World Bank Teacher Training for Inclusive Education Database
SECTION I: Training Manuals, Modules, Packages, Programs, etc. (Last updated on 1/2/2006)
Entry ID: NA**-2
COUNTRY: Kansas, USA
Permission
YEAR: ?
LANGUAGE: English
TITLE: Preschool Inclusion Manual
AUTHOR/DEVELOPER: Circle of Inclusion Project, University of Kansas
CONTACTS/AVAILABILITY:
 Entire manual (either chapter by chapter, or as a whole document) is available at:
http://www.circleofinclusion.org/english/pim/index.html
 Circle of Inclusion Project website: http://www.circleofinclusion.org/
Project Co-Director: Dr. Barbara Thompson bthomps@ku.edu
[Adopted Definition/Focus of Inclusive Education]
Value Statement of the Project: Our Values
(http://www.circleofinclusion.org/english/pim/one/values.html)
 Value One
We reject the notion that children with disabilities must be "fixed" (frequently couched in
terms of meeting certain criteria) before they are ready to take their place in families,
neighborhoods, and community environments and experience the normal flow of everyday
life and friendships available to children without disabilities. Specifically we are concerned
that preschool children with disabilities and their families have the opportunity for inclusion
in high quality child care and preschool programs within the mainstream of community
programs available to typically developing children and their families.
 Value Two
We recognize that typically developing children must have an opportunity to develop
relationships with children who experience disabling conditions including children with the
most significant disabilities. We acknowledge the importance of children learning to live in a
pluralistic society and to accept individual differences at an early age. We believe that
typically developing preschool children are at a critical readiness period for the experience
of knowing a child with a disability and that their lives will be enriched by reaching out to
friends who experience disabilities.
 Value Three
We believe that a viable program must reflect involvement, input, and ongoing collaborative
efforts from all participants, including the families receiving services and the special
education and mainstream early childhood program personnel.
 Value Four
We hold deep respect for the uniqueness and dignity of each child as an individual human
being who merits our careful observation and response to his or her needs. We reject the
application of any aversive procedures and believe that the acknowledgment of child
preference and the development of choice making skills, a sense of self, and personal
autonomy are critical.
 Value Five
We believe that inclusive programming efforts must incorporate exemplary practice
approaches using developmentally appropriate activities and materials available to all
children in a high-quality program. Objectives and activities must be guided by family
priorities and developed via a team process with the family as the principal decision maker.
The principle of partial participation should be used to maximize involvement when the child
is not able to perform all aspects of an activity.
 Value Six
We accept the concept of natural proportions and believe that it is best to place young
children with disabilities in "mainstream" programs in accordance with realistic population
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distributions.
Value Seven
Our time and energy should be vested in investigating the variables that make inclusive
endeavors work in the best possible way.
[General Description of the Material]
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: Introduction to the Preschool Inclusion Manual
CHAPTER 2: Collaborative Community Agreements
CHAPTER 3: Supporting Families and Children in Transition to Inclusive Placements
CHAPTER 4: What Is My Role?
CHAPTER 5: Supporting Children in Inclusive Programs
CHAPTER 6: Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors
CHAPTER 7: Developing, Implementing, and Monitoring the IFSP/IEP
CHAPTER 8: Transitioning from Inclusive Early Childhood Programs to Kindergarten
CHAPTER 9: Implementing Family-Guided Values in Preschool Programs
CHAPTER 10: Addressing Parent and Staff Concerns

CHAPTER 1: Introduction to the Preschool Inclusion Manual
By: Barbara Thompson
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 A philosophy of inclusion which grounds the content set forth in this manual
 An introduction to some of the children who have participated in the inclusive early
childhood programs described in this manual
 A brief description of the three innovative early childhood state funded projects that
contributed to the content of this manual
CHAPTER 2: Collaborative Community Agreements
By: Vera Stroup and Juliann Woods Cripe
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 Financing services in community placements
 Communicating across agencies: Interagency agreements
 Collaborating with Head Start
 Planning Transportation
CHAPTER 3: Supporting Families and Children in Transition to Inclusive Placements
By: Juliann Woods Cripe and Vera Stroup
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 Identifying the needs of individual families in transition
 Steps to take in the transition process
 Strategies to make transitions successful
CHAPTER 4: What Is My Role?
By: Janet Bates
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 Individual staff roles-What might I expect?
