

CHAPTER 1

Overview of Disability Laws That Affect Inclusive Classrooms

DOI: 10.4324/9781003238300-1

For the past 50 years, the federal government has developed laws that affect classroom practice, beginning with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It is helpful for teachers and childcare providers to know and understand these laws, as federal law mandates that schools and childcare centers serve children with special needs appropriately. National interest in children with special needs began in the early 1970s with the enactment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a Civil Rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disabilities in public and private programs receiving federal funds. Today this legal provision is more commonly known as Section 504.

The most significant legislative action that affected children with disabilities passed in 1975 with the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990. That same year, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was reauthorized as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, more commonly known as IDEA. IDEA was renamed in 1997 and reauthorized in 2004 (effective July 1, 2005).

The 1983 amendments to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act required preschool children with disabilities (ages 3–5) to receive services. In addition, a grant program was established to assist states in their development of a comprehensive system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers as well as their families. All of these laws require public schools and childcare centers, as well as Head Start programs, to develop procedures for identifying children with special needs, provide individual assessments for diagnosis of children, and develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP; ages 3–21) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP; ages birth to 3) for the child’s education. Early intervention services were defined by the 1997 update to IDEA. The following discussion clarifies how ADA and IDEA affect childcare centers and Head Start programs and how intervention services impact children and their families.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

Most American adults have seen the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on their lives, as communities have had to restructure streets and sidewalks to accommodate people with disabilities. Public buildings and restrooms are required to be accessible for all citizens, and informational signs must provide signage in Braille for individuals who are blind. The ADA also mandated equal access to jobs and education. Not only does this law require compliance in all American communities, but childcare centers and Head Start programs also must comply with this law (see the section titled “Questions About the Americans with Disabilities Act and Childcare Centers” on pp. 13–15 in this chapter). ADA specified that childcare centers and family or home daycare programs are included in the definition of public accommodations that must adhere to this law. In addition, childcare centers are required to make reasonable modifications to their procedures and policies to accommodate adults and children with disabilities. For example, “This may mean that centers that do not normally accept children who are not yet toilet trained may have to make accommodations to do so if a disability is an obstacle to the toilet training” (Cook, Klein, & Tessier, 2008, p. 15). In addition, if children or adults with hearing, vision, or speech disabilities need auxiliary aids and services to ensure communication, a center must provide these.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)

When the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was enacted in 1975, it defined categories of disability as mental retardation (MR); emotional disturbance (ED); learning disabilities (LD); impairments in vision, hearing, speech, or language; deafness; blindness; orthopedic and other health impairments; and multiple disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act added autism and traumatic brain injuries to the list in 1990 and provided funding to improve services to infants and young children. Children with these disabilities are defined later in this chapter in the section titled “General Characteristics of Children With Special Needs” (see pp. 5–8).

The IDEA amendments of 1997 ensured access for children ages 3–21 years old (Part B) and for children birth to age 2 (part C) to inclusive environments. This federal enactment shows a clear preference for inclusive classrooms as the appropriate delivery system for children with special needs (Smith & Rapport, 1999). Part C states that “early intervention services for children from birth to age 3 are to be provided in natural environments, including the home, and community settings in which children without disabilities participate” (IDEA, 1997).

THE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES

IDEA (1997) required public school systems to work with families whose young children have disabilities and are about to enter preschool programs. This law emphasized the need to provide for early intervention services in children’s natural environments, which include their homes and community settings, such as childcare centers or any setting that would serve children’s typically developing peers of the same age.

Each child’s individual plan must state the degree to which the child will receive services in “natural environments.” Natural environments include not only the child’s home but also neighborhood play groups, child development centers, Head Start programs, and any other setting designed for children without disabilities. (Cook et al., 2008, p. 16)

Because this statute requires states to develop policies to comply with the law, services vary from state to state. Most programs provide assistance with strategies for families to work with their young children and the development of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs; Warner & Sower, 2005).

Clarification of IDEA Part B relates to children between the ages of 3 and 21 through special education services; IDEA Part C relates directly to children from birth to 2 for early invention. Most early (birth to 2) diagnoses are done by pediatricians; the services they receive for intervention are usually done in the home or hospital setting, coordinated through the pediatrician and outside agencies. Children ages 3 to 21 usually are serviced in an educational setting, based on the IFSP/IEP team decision as to the least restrictive environment (LRE) for the child. These intervention meetings take place at least every year. Families are able to call a meeting anytime they have questions about their child’s services or progress. Families who are concerned about their child’s development should consult the child’s pediatrician or the local school district’s Department of Special Education for specific instructions on how to initiate a full evaluation.

The 1990 reauthorization of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act expanded the statute to define 13 disability terms. The 13 terms include: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment (including partial sight and blindness). IDEA (2004) clearly articulated that a specific learning disability (SLD) does not include learning problems that are a primary result of mental retardation or visual, hearing, or motor disabilities. In addition, SLD does not include learning problems that are a primary result of emotional disturbance or of cultural, economic, or environmental disadvantage.

