Merit
EC724: Inclusive Early Childhood Practice
Navjot Kaur 20201693
Part 1:
Justification:
I have chosen this post as my reply to my lecturer Marjolein when we
were discussing Autism and labeling a child. This post added value to
forum as it was one of the thread on discussion not using 'Autistic Child'
rather using 'A child with Autism'. Secondly it was my reply to one of my
friend about parents not wanting to label the child. That led to further
thread of discussing immigrant parents’ reasons for not going for
diagnosis to avoid labeling as it could affect the visa. Thirdly, I
discussed the responsibility of a Kaiako to educate parents about the
benefits of early intervention as these can help a child to best to his/her
abilities. The possible risk parents could feel may be exclusion or
isolation of the child. This was also discussed further that we as
teachers are responsible for inclusion of all children. This means the
You have engaged with your
peers and made an attempt to
justify your post.
teaching strategies should facilitate learning of neuro-diverse children
along with neuro-typicals.
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EC724: Inclusive Early Childhood Practice
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Part Two: Short Essay One
Children's diverse needs may arise from a broad range of ethnic,
cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds within educational
contexts (Cushner et al., 2006) and vast dimensions of socioeconomic
settings, whānau structures, and sexual orientations (Green &
Cherrington, 2010). There may be a range of diverse needs of children
coming to early childhood centres (ECE). This essay will discuss
impact
Autism and its potential impacts on the development and learning of a
You have highlighted the key
points in the introduction
child. I will also discuss the benefits of inclusion for the child with
autism, his family/whānau, and teachers and the plan for inclusion of
the child with autism using effective strategies to provide equity and
social justice.
Autism can be defined as a neurodevelopment condition affecting the
way a child will think, behave, communicate, interact and perceive the
world (Altogether autism, n.d.). Autism spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a
Further elaboration is required
What do you mean?
spectrum condition, and no two people are on the spectrum.
Takiwātanga is a recently developed Te Reo Māori term used to
describe ASD in New Zealand. It derives from ‘tōku/tōna anō takiwā’
You also need to mention the
page number when using a
direct quote; use double
quotation marks
meaning ‘in my/his or her own time and space’ (Bowden at al., 2020.
According to Kids Health (n.d.) Autism can affect verbal and non-verbal
communication skills, social skills, behavioural skills, and or intellectual
disabilities. Children with Autism can have delay or difficulty in language
skills, social behaviour, cognitive and thinking skills (Ministry of Health
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[MoH], 2020). New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS) suggests that 1.6%
of children aged 2–14 years have ASD diagnosis (MoH, 2019).
In New Zealand, ASD diagnosis is made by a multidisciplinary team
(Ministries of Health and Education, 2016), and in children, it is
facilitated by paediatrician teams (Thabrew & Eggleston, 2018). Autism
is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors
(Autism NZ, n.d.). Autism New Zealand further suggests that
circumstances like maternal rubella, tuberous sclerosis, and
encephalitis during pregnancy may be the cause of autism. According
to Ministry of Health and Education, (2016) a child with autism can be
verbal or non-verbal and is usually delayed in language development
and cannot express himself. Children with autism avoid eye contact and
struggle to understand facial expressions and gestures (Kids Health,
n.d.). Harjusola-Webb et al., (2012) Children with autism lack the
communication skills like joint attention, eye contact, gestures as they
grow which is different from neurotypical children.
Kids Health (n.d.) may lack social skills and model solitary or parallel
such as?
play, not like sharing toys and showing repetitive behaviour. They may
not like pretend play like their peers (Harjusola-Webb et al., 2012).
When children with autism cannot express themselves and play with
their peers, it will be difficult for them to have friends. According to
Raising
raising Children (2020) children with autism find it hard to pay attention
Children with ASD may
have hypo or hyper
sensitivity
and can be distracted by stimulants that are mostly ignored by
neurotypical children, like texture of clothes, bright lights and sounds.
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Children with autism may also have behavioural issues along with
social and communication skills. According to Ministry of health and
Education, (2016) Children with autism may have unusual rituals or
routines like stacking things, lining the blocks/toys, and getting upset
when daily routines are changed or interrupted. They further state that
children with autism may flap their hands, make unusual face or eye
movements and overreact to loud noises by covering their ears and
may have poor motor and fine motor skills. In the ECE setting, these
cognitive and behavioural situations may need extra support from
teachers and from whānau at home.
