Inclusion in Early
Childhood
Education:
The McCam
Model
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Inclusion in Early Childhood
Education: The McCam Model
JTA Continuing Education Conference
on Best Practices in Education
April 23, 2014
Inclusion in Education
“The challenge confronting the inclusive school is that of
developing a child-centred pedagogy capable of
successfully educating all children, including those who
have serious disadvantages and disabilities. The merit of
such schools is not only that they are capable of
providing quality Education to all children; their
establishments is a crucial step In helping to change
discriminatory attitudes, in creating welcoming
communities and in developing an inclusive Society”
(Salamanca Statement, 1991 p.6)
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
The McCam Centre and Inclusion
• The McCam Child Development Centre has for
twenty-eight (28) years offered an inclusive
early childhood programme.
• Not a philanthropic move but a practical
approach by myself to offer early intervention
for children with special needs.
Motto: Its no small thing to influence a child so
fresh from the hands of God
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
The McCam Model of Inclusion
MODEL ONE
• Children as models
Children who were typically developing were to be
models for their peers.
• Early intervention not Inclusion was in the forefront
of planning the McCam Programme
• We focused on children 3 months – 6 years
• Modeling appropriate behaviours and developmental
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
The McCam Model of Inclusion
MODEL ONE CONTD.
Therapy and Education combined
Population - children with all types of challenges
(medical, physical, developmental) and presenting at
varying levels of involvement (mild to severe).
• For the first time a programme with specialists for
intervention as educators and therapists at the early
childhood level, all in one place.
• The approach was effective but expensive.
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
The McCam Model of Inclusion
MODEL ONE CONTD.
The Centre-based and satellite model (inclusion and
integration
• 1989 -The first seminar on inclusion was held here in
Kingston by the McCam Centre in partnership with
the Netherlands Embassy.
• The first McCam Unit Class was started in 1990 and
the second in 1991 (now the Promise Learning
Centre)
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
The McCam Model of Inclusion
MODEL ONE CONTD.
All Children accommodated
• Children with sensory deficits (visual and hearing
impairments), children with behavioural problems
(autism spectrum disorder), and children with
learning disabilities were all considered.
• Children with different levels of presentation
(mild, moderate and severe).
• Children with medically-related diagnosis
• Children with multiple disabilities
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
The GoJ and International
Agreements on Inclusion
• Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC) (May
1991)
• Salamanca Statement on Education for
Children with Special Needs (June 1994)
• Dakar Framework for Action (April 2000)
Education for All (EFA)
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CRPD) (December 2006);
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Salamanca Statement (1994)
• World Conference on Special Needs
Education: Access and Quality.
• Called for Inclusion to be the norm
• Guiding principle:
1. Ordinary schools should accept all children
regardless of physical, social, intellectual,
linguistics or other conditions.
2. Children are to attend neighbourhood
schools that their nondisabled peers.
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Inclusion in Education: Ministry of
Education Plan of Action
National Education Strategic Plan (2011-2020)
• Strategic Objective 1: Provide equitable access
and/or attachment to a high quality education
system for all Jamaican children ages 3-18
• NESP Strategic Objective 7: Enable all learners in
the education system to manage challenges and
achieve their developmental goals through
integrated curriculum offerings and support
services, to become well-adjusted healthy and
secure individuals.
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Guiding Principle on Inclusive
Education
• Children with special needs are accepted into
regular education, beginning at the preschool
level, and including recreational programmes
with their peers. This is mandated by law. It is
about belonging, being valued and having
choices (Allen et. al; 2006. p. 3)
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
McCam Model on Inclusion
Evolved Model
• Model - provide an ideal in standards of
operations and practice (clinical and educational)
that are based on ethical principles of practice
and Child Rights Proclamations - JCRC, CRPDs
• A prototype of Inclusion that considers
educational opportunities for ALL; socio-cultural
influences and economic realities. The McCam
Centre must meet the standards of the ECC but
its framework encompasses services that are
outside of the norm (see Framework).
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Operational Framework
McCam Centre
ECI
Clinical
Resource Centre
Education & Care
Assessments &
Interventions
Material
Development and
Projects
Community
Outreach:
Workshops and
Seminar
Theoretical Underpinnings
Intervention, Inclusion and Early
Childhood
• Children’s developmental period (0-6 years) is the
optimal time for laying a rich foundation for
learning.
• The brain is most plastic for receiving and
integrating information.
• Children learn about and make sense of their
world. The social theorists tell us that it is when
the child learns about community expectations,
rules of engagement and (Vygosky….).
• Adults and children as models.
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
The McCam Model of Inclusion, 2014
• Interventions are combined with education and
care for best results.