 Team roles-What might WE expect?
 Collaboration and consultation: How might it work?
Team Meeting Checklist
http://www.circleofinclusion.org/english/guidelines/moduleone/meeting.html
1. Family members participate as they prefer. ___
2. Meetings are held at a regularly scheduled time. ___
3. Meetings start on time. ___
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4. Seating arrangement is conducive to communication. ___
5. All pertinent team members have been invited. ___
6. All pertinent team members attend. ___
7. Meetings are guided by an agenda. ___
8. During the meeting, agenda items are identified for the next meeting. ___
9. Meeting minutes are recorded. ___
10. Minutes are distributed in a consistent manner to absent members. ___
11. The team has a system to convey necessary information to non-team members
as needed. ___
12. A leader or facilitator is designated for each meeting. ___
13. The team accomplishes tasks on the meeting agenda. ___
14. The meeting concludes with a summary or review time. ___
15. The meeting ends on time. ___
16. Each team member feels free to express his/her feelings. ___
17. The team explores multiple solutions before selecting a solution. ___
18. The team uses a collaborative problem-solving process. ___
19. The meeting is facilitated by roles such as recorder, time keeper, jargon buster,
etc., which change with each meeting. ___
 Resource list
CHAPTER 5: Supporting Children in Inclusive Programs
By: Janet Keating
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 How to determine supports needed for the inclusive program
 Environmental adaptations and equipment strategies
o Routes for Movement
 Clear pathways.
 Tables organized in the classroom for wheelchair mobility and access.
 Doors kept shut.
 Bean bags chairs arranged in the story area.
 Cubicle or coat hooks assigned on the end of the row and near the door.
 Areas defined by a carpet or carpet squares or shelves.
o Positioning
 Ask therapist to demonstrate ways to handle the child based on
principles of good body mechanics and prevention of staff injuries.
 Develop a procedure and a schedule for checking the child's position
through out the day to ensure correct and timely changes in position.
 Take videotapes and/or photographs of the child in positioning
equipment, carrying positions, and transferring positions so that reviews
can be done, new staff trained and visual reminders of procedures
provided.
 Involve occupational and physical therapists in developing strategies for
positioning within the classroom environment.
 Provide all staff with opportunities to handle and position the child in
order to become comfortable in working with a child with disabilities.
 Ask parents or caregivers for their suggestions on positioning strategies
based on their experiences, previous school or therapy received or the
home environment.
 Determine how positioning can be achieved through the use of an adult
or peer's body, specially designed furniture or equipment, or supportive
material such as towel rolls, pillows or wedges, depending on the
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available resources and the child's needs.
o


Equipment
 Identify a core set of materials and equipment to have on site.
 Assess with each use the appropriateness of the positioning equipment
as well as the need. Children grow and their need for different pieces of
equipment changes. Check with the staff to see if a particular piece of
equipment is working.
 Identify storage area for the equipment when not in use.
 Teach the staff to use the equipment safely, adjust the equipment, and
secure the child in the equipment.
 Decrease the intrusiveness of the equipment by planning ahead for its
use.
Strategies for instructional adaptations
Three concepts provide general guidelines for instructional adaptations:
 OPTION 1: Same activities and materials- different objectives
Sometimes the same materials and activities can be used for multiple objectives
depending on the needs of the child. While the typical peer is working on a
classification concept of sorting objects by size, a child with a disability could be
participating in the same activity but be working on labeling the objects,
reaching and grasping the objects or turn taking with the peer. For both children,
social opportunities are provided as they work on their individual objectives.
 OPTION 2: Same activity, materials and objective - adaptive responding
The child with a disability may understand a concept, but have difficulty with the
speech or motor component of the activity. For example, a child with disabilities
may be able to discriminate shapes, but can not physically sort them. Using eye
gaze the child might be able to indicate what shape goes on next. If the peer is also
learning to sort shapes and takes a turn, then both children have the same
objective, but different means for expressing them.
 OPTION 3: Same activity, same or different objectives - adapted materials
Sometimes it is necessary to physically adapt instructional or play materials to
facilitate the child's participation. The following is a list of some ways to adapt
materials, thus increasing stability, ease of handling, accessibility and/or
distinctiveness:
 add Velcro, tape, Dycem or other nonslip material to assist in the prevention
of items from sliding on surfaces.
 increase or decrease the size of the materials.
 arrange materials on lower shelves for easier access.
 provide materials which have multi-sensory components (tactile, visual,
olfactory, gustatory and auditory).
 use adaptive devices such as a mouthstick or universal cuff to hold paint
brushes or markers.
 use a vertical surface to place materials within a child's visual field, to
reduce glare on materials or to place materials within a child's movement
pattern.