According to MoE, (2020) inclusion can be described as valuing
Irrespective of their age, gender, ethnicity etc.
everyone. This means everyone irrespective of their abilities should be
valued in the teaching and learning process. Inclusive education means
every learner is capable of making a valuable contribution to the wellbeing of family, whānau, community and to Aotearoa New Zealand as a
whole (ERO, 2016). Inclusion does not emphasise a one-size-fits-all
approach (Higgins et al., 2008) but it entails identifying, accepting, and
positively responding to diversity, allowing Kaiako to meet the individual
needs of children (Corbett, 2001). It is the responsibility of educators to
practice inclusiveness in day to day activities in ECE setting as it can
help in the development of empathy and acceptance of Children with
diverse needs, and child with autism will get ample opportunities to
develop
make social interactions with peers (Smith, 2012).
Which are some benefits of
inclusion for the three
stakeholders?
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According to Mitchell, (2010) Special education services are provided to
students with differential needs to ensure inclusive environment is
available for all students. In New Zealand, education specialist services
like early intervention, speech-language therapy, behaviour and
complex needs help as well as physical disability services are provided
to more than 30,000 children per year (Action for Children and Youth
Aotearoa [ACYA], 2015). Teachers are committed to inclusiveness
through an ethic of care to make a connection with each child and to
adapt and to improvise the program to meet the needs of all the
children (Noddings, 2011 cited in Wood, 2015).
Children with diverse needs experience significant benefits in terms of
social, cognitive, behavioural, and motor development when inclusive
teaching is practiced in an ECE setting (Grace, 2008; Kemp, 2016).
When a child with autism is diagnosed then the child and family can get
benefit and help from a number services/organisation. Early
intervention, speech-language therapy, occupation therapy are a few of
them. When teachers practice inclusiveness in an ECE setting, then
the child gets ample opportunities to play, communicate and interact
with peers. Inclusion does not entail a one-size-fits-all approach
(Higgins, MacArthur & Morton, 2008) but identifies, accepts and
responds to diversity, allowing educators to meet differential needs of
children making education even more child-centered (Corbett, 2001).
When children with autism actively participate in centre activities with
their peers, they develop strong connections/ friendships with peers,
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developing social skills, problem-solving skills, and positive self-image
(Autism NZ, n.d.).
With the help of support from external agencies, teachers, peers,
whānau, and opportunities the children with autism can develop
This also enhances their
self-esteem
language skills, gross and fine motor skills and become a confident
learner. Mothers of children with diverse needs believe that
inclusiveness boosts the child’s independent skills, enhances their selfYes!
esteem by offering safe and creative environment (Garrick-Duhaney &
Salend, 2000; Rafferty, Boettcher & Griffin, 2001). There is also ample
evidence that language and social development can be enhanced when
children with diverse needs engage in interactions with neurotypical
children (Webster & Forster, 2012).
Parents/Whānau of the child with autism gets benefits of inclusion. In
New Zealand ECE curriculum, Te Whāriki, the MoE (2017) states that
both children and their whānau should be welcomed, accepted,
encouraged, and supported to participate and learn in inclusive
True
environment. Teachers play a vital role in providing inclusive education
setting where parents of the child gain confidence and guidance to get
more knowledge to help the child with autism. Schertz et al. (2011)
emphasises that the inclusion of parents of the children with autism
enhances the wellbeing of parents and also improves the relationship
with the child.
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Inclusive education benefits teachers also. Teachers can play a
significant role in recognising the diverse needs of the child. When
Kaiako works as a team, they can provide inclusive environment to
children with diverse, stimulating activities for children with a range of
abilities and interests (Villa & Thousand, 2003). Thus teachers also gain
more knowledge from other experienced teachers and intervention
services. This helps teachers to get the opportunities to reflect on their
practices, explore and apply new approaches to improve their teaching
strategies (Friend, 2007). Practitioners identify barriers and actively
You have examined the
benefits of inclusion
for children, parents and
teachers
remove them so that children's learning and well-being are taken care
of (Te Kete Ipurangi [TKI], 2020).
The children with autism have the right to be treated equally. United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) 1989 is an
international agreement agreed by United Nations that recognizes
children’s rights. UNCROC contains Article 23.3, Art. 28.1, Art. 29.1(a)
that reinforces the principles of inclusive education (UN, 1989). The
ECE practitioners should respect children's rights with autism and other
diverse needs in their services' policies and practices for the provision,
protection, and participation of children and their families to ensure
inclusive education (Ministry of Justice, 2015). Teachers’ commitment
to provide inclusive education enhances children's participation with
autism (Gunn et al., 2004) by identifying, challenging, removing barriers
and working toward inculcating a fair and equal environment alongside
families to provide equal care and justice (MoE, 2017). When educators
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promote the skills like tolerance, sharing, turn-taking, respect, and
helping others in children, they develop an understanding of social
justice and equity (Zakin, 2012 as cited in Mackey & Alphen, 2016).
This helps children in accepting diversity, and children with autism
develop confidence and feel accepted.
Research has proved the
importance of early
intervention in the overall
development of the
child
Early intervention plays a significant role in the life of children with
autism to enhance the environment and provide ample opportunities to
develop the best they can be. When a child is diagnosed with autism
and interventions like developing Individual Education Plan (IEP)
You need a citation here
become a legal contract that outlines the child's performance level.
year?
Ministry of Education gets involved, and children, teachers, ECE center,
and parents can access a range of services to involve speech-language
therapist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and paediatrician to
develop IDP for the child. They regularly meet to set milestones, review
those milestones and set further goals.
Teachers develop effective strategies for a child with autism
considering his interests, strengths to enhance his learning in an
inclusive environment (Lanou, et al., 2012 as cited in Oakley et al.,
2013). Educators also need regular observations, conduct diagnostic
and formative assessments of the child with autism to plan appropriate
learning activities as their interests can rapidly change (Smith et al.,
2009 as cited in Oakley et al., 2013). Every child with autism may have
different needs still there are some pedagogical strategies like
Rather than listing, examining
these further would have helped
predictable daily routines, verbal reminders, visual aids, carefully
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EC724: Inclusive Early Childhood Practice
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reinforced inclusive learning activities, reducing distraction, controlling
sensory inputs can be practiced to involve them and enhance their
learning (Altogether Autism, n.d.).
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be used to
improve the engagement and facilitate learning of children with and
without autism. ICTs are used in almost all ECE settings to enhance the
learning of students. ICTs are considered developmentally appropriate
tools child-centered ECE centres. There are many iPad apps like Intro
to letters app, Twinkl, ComicBook apps. Powerpoint on
computers/laptops can be attached with TV screens to enhance
learning. The children with autism can play the game for a short period
as a reward after they complete the task. ICTs can be used within an
inclusive classroom to support the literacy learning of young children
with autism (Oakley et al., 2013).
In conclusion, it can be said that Kaiako should provide inclusive
environment in ECE setting to facilitate the learning of children with
autism and diverse needs along with neurotypical children. Inclusion
not only promotes the learning of children, it also benefits parents and
teachers by applying appropriate strategies and using technologies;
teachers can practice inclusive pedagogy and management while
considering ethics of care, children's rights, social equity and justice.
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Reference List
Action for Children and Youth Aotearoa. (2015). Children and Youth in
Aotearoa 2010: New Zealand Non‐Governmental Organisations
Alternative Periodic Report to the United Nations Committee on
the Rights of the Child.Auckland: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.acya.org.nz/reports‐to‐the‐united‐nations.html p.11.
Please refer to the APA
guidelines
Altogether Autism (n.d.) retrieved from
https://autismnz.org.nz/understanding-autism/
Autism NZ (n.d.) retrieved from https://autismnz.org.nz/definitions/
Bowden, N., Thabrew, H., Kokaua, J., Audas, R., Milne, B., Smiler, K.,
Stace, H., Taylor, B., & Gibb, S. (2020). Autism spectrum
disorder/Takiwātanga: An Integrated Data Infrastructure-based
approach to autism spectrum disorder research in New
Zealand. Autism, 24(8), 2213–2227. Retrieved
from:https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361320939329
Corbett, J. (2001) Supporting inclusive education: A connective
pedagogy.London: Routledge Falmer. Cited in Stark, R.,
Gordon-Burns, D., Purdue, K., Rarere-Briggs, B., & Turnock, K.
(2011) Other parents’ perceptions of disability and inclusion in
early childhood education: implications for the teachers’ role in
creating inclusive communities. He Kupu. The Word, 2, 4, 4-18.
p5.
Grace, R., Llewellyn, G., Wedgwood, N., Fenech, M., & McConnell, D.