(Education + Therapy + Care + Environment = Best Results)
• Children with special needs learn from their peers
by modeling their behaviours at play and in the
classroom
• Positive reinforcement is the main approach to
behaviour management
• All children with special needs are assessed prior
to entering the programme (basis for IEP and
lesson planning)
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
The McCam Model of Inclusion, 2014
• Individual education plans (IEPs) are
developed from assessment findings.
Teachers lesson plans reflect IEPs
• All children’s development are monitored
through the McCam Developmental Checklist
4x yearly:
- to establish baseline for programme,
- to allow for adjustments to after each term
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Elements of the McCam Model, 2014
PROGRAMME
• Baseline determined for all children. Continued
monitoring of all children 4 x yearly (use of McCam
Checklist).
• Goal setting based on assessment findings + McCam
Checklist, agreed on by parents and teachers (reviewed
2 x yearly)
• Regular and special education programmes in each
classroom (group teaching and IEPs)
• Regular Team meetings (clinical team and teachers)
• Full staff meetings 3 – 4 x term
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Elements of the McCam Model, 2014
Composition Intervention Team
• Programme Director Team Leader
• School Psychologist
• Therapists – O.T., SLT; ABA
• Teachers – Spec. Ed., ECPs/Practical Nurses
• Teacher Assistants &/or Student Assistant
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Elements of the McCam Model, 2014
Interventions Offered
• Regular and Special Education
• Speech & Occupational Therapies
• Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA)
• Social Skills Training
Note 1. Parents are strongly advised to register their
child for one or more interventions
Note 2. Some children on the autism spectrum may
require all interventions
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Inclusion in (Early Childhood) Education
Recommendations
• Teachers must be educated to recognise ‘red
flags’ of various disabilities and disorders of
children with special needs
• Teachers must learn basic strategies for
addressing children’s learning needs
• Support Staff should be available , i.e. special
educator, guidance counselor, specialist teachers
(reading), itinerant clinical team
• Lower teacher: student ratio
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Inclusion in (Early Childhood) Education
Recommendations contd.
• Minimise physical hindrances (organisation of
classrooms for optimal learning)
• The environment must be accessible
• Regular staff meetings (1 x monthly)
• Scheduled team meetings with parents, teachers,
support staff, education officers (regular and
special education) to review goals
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Inclusion in (Early Childhood)
Education
• Record!, record!, record! – teachers must
produce evidence of actions taken and the
results.
• Use resource materials incld. curricula,
screening instruments provided for lesson
plans
• A change in attitude towards children with
special needs
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Inclusion in (Early Childhood)
Education
• Some students with special needs are not
suited for the inclusive classroom!
– Children with symptoms/presentations in the
moderate to severe range
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Indentifying the Child with Special
Needs
• The use of the developmental PASSPORT will
ensure the sharing of information which can
accelerate the assessment and intervention
process for children with special needs. No child
should fall through the crack.
• Developmental checklists – provides evidence of
a child’s progress over time at different levels.
• Trauma checklist (developed by the McCam
Centre)
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Challenges to Inclusion
Over the 28 years we learnt that:
• Inclusion is not embraced by everyone.
• Some persons fear negative influences
• Parents of children with atypical development
are very protective
• The cost of the services, that is, small classes,
• High teacher to children ratio (1:10/12, 1:3)
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
• Therapeutic interventions (OT, Speech, PT,
ABA…)
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Lessons Learnt over Twenty-eight
years
• The group within the classroom must be
homogenous, i.e. level of involvement, type of
special need
• Number of children with behavioural challenges
in a classroom should be limited to 2 or 3
• Teachers must have support – technical and
specialist support
• Teachers must know and understand the
diagnosis of the children (training is key)
• Teachers must have training in behaviour
management techniques
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Best Practices
Years of experiences shaped the development of
a model that is:
• Evidence-based – allows for data collection
and analysis, monitors progress
• Team-based – considers the contribution of
teachers, therapists and administrative staff
• Skills –based, not academic focused
• Child-centred – ‘wrap around effect’
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
Best Practices
• Meets the requirements for National
Registration (ECC Process)
• Links national services in education, health
and social services
• Continued training in special education
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director
McCam Model for Inclusion
STAFF
STAFF
Education CURRI
Clinical
WRAP
AROUNDand
EFFECT
Care S & T
E
F
A
PARENT
RATIO
IEP
INTER
VENTI
ONS
PARENT
“It’s no small thing to influence a
child so fresh from the hands of God.”
Presentation by Pauline Watson
Campbell, BH(M), MsC, OTR, Founder
and Executive Director