 Provide materials which have a strong contrast to surrounding materials or
work surfaces
 add handles or attach a string to materials, so that those items can be
picked up or retrieved.
Adaptations in routines
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
Strategies for facilitating communication and social interaction
 Invite and Encourage Participation
 Answer the Children's Questions
 Answer questions in a straight forward and honest manner.
 Contribute to a child's understanding of disabling conditions and acceptance
of a child with a disability.
 Answer in a manner a young child can understand.
 Convey respect for the child.
 Offer Meaningful Content to Conversations on Behalf of the Child
 Address ongoing conversations or activities of the children.
 Relate information as well as experiences, thoughts and feelings on behalf
of the child with a disability.
 Emphasize similarities among children.
 Teach Children to Interact with Their Classmates
 Encourage children to attend to and interpret the nonverbal communication
of their classmate.
 Remind children to speak directly to their classmate rather than addressing
the message to a nearby adult.
 Help children include their classmate in decision making and choosing of
activities.
 Allow Spontaneous Interactions to Occur
 Resource list
CHAPTER 6: Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors
By: Janet Keating
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 Steps for developing a plan of positive behavior support plan
Of all the challenges children present in the classroom, "behavior problems" are the most
disruptive and perplexing to classroom staff and parents. It is not surprising there fore that
problem behavior is one of the most frequently raised issues about the inclusion of young
children with disabilities.
The approach that offers a meaningful way to think about behavior which is viewed as
problematic and in need of attention is based on the assumption that these behaviors
are meaningful and display communicative intent. Staff can then attempt to identify the
communicative intentions underlying the behavior and help the child learn more acceptable
ways of communicating. Thus, intervention programs focus on replacing inappropriate
behaviors with successful communication experiences rather than eliminating the
undesirable behaviors. For example, teaching a child to say, sign, or gesture "no" instead of
throwing objects or pulling hair when they do not want to participate or comply with the
request is a functional and positive approach.
 Suggestions for environmental and curricular adaptation strategies
Ex. Transitions
Typical causes of problem behaviors:
 child has difficulty transitioning between activities.
 child is uncomfortable not knowing what to do next.
 child has difficulty remembering the daily sequence of events.
 child has difficulty with any change.
 child cannot understand verbal explanations of what will happen next.
Some strategies to try:
 use an object to represent what will happen next for example a tooth brush for going to
the bathroom to brush teeth. Keep the objects in a box (place the objects which repeat
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the days activities in sequenced compartment with a box).
use an anticipation book which is a series of photos representing what is going to occur
next.
 use a picture or word series of events ( a clothespin attached to where the class is in the
sequence is helpful).
 prompt the child to watch and follow where the peers in the classroom are going.
 give simple verbal explanations before the change occurs such as " first wash hands,
then lunch."
 use paper and a writing utensil, draw out the next activity (this provides a visual cue).
 Strategies for supporting social development and emotional healing
 Strategies for enhancing a child's expression of communicative intent
CHAPTER 7: Developing, Implementing, and Monitoring the IFSP/IEP
By: Janet Bates
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 Observation and assessment strategies
 Establishing Guidelines
 Use of Existing Classroom Information
 Involving the Whole Team in the Process
 Developing a functional IFSP/IEP
 Implementing IFSP/IEP goals and objectives
 Activity-based Intervention
 Transdisciplinary Team Involvement
 Monitoring child progress
 Resource list
CHAPTER 8: Transitioning from Inclusive Early Childhood Programs to Kindergarten
By: Janet Keating
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 Key points for successful transitions
 Facilitating participants involvement
 Strategies for addressing transition challenges
 Transition steps
 Helpful forms for the transition process
CHAPTER 9: Implementing Family-Guided Values in Preschool Programs
By: Juliann Woods Cripe
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 Developing a family-guided preschool team process
 Supporting family participation
 Develop and maintain a broad view of participation.
 Recognize family members as assets-not tokens. Include them as colleagues with
expertise, not just as a parent or just a consumer, but rather as a collaborator with
common goals and critical expertise.