(2008). Far from ideal: Everyday experiences of mothers and
early childhood professionals negotiating and inclusive early
childhood experience in the Australian context. Topics in Early
Childhood Special Education, 28(1), 18-30. doi:
10.1177/0271121407313525
Green, V., & Cherrington, S. (2010). Delving into diversity: An
international exploration of issues of diversity in education. New
York,NY: Nova Scotia Publishers.
Gunn, A. (2015). Research work as curriculum work in New Zealand
early childhood settings: What should be taught and
learned? Journal of Pedagogy, 6(2), 103–117.
Harjusola-Webb, S., Hubbell, S.P., & Bedesem, P. (2012). Increasing
prosocial behaviours of young children with disabilities in
inclusive classrooms using a combination of peer-mediated
intervention and social narratives. Beyond Behaviour, 21(2), 2936
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Navjot Kaur 20201693
Higgins, N., MacArthur, J., & Morton, M. (2008) Winding back the clock:
the retreat of New Zealand inclusive education policy. New
Zealand Annual Review of Education. 17, 145-166. p146.
KidsHealth. (n.d.). Autism.
Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/autism.html
Kemp, C. R. (2016). Early childhood inclusion in Australia. Infants &
Young Children, 29(3), 178-187.
doi:10.1097/IYC.0000000000000062
Ministries of Health and Education. (2016). New Zealand autism
spectrum disorder guideline (2nd ed).
Ministry of Education. (2012). The early intervention service:
Information for teachers.Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of
Education.
Ministry of Education. (2017). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō
ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early childhood curriculum.
Wellington, New Zealand: Author.
Ministry of Health. (2019a). Annual data explorer 2017/18: New
Zealand Health Survey. https://minhealthnz.shinyapps.io/nzhealth-survey-2017-18-annual-dataexplorer/_w_0811ceee/_w_38feb34f/#!/home
Ministry of Justice (May 2015) United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child 1989.
Mitchell, D. (2010). Education that Fits: Review of international trends in
the education of students with special education needs.
Oakley, G., Howitt, C., Garwood, R., & Durack, A. R. (2013). Becoming
multimodal authors: Pre-service teachers’ interventions to
support young children with autism. Australasian Journal of Early
Childhood, 38(3), 86-96.
Schertz, H. H., Baker, C., Hurwitz, S., & Benner, L. (2011). Principles of
early intervention reflected in toddler research in autism
spectrum disorders. Topics in Early Childhood Special
Education, 31(1), 4–21.
Thabrew, H., Eggleston, M. (2018). Spectrum of care: Current
management of childhood autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in
New Zealand. Australasian Psychiatry, 26(3), 294–298.
United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Retrieved from
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx
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Villa, R. A. & Thousand, J. S. (2003). Making inclusive education work.
Educational Leadership, 61(2), 19-23. Retrieved September 21,
2007 from ERIC Digest database.
Webster, A., & Forster, J. (2012). Participating and belonging: Inclusion
in practice. Malvern Vic: Noah’s Ark.
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Part three: Short Essay Two
New Zealand is a multicultural, multilingual country with three official
languages Māori, English, and Sign language. Early childhood
curriculum, Te Whāriki recognises that New Zealand is a culturally
diverse country and highlights the importance of recognising children's
home languages and cultures and enhancing teachers working closely
with families (Ministry of Education [MoE], 2017). In this essay, I will be
discussing a range of strategies, I can implement to start supporting the
child who is not only new in our centre also new in New Zealand and
speaks very limited English.
Although English is widely spoken in New Zealand, most people speak
more than one language, and English is their second language. As the
Child 'A' has recently migrated to New Zealand, he along with his
family, is trying to adjust in a new environment and culture. The
Immigrant child along with whānau will take time to settle in New
The first step should be
create a warm and welcoming
environment for the
child and their
family
Zealand. Clarke, (2009) emphasises that language plays a vital role in
forming the identity of an individual and it also provides the ability to a
person to interact within his/her social environment. Our centre has
children and teachers from multiple ethnicities. We have a part-time
teacher in our centre who speaks the same language as the child. She
works only two days a week, and the child is full-time. She has written
Involving the parents and
finding out the key
words from them will be helpful
as well
some common words in his language and English for us. We have got
the list of words and speak those along with English so that we can
communicate with him and he has a sense of belonging and learns
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English. Te Whāriki also states that when educators acknowledge
children’s home languages, cultures and their cultural ways of knowing
and being then learners’ belongingness and identity is enhanced (
MoE,2017).
