Ana Maria SerranoUniversity

of

MinhoPORTUGAL

Inclusion as a value supports the rights of all children independently of their abilities, to actively participate in the natural contexts of their communities. A natural context is the one where the child would spend time whether he had or had not Special Needs. Such contexts include, but are restricted to, home, family, groups of friends, daycare, homecare, preschools or schools in the community…”

CEC - Division for Early Childhood, 1993

INCLUSION

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Natural Learning Environments

Family Activities

Comunity activities

Formal educational

programs

Dunst et

al, 2001

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HOW DID WE ARRIVE HERE ?

WHICH FOUNDATIONS SUSTAIN OUR PRACTICES?

WHICH VALUES AND ETHICAL PRINCIPLES?

WHAT THEORETICHAL CONTRIBUTES?

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CONCEPTUAL/ THEORETHICAL FRAMEWORK OF

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND

EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION

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■

Traditional Behaviorist Theories of Skinner & Pavlov

■Cognitive Behavior Tradition of Bandura

■

Attention to individualization and assessment practices

■

Constructivist Theory of Vigostky and Piaget

■

Educational Philosophy of Dewey

■

Social Cultural Research of Rogoff et al. (1995)

■

Early Psychoanalytical work of Freud, Adler & Jung

■

Bronfenbrenner Ecological Theory

Odom & Wolery (2003)

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Who are Children with Special Needs ?

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…they are all children

…and they all have unique needs

(Wolery, Strain, & Bailey, 1992, p.95).

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Ana Maria Serrano

Fundamental Tenets and Evidence-based Practices of Early Childhood Special Education Odom & Wolery (2003)

• Children learn through acting on and observing their environment

• Adