Early learning and development standards (ELDS) describe the knowledge, skills, and dispositions young children should demonstrate before kindergarten. This article describes a review of state ELDS for children from birth to 5 years of age to determine if they included information and guidance about the learning needs of young children with…

Policies related to the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms have led to questions regarding how teachers can help cultivate inclusive learning communities where all children are supported and valued. In play-based kindergarten programs, teachers are tasked with ensuring goals for children's learning and development are…

In the United States, educational inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities is relatively new. It was not until 1975 that the right to a "free appropriate public education" for children with disabilities was recognized, and not until 1990 that adults with disabilities were granted equal employment opportunities. Arguably,…

This Qualitative study was conducted to examine the perceptions of K-5 parents who homeschooled their students with disabilities and how they perceived homeschooling to influence the student's social-emotional development. Participants involved in this study decided to homeschool their child with disabilities as they perceived their child's…

There have been significant recent developments in the policy arena in South Africa in respect of disability and of early childhood development viz. the "White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy." Using Bacchi's analytical framework encapsulated in the question,…

Experiences with nature are important for children's development and there are many ways for educators to provide children with exceptionalities opportunities to interact with nature. Children with diverse needs can, and should, have opportunities to interact with nature. This article describes how to apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL)…

This work examines early childhood inclusion in educational settings in Italy. It begins with the history, culture, and socio-political landscape of Early Childhood Intervention and an analysis of the current situation regarding education and inclusion. Next, it analyzes current policies and practices for including students with special needs,…

Advances in comprehensive community-based early childhood systems require sophisticated partnerships among numerous constituencies including health, education, human services, and parent groups. Considered here is the potential for early childhood inclusive practices based on a commonly shared developmental framework to facilitate those…

Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children (SWVPP) is an important part of the state's comprehensive early childhood effort, providing more opportunities for young children to access quality preschool and enter school ready to learn. The preschool programs are expected to serve four-year-old children with a range of…

The advancement of inclusive education policies worldwide has given greater weight to social justice practices in educational settings. However, inclusion in preschools has received less attention from researchers. This article examines a 4-year-old child's participation in a mainstream preschool in Australia from a cultural-historical…

Over past decades in early childhood education, there has been an emerging critique of developmental discourses. Despite this, the universality of child development theory persists and along with it, expectations of a linear progression via prescribed stages and ages. Developmentalism produces a normal in the classroom that sanctions comparisons,…

This study examined factors associated with 9-month outcomes of 78 preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder ([ASD]; 66 males, mean age = 44.8 [7.0] months) receiving preschool special education services. Use of recommended intervention practices was observed in each student's primary educational setting: autism-only (n = 28), mixed-disability (n…

This report offers 11 indicators and elements of high quality inclusion in the early care and education environment including: (1) physical environment; (2) children's autonomy and child-centered approaches; (3) family partnerships; (4) social emotional learning and development; (5) meaningful interactions with peers; (6) curriculum; (7)…

The problem addressed is that inclusive classrooms lack consistent, collaborative learning opportunities for students with an identified learning disability (LD). A qualitative narrative inquiry was completed to collect teachers' stories and experiences. This study was framed by Vygotsky's social development theory, Bandura's theory of…

Purpose: This article examines the educational decision-making of hearing parents for their deaf children born during a period (1970-1990s) before the introduction of new-born hearing screening in New South Wales, where the study was conducted, and prior to the now near-universal adoption of cochlear implants in Australia.…