Cultural diversity has grown, and New Zealand has become
multicultural and multilingual (Chan, 2011) and international travel and
migration has resulted in a multilingual population. The educators have
to use strategies in collaboration with parents, families, whānau and
other teachers. Te Whāriki it is said that children learn best when there
is a connection between the home and early childhood setting (MoE,
2017). When a child's home language will be understood by teachers
he will feel belonged and will develop confidence in his teachers. We
can learn some words and arrange simple activities like rolling the ball,
throwing the ball, catching the ball and speaking keywords like catch,
throw, roll in his language. Clarke (2011) has also suggested some
games like feely bag, matching fruits and vegetables where the names
can be spoken in both his language and English, and he will feel
belongingness and will engage in the games. This will help him to build
confidence and will gain learning experiences even with his limited
English.
We can learn some short poems in his language and sing with children.
Involving parents can be a
good strategy, however,
finding out their cultural
values and beliefs regarding
participation is important
We can take parent's help to learn the poem and if they have time, they
can also join us sometimes. As Clarke, (2011) stated the most effective
way to learn about diverse cultures and child and his background is
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through discussion with whānau. These activities will make him feel
acknowledged and accepted. Children can learn English when they
play together, listen to stories, Sing songs. Pricope (2015) when
teachers apply strategies to match the tamariki way of learning, it is
called intercultural pedagogy. Teachers get information or research
about the cultural beliefs they can set cultural related activities which
will help to engage the child hence help him to learn English. We can
again ask his parents to know him better and then setting activities to
enhance learning.
Talking together, Te Kōrerorero (MoE, 2020) is a very detailed resource
that will guide us to apply interventions to resolve limited oral
literacy/English issues. Back and forth strategy of taking turns in
conversations can help to engage him in conversation and practise his
English language skills. Descriptive language strategy can also help to
feed the English language as we can comment , interpret/ model while
speaking slowly in English and stressing on key words so that he can
understand the instructions. Using inclusive practices and
acknowledging funds of knowledge he brings, appreciation, and
positive commenting when he completes any task will support his sense
of identity. This can be practiced during care rituals and we can use his
language songs and music to dance which will boost his confidence
(MoE, 2020).
Making a connection with his home language and introducing new
English words will expand his vocabulary. Reading books emphasising
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on new words, asking open questions during conversation will provide
him ample opportunities to practice English and learn new words.
Burner et al. (1975, cited in Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2015) encourage
teachers to communicate through scaffolding, engagement, and
sharing communicative routines will help to enhance language. When
using the same simple sentences to give instructions, repeat
instructions, and use commentary, his English language earning will be
enhanced.
We can also celebrate his cultural festival along with other festivals, by
inviting family and other parents to develop culturally responsive
relationships with the family (Chan, 2011). We can also use flashcards
along with common phrases like 'come here', 'sit down', wash your
hands'. The flashcards can be in both languages so that routine
phrases are repeated in both languages till the child starts
understanding English. Apps like language translators can also be
used to know the translation and learn pronunciation.
In conclusion, when in our practice, we will use above discussed
strategies and will continuously communicate to the child's parents, he
will feel belonged and will be able to learn English as a second
language. By promoting multiculturalism, using intercultural pedagogy,
we will make the child and his family belong, their culture, beliefs, and
language accepted.
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Reference List
Chan, A. (2011). Critical multiculturalism: Supporting early childhood
teachers to work with diverse immigrant families. International
Research in Early Childhood Education, 2(1), 63-75.
Clarke, P. (2011). Supporting children learning English as an additional
language in the early years (birth to six years). Retrieved from
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/documents/earlyyears/eyaddlangreso
urce.pdf
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., Gray, J. H., Robb, M. B.,
& Kaufman, J. (2015). Putting Education in “Educational” Apps:
Lessons From the Science of Learning. Psychological Science in
the Public Interest, 16(1), 3–
34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615569721
Ponciano, L., & Shabazian, A. (2012). Interculturalism:
Addressingdiversity in early childhood. Dimensions of Early
Childhood, 40(1), 23-29.
Talking Matters. Overview. Retrieved 20 September 2019 from
https://www.talkingmatters.org.nz/site_files/14862/upload_files/T
alkingMattersOverview.pdf?dl=1
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