"Inclusion" means serving children with disabilities together with children who are developing in a typical way. Here we offer some resources for programs that are working toward more inclusive practices.
The Mid-State ECDC Inclusion Project supports general education practitioners who teach and care for young children (age 3-5) with identified special needs. The project is grounded in the belief that children with disabilities belong in community-based settings alongside their more typically developing peers. For this to happen successfully, general education practitioners—including lead teachers, teacher assistants, child care providers, and family child care providers—must receive support in their efforts to create and sustain environments in which all children thrive. These individuals are an important constant in the lives of children and serve as critical links to families.
This short video provides an overview of inclusion legal and policy foundations and inclusion research, as well as a definition, the desired results and defining features of inclusion in early childhood. The video was produced by CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge. CONNECT is working with the early childhood community to create a series of free, web-based, instructional resources for early childhood faculty, professional development providers and learners around the nation. more at: http://community.fpg.unc.edu. A transcript is also available on the CONNECT website.
INCLUDING ALL KIDS: Am I,
Should I, Can I? - This is a short booklet for child care providers
that briefly states what inclusion is, why children with disabilities should
be included, the benefits of inclusion, and what works in including children
with disabilities in child care settings.
ECDC Bulletin on Inclusion - This issue of the ECDC Bulletin shares some of what we know about making inclusive environments work and focuses on some very basic reasons for supporting inclusion and on some things you can do to help children thrive in inclusive settings.
Preschool Inclusion Manual - This manual provides the experiences, visions, and strategies for initiating and implementing inclusive programs for young children with disabilities by the Circle of Inclusion, a colloboration of organizations and offers demonstrations of and information about the effective practices of inclusive educational programs for children from birth through age eight.
ECDC Resources on Inclusion - A bibliography of books and videos on inclusion primarily for young children. This is a list of books and other materials that are used as resources on inclusion by the Mid-state Central ECDC. These resources are available for review by visiting the ECDC offices. Please make an appointment by calling 315-443-4444 or 1-800-562-5488.
(c) The Mid-State Central New York Early Childhood Direction Center, Syracuse University 2004-2009. All rights reserved.