 Provide leadership training for family members. Consider as appropriate the
benefits of one-to-one and/or parent-to-parent support. Provide a mentor of the
parent's choosing in the beginning stages to share information.
 Tailor written materials to families. Use non professional terminology, examples and
personal experiences.
 Address the unique needs of families from under represented groups:
o collaborate with established community organizations to make contacts
and identify mentors;
o provide translators if needed; and

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o compensate family members for expenses incurred if necessary.
 Help family members share strategies they have used to meet challenges.
Encourage the family to share stories that support the success of their efforts.
 Encourage/support families to participation at conferences and workshops where
they can acquire information and develop new skills.
 Be aware of parental burn-out and actively seek method to prevent any one parent
assuming too much for too ling.
 Schedule meeting times so working family members can attend. Invite more than
one parent from a family. A spouse or partner, a grandfather or an aunt, or a family
friend can provide insight from another perspective for the group and provide
support or transportation for the primary caregiver.
 Develop innovative and "normalized" strategies to help families overcome
transportation barriers. Encourage car pooling, provide taxi or bus coupons, or rent
a vehicle for a family when asking them to drive a distance. Provide transportation
expenses "up front" for the family rather than asking them to wait for reimbursement.
 Arrange meetings for families in locations where children can be involved in
activities with other children, such as at a child care program, community recreation
center, or at the YMCA. Consider holding meetings at times or places that family
members have other appointments such as at WIC or health clinics. Attend to
personal comfort. Arrange comfortable chairs and refreshments.
 Always remember to use group process strategies that foster involvement of family
members, but that give them options for determining their own level of participationhow much and when.
 Make the meeting time count. Instead of minutes, develop action plans that specify
who will do what and when. This will help the family see the value of their
participation.
 Vary the format of the meeting from the traditional staffing or business meeting
approach. Include an educational component to some of the meetings. Develop a
focus group discussion on an issue or concern.
 Increase personal contacts with family members. Follow up with a phone call, or a
thank you note or letter.
 Evaluate the stakeholders or staff meeting including the family's participation. Ask
their opinions about what works and what doesn't.
 Evaluating family satisfaction
CHAPTER 10: Addressing Parent and Staff Concerns
By: Janet Bates and Janet Keating
In this chapter you will find information on the following topics:
 Common parental questions when a preschool child is served in an inclusive setting
 Common teacher/staff questions when including a new child with disabilities
Relevant Literature/Resources:
 Thompson, B., Wickham, D., Wegner, J., Ault, M.M., Shanks, P., & Reinertson, B. (1993).
Handbook for the inclusion of young children with severe disabilities: Strategies for
implementing exemplary full inclusion programs. Lawrence, Kansas: Learner Managed
Designs, Inc.
 Circle of Inclusion Project. Circle of Inclusion Guidelines (online).
http://www.circleofinclusion.org/english/guidelines/index.html
 Downs, J., Blagojevic, B., Labas, L., Kendrick, M., & Maeverde, J. (2005). Resources for
Guiding Early Childhood Practices. In Growing Ideas Toolkit. Orono, ME: The University of
Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies. Retrieved Dec. 30, 2005, from
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/ec/growingideas/index.htm
o
Introduction to resources for guiding early childhood practices
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o
Thoughtful teaching: Developmentally appropriate practice
o
Let’s grow together: Inclusive early childhood education
o
Let’s grow together: Laws that support early childhood education
o
Accessible to all: Universal design in early care and education
o
Assessment basics: From observation to instruction
o
Friends and feelings: Social-emotional development in young children
o
Building belonging: Providing guidance for social skill development
o
Behavior communicates
o
Whack! Slam! Bang! – Aggression
o
Shocking language! – Swearing
o
Ouch! That hurts! - Biting
TARGET:  policy makers  school administrators  preschool teachers  primary ed
teachers  secondary ed teachers  higher ed teachers  sped teachers  pre-service
teachers  related service providers  families  students  community members
TOPIC:  introduction/philosophical understanding of inclusive education/getting started 
effective teaching/assessment strategies  challenging behaviors  team work, collaboration
 family/community involvement  networking  developing policy  dealing with change 
HIV/AIDS  advocacy/leadership skills  others
PHASE:  awareness raising/introduction/advocacy phase  on-going support/development
 follow-up/monitoring  others
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