A Historic Perspective: Inclusion for Infants and Young Children with Disabilities

By Barbara Kolucki (bakoluck@aol.com)
 

Lessons from the 1970s

There has been a recent upsurge in the media about the critical importance of the first five years of a child's life - and equally, the importance of stimulation and play for these infants and young children.  As mentioned in a previous issue, there are new parent magazines and websites, international and national NGOs, U.N. consultative groups and advertising about Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD).

How does all of this information apply to infants and children with a disability?  As I review the new research and literature, it is clear that for the most part I have heard this before.  I have heard this during my training in the field of special education in the 1970s.  And I keep thinking: "Instead of asking how all this research and information applies to infants and children with disabilities, why aren't we asking the opposite?"

What was it that I learned in the 1970's about disability that was the foundation for all of my professional (and even personal) life thus far?  It included:

• Every infant is unique
• The self-esteem of each child is crucial to how she will develop and learn
• It is important to stimulate and utilize all of the child's senses as much as possible
• Play is critical to learning
• Family members have an important role to play
• It is the job of the teacher (caregiver) to adapt games and lessons to the child's ability rather than ask the child to adapt
• Children have a right and need to be with a variety of children in order to learn about and be able to live in the real world.

• Learning in activities that integrate all developmental domains (physical, social, emotional and cognitive)
• Learning through play and active participation
• Encouraging children to make choices and initiate activities
• Encouraging children to express themselves through play, art, verbal and written communication
• Helping children to plan and reflect on their experiences
• Creating a safe environment with responsive adults who respond to children's needs
• Making accommodations for children with different abilities, learning styles, temperaments and interests
• Cultivating responsiveness to families' priorities and sensitivity to different cultural backgrounds

Inclusion:

The word inclusion has recently replaced previously used terms mainstreaming and integration.  Though there are many who see each as clearly different, each does imply that infants and children with and without disabilities learn and spend time together.  Cavallaro et al use the following definition of inclusion:

"All children learning together in environments that provide special services, supports, and supplements for all children as needed and are guided by well-trained professionals from the fields of early childhood education and early childhood special education".

There is as much controversy over inclusion as there was when mainstreaming was first promoted.  There are a variety of opinions and examples of either the child with special needs getting too much attention or too little appropriate attention.  There are infant care centers where the specialists outnumber the child care providers and there are centers where lack of training, experience and fear have led to a baby or child with a disability being left alone for most of the day.  And everything in between.

At its best, however, inclusive early intervention benefits everyone in many ways.  There is enormous potential for inclusive care and education for infants and young children to model the way for inclusion in school and community life.  Every infant is treated as unique and develops at her own pace.  All children are taught in a variety of ways using many modes and senses.  Children and adults learn from early personal experience that differences are part of life and should be celebrated.

In "Inclusive Child Care for Infants and Toddlers" (Marion O'Brien, 1997), the author lists numerous simple ways that the childcare provider can facilitate inclusion of children with special needs.  These include:

"1. Teachers should provide opportunities for non-mobile and nonverbal children to indicate an activity preference.
2. Teachers must frequently reposition children who are non-mobile.
3. Teachers need to position children in an activity area for best participation.
4. Teachers can encourage participation at whatever level is appropriate for or desired by the child.
5. Teachers must avoid the tendency to do everything for the child with special needs."   (p.121-122)

The adaptations the author suggests, whether they be in play, feeding or specific skills training are simple, practical and benefit any child.

Inclusion around the world

In 1998, the U.N. Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development published an issue of their Coordinator's Notebook on Inclusion.  This issue supports and complements many of the same principles as those suggested above by our North American Colleagues.  It does however, rightly credit and give the perspective of developing countries and Europe, as well as the U.N.   The definition provided by Judith Evans of inclusion is:

 "creating environments responsive to the differing developmental capacities, needs, and potential of all children.  For children with special needs, inclusion means a shift in services, from simply trying to fit the child into "normal settings", with supplemental support for their disabilities or special needs, to promoting the children's overall development in an optimal setting".

Although many of the above concentrated on school-aged children or adults, some did stress the importance of early identification and intervention.  The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), in particular, calls for "an expansion of early child care and development activities including family and community interventions, especially for poor, disadvantaged and disabled children".

Inclusion of an infant or child with a disability obviously begins in the family.  It is there that detection of a disability often occurs, unless it is a disability that is not easily detected until the child is older.  Around the world, one can see families and communities integrating their infant or young child who is disabled into their daily life.  The same is true for older children and adults - this is the principle of Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR).

What is not possible, probably anywhere, is inclusion where trained professionals in early childcare for children with disabilities are available for every child who needs it.  Therefore, it is imperative that family members and non-professionals are given the confidence and basic skills to meet the needs of infants and young children, disabled and not.  This has been the practice in many of the innovative early childhood programs (for disabled as well as non-disabled infants and young children) developed by NGOs, universities, governments, U.N. agencies and pioneering parent and community groups around the world.
 

Resources

What follows is a partial list of resources either on inclusion or on the early childhood education of children with disabilities.  The publications and references put you in touch with many other pioneering inclusive ECCD programs.  We would like to hear about your resources, your experiences with inclusion, your best practices and suggestions, and your questions.

Coordinator's Notebook: An International Resource for early Childhood Development, No. 22, 1999, The Consultative Group on early Childhood Care and Development, email: info@ecdgroup.com, website: http://www.ecdgroup.com

Early Child Assistance Series, Hesperian Foundation, email: janem@hesperian.org,  website: http://www.hesperian.org

Kiddies Rehab International Foundation, email: info@kiddiesrehab.org, website: http://www.kiddiesrehab.org

National Center for Early Development and Learning, website: http://www.ncedl.org

Enabling Education Network (EENET), email: eenet@man.ac.uk

The National Information Center for Children and youth with Disabilities (NICHCY), email: nichcy@aed.org, website: http://www.nichcy.org

Council of Exceptional Children, Division of Early Childhood, email: cec@cec.sped.org, website: http://www.dec-sped.org

Inclusive Child Care for Infants and Toddlers: Meeting Individual and Special Needs,  Marion O'Brien, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 1997

Preschool Inclusion, Claire C. Cavallaro and Michele Haney, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 1999

Including Your Child, Susan Gruskin and Kim Silverman with Veda Bright, U.S. Department of Education,  Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 USA

Child Development Media Catalog: An Extensive Collection of Videotapes and Training Materials, email: cdmi@ix.netcom.com,  website: http://www.childdevmedia.com