Inclusion of Children With Special Needs in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Whereas the inclusion of children with special needs in regular classrooms has gained increasing advocacy, teachers’ attitudes vary. Previous studies examining teacher attitudes have focused on primary and secondary schools in the Western world, and little is known about early childhood settings in Eastern countries. This study used MANOVA to examine preschool teachers’ attitudes in Hong Kong (N = 410). Teachers reported only modest support for inclusion. Teachers with training in special education were stronger advocates of inclusion, irrespective of their professional roles (administrator or class teacher), for children with intellectual disability, or visual, hearing, and speech and language impairments. However, neither teacher training nor professional role made a significance difference to teachers’ support of including children with physical disability, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specific learning difficulty, and the gifted and talented. Implications for practice and further research are explored.

‘I felt closed in and like I couldn’t breathe’: A qualitative study exploring the mainstream educational experiences of autistic young people

“…This is consistent with Sproston et al (2017); although one autistic girl cautions against unrealistic expectations. Teachers hold a variety of attitudes to the inclusion of autistic young people in mainstream schools, with several writers describing teachers attitudes as influential in the inclusion of autistic young people (see Glazzard, 2011;Lee, Young, Tracey, & Barker, 2015;McGregor & Campbell, 2001).…”

Including Children with Visual Impairments in the Early Childhood Classroom

“…An inclusive educational classroom refers to a learning environment where the academic, physical, and social needs of all learners, including those with disabilities, are addressed within one comprehensive setting [1,2]. The practice of inclusive education-or inclusion-within general education classrooms is becoming more prevalent within early childhood settings [3][4][5]. With this increase in practice, early childhood educators routinely encounter and teach students who have a range of special needs within regular classroom settings; however, parents of children served within these inclusive settings report that quality of inclusion can vary greatly among schools and individual service providers within school settings [1].…”

“…Children with disabilities are entitled to the same educational experiences as their peers without disabilities [7]. While this is the law in the United States, the practice of inclusion is expanding to more countries throughout the world [5,8]. This expansion of services is due, in part, to documented benefits of inclusive classrooms where students with disabilities are making greater gains in academic skills and behavioral characteristics than same-age peers who receive services in special schools.…”

“…To successfully deliver classroom curriculums, promote learner growth, and meet the goals of all students served within early childhood settings, teachers must have a basic understanding of the unique learning needs of all students, including those with disabilities. Early childhood educators who have received training in special education topics are generally more positive about inclusion than those who enter the teaching field with a limited knowledge of special education [5,11]. Research indicates that the provision of basic special education knowledge and training to early childhood educators improves attitudes toward students with special needs, a better awareness of inclusion, personal expectations, and improved outcomes for students with disabilities who are served within these settings [5,[12][13][14].…”

Educational inclusion of students with rare diseases: Schooling students with spina bifida

“…In this sense, training and awareness-raising in the educational community are essential to the development of positive attitudes. As noted in other research, it was observed that all the participants see teachers as a key factor in the inclusive education process (Arnaiz & Azorín, 2014;Lee, Yeung, Yeung, Tracey, & Barker, 2015). Teachers are directly responsible for facilitating the learning process (Montilha, Temporini, Nobre, Gasparetto, & José, 2009).…”