In addition, IDEA has addressed ADHD in its definition of other health impairment (OHI). Specifically, IDEA (2004) specified that OHI is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, ADHD, epilepsy, heart conditions, lead poisoning, and other specific health problems.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Children with special needs often are lumped into one “disability category” without consideration of the type of need they may have. Children with special needs who are more commonly placed in inclusive early childhood classrooms often are placed in a broad category of higher incidence disabilities. Such disabilities include speech and language impairments, specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and mental retardation (also referred to as intellectual disability and/or developmental delay). The degree of severity of each disability may vary from mild to more severe in nature. Children with lower incidence disabilities such as visual impairments, hearing impairments, orthopedic impairments, autism, other health impairments, and severe multiple impairments, are served less often in childcare settings. However, in recent years, the number of children with lower incidence disabilities, particularity autism, in early childhood classrooms has been rising.

Although IDEA (2004) defined 13 specific disabilities, the special needs categories defined in this book differ slightly from those addressed in IDEA and are as follows: autism spectrum disorder, speech and language impairments, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), hearing impairment, vision impairment, orthopedic impairment, and cognitive and/or developmental delay (intellectual disabilities). For preschoolers, learning disabilities (as defined by IDEA [2004]), when diagnosed, typically fall into the areas of listening comprehension and oral expression. For information on addressing these issues, the reader can refer to Chapter 5 on speech and language impairments (pp. 77–95).

Autism Spectrum Disorder

In recent years, the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders has increased, and, thus, more children with autism are being enrolled in early childhood classrooms. Autism is classified as a developmental disability, generally becoming evident before the age of 3. Children with autism typically have difficulty in communication and social interactions. They frequently demonstrate repetitive motor behaviors, such as rocking or hand weaving. It is important to note that a spectrum of behaviors exist in children diagnosed with ASD. More specifically, children with ASD have skills that range from higher func tioning to lower functioning.

Speech and/or Language Impairments

Children with speech and/or language impairments commonly are educated in inclusive classrooms. Children with such impairments tend to have problems in communication and possibly in oral motor functions. Children with speech and language disorders may have speech impairments related specifically to the proper enunciation of specific sounds (articulation disorders) or language impairments that involve syntax or semantic errors in speech. Language disorders also may involve delayed language or receptive language impairments.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

In IDEA (2004), other health impairment (OHI) refers to significant limitations in strength, vitality, or alertness that affect a child’s learning. OHI can be the result of asthma, heart problems, diabetes, or other health issues, and includes children diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyper-activity Disorder. A physician or psychologist diagnoses ADHD. This diagnosis includes children with serious problems with overactivity or attention, or both. The diagnosis may result in children who take daily oral medications to control their impulsive behavior. Although IDEA (2004) did not recognize ADHD as a disability category, it did mention ADHD in the definition of other health impairment, and most schools provide services to children with ADHD under this category.

Hearing Impairment

A hearing impairment is an impairment in hearing that negatively affects a child’s educational performance. This impairment would not be so severe that a child could not hear speech and environmental sounds in the classroom when wearing a hearing aid. If the child cannot hear speech or environmental sounds, even with the help of a hearing aid, then the child would be identified as deaf (lacking residual hearing).

Vision Impairment

Another sensory impairment addressed in this book is vision impairment. Children with visual impairments are identified as those children who, even with correction (e.g., glasses or contacts), experience limited vision that adversely affects their educational experience.

Orthopedic Impairment

Orthopedic impairment means an impairment due to congenital irregularities (e.g., a clubfoot, spina bifida, missing or ill-formed limb), impairments due to the effects of disease (e.g., polio or bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy or amputations). Severe orthopedic impairments often adversely affect children’s educational performances.

Cognitive and/or Developmental Delay

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY, 2004b) defined intellectual disabilities as a term used to describe

when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of himself or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. Children with cognitive disabilities may take longer to learn to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or eating. (para. 3)

Cognitive or intellectual disabilities may or may not coexist with other specific disabilities such as speech and language impairment, a hearing impairment, or other health impairments. IDEA (1997) provided provisions that permit the use of the category developmental delay to be applied to children ages birth through 9 for purposes of qualifying for special education services under IDEA. The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (2005) defined developmental delay as

a condition which represents a significant delay in the process of development. It does not refer to a condition in which a child is slightly or momentarily lagging in development. The presence of developmental delay is an indication that the process of development is significantly affected and that without special intervention, it is likely that educational performance at school age will be affected. (p. 1)

Within the context of this book, we use the term developmental delay rather than mental retardation, intellectual disability, or cognitive disability because this terminology is more commonly accepted by professionals in the field of early childhood special education and more appropriate for children identified from birth through age 9. See Appendix A for the DEC Position Statement on “Developmental Delay as an Eligibility Category.” (Note that DEC prefers use of developmental delay through age 8.)

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain, usually caused by an external physical force to the head. The result is total or partial brain functioning that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The disability results in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not ap...