INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS
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Inclusive Classrooms in Early Childhood Settings
Haya Alshahrani
Salem College
INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS
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Introduction
The inclusive classroom is an important benefit to both the teacher and the student
in the early childhood settings. In most classrooms, only children with learning
disabilities are included, omitting those with severe disabilities, children of low socioeconomic status and various ethnic backgrounds. A fully inclusive classrooms setting
is required to improve the teachers and students. Such an inclusive classroom gives
the challenge for students to be being effective.
The inclusion of children with disabilities in general preschool and child care "
programs, is becoming more and more common. Parents, teachers, and researchers
have found that children benefit in many ways from integrated programs that are
designed to meet the needs of all children. Many children with disabilities, however,
need accommodations to participate successfully in the general classroom. Teachers
and other staff often require current information, skills training, and even additional
staff to meet the needs of these children. The information that follows provides
strategies for working with children in an inclusive early childhood environment."
(From Preschool Inclusion by Claire C. Cavallaro & Michele Haney. Paul H. Brookes
Publishing Co).
Many children with disabilities need accommodations to participate successfully
in the general classroom. The inclusive classroom is most successful when the proper
supports are provided. There are three supports for inclusive classrooms:
*The first gives students with disabilities an opportunity to interact with non-disabled
peers over the course of his or her day in the early childhood disabilities program in
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order to achieve goals.
*The second support is to help the students with disabilities on the development of
linguistic, social and psychological levels.
*The third support in the inclusive classrooms is working to deepen the understanding
of educators for the individual differences among children.
The first support we must give to students with disabilities is to have an
opportunity to interact with non-disabled peers over the course of his or her day in the
early childhood disabilities program in order to achieve goals. The friction of children
with disabilities with their peers without disabilities at an early age contributes
significantly to improving children's attitudes towards the non-disabled peers with
disabilities. Also, it contributes to improving the children's attitudes toward disabled
peers without disabilities. The disabled child when they participate in classes, and
encountering others, feel welcome and acceptance of other peers. It gives him or her a
sense of self-confidence, that makes him or her feel their values in life and accept
their disabilities, and understand their capabilities and potentials early on, and to feel
a belonging to the members of a community in which they live. The disabled child in
the chapters acquires a new skills, which makes the learning difficulties of life, and
acquire a number of educational opportunities and social models, which helps to a
growth of more social relevance, and reduces the stigma of relations that will be
needed to live and participate in business and recreational activities that encourages
the child to seek arrangements for a more normal life. The inclusive classrooms in
early childhood leads to a change in trends for the average child to a child with a
disability. Added to that is that the merger will help the average child to get used to
accept a disabled child and to feel comfortable with different people about it. It has
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been shown in a lot of studies in the positive normal children that when they find a
chance to play with disabled children constantly and the system integration that there
is a chance to make friends among people of difference. For example, when I visited
the pre- kindergarten, I saw the student with autism sympathy who was sympathetic to
a normal child who was crying. The normal child accepted this thing and there was
interaction with her where she had stopped crying a little bit.
The second support helps the students with disabilities on the development of
linguistic, social and psychological levels. Children with disabilities in the positions
of the overall integration are making acceptable academic achievement significantly
in writing, and understanding the language. Added to that, is the work with disabled
children according to the system integration, is an opportunity to increase the
educational experiences for them.
The fusion of the environment to increase social acceptance of children with
disabilities by their peers without disabilities, and then teaching them in the regular
classes, they can emulate the behavior of normal children, increasing communication
and social interaction with them.
Social benefits of integrating disabled people is to make him or her be seen as
members of the community and not as outcasts. If started at an early age, the child
will become accustomed to the outsiders life.
Second, the integration of disabled students with their normal peers has an
economic value to society as it employs the education budget more effectively by
placing them in the right place and in return substantial benefits to the students.
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For example, instead of placing the disabled student in a long distance private school
it would mean less transportation is required which means funds are used in a more
productive way for society.
The third support in the inclusive classrooms, is working to deepen the
understanding of educators for the individual differences among children.
It has helped educators to learn how to make the necessary adjustments in teaching
methods to meet the special needs of persons with disabilities in the normal
separation, as well as knowledge of methods of guidance and counseling for ordinary
students to allow them to accept their peers with disabilities. Interest in the
preparation of training programs for all employees and customers with the children in
this age group of serious supervisors nurseries, kindergartens, parents and others to
raise their efficiency and to increase their awareness and public awareness about early
education and its necessity in general. Also, inclusive classrooms in early childhood
settings provides full opportunity for the teacher of friction for disabled children and
the way it used to work with the child is also useful with the average child who
suffers from some weaknesses. For example, I noticed Cassie in the prekindergarten classroom. She understood the individual differences among children.
She was included and incorporated the children with IEP'S the same way the rest of
the class was included with the child with a physical delays because of cerebral palsy.
For the child with autism, she gave him soft space (escapes) if necessary as well as
sensory toys to self-calm him. With the children’s speech, she strived to be a
very rich language classroom where she could set examples and repeat if necessary.
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Conclusion
To sum up, the inclusive classroom helps the students with disabilities to
contact each other. They can have their rights and learn freely. They have alternative
accommodations assessment strategies in place to meet their unique needs. We
must place a full premium participation on students with disabilities and upon respect
for their social, civil, and educational rights. We must have specialized services
that are provided outside a regular classroom, particularly if these services require
special equipment or might be disruptive to the rest of the class (such as speech
therapy), and students are pulled out of the regular classroom for these services. The
students with special needs are always educated alongside students without special
needs. Students with mild or moderate disabilities, as well as disabilities that do not
affect academic achievement, such as using a wheelchair, are most likely to be fully
included. However, students with all types of disabilities from all the different
disability categories, have been successfully included in general education classes,
working and achieving their individual educational goals in regular school
environments and activities.
In my opinion, I believe the implementation of inclusive classrooms programs
needs to focus on four aspects:
*First, the preparation of the teaching staff, and selecting appropriate needs.
*Second, children are placed in the appropriate rows and includes: a row of disabled
children and then a row of nondisabled children or a mix of students, or vice versa.
* Third, the planning and implementation of appropriate strategies: educational
evaluation, the individual educational program, set the rules the environment,
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planning in the classroom, including plans, tables, play time and strategies inside and
outside the classroom. Finally, partnerships between parents and staff. Thus, we get
the successful inclusive classroom.
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References
Follari.L.M, (2011). Foundations and Best Practices in Early Childhood Education:
History, Theories, and Approaches to Learning (2th ed.).
Claire C. Cavallaro, Ph.D., & Michele Haney, Ph.D. Preschool Inclusion.
Clark. H.B., et. Al., (1994) : Improving Adjustment Outcomes for Foster Children
with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Early Findings from a Controlled Study
on Individualize Services. J. of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Vol. 2 (4)
207-218.
Tur- Kaspa. H., & Bryan. T., (1995 ). Social Competence and School Adjustment of
Student with L.D in Elementary and Junior Hight School. J. of Learning
Disabilities. Vol. 28 (1) 44-52
Margalit , M., (1991): Promoting Classroom Adjustment and Social Skills for
students with Mental Retardation within an Experimental and Control group Design.
Exceptionality. Vol. 2 (4) 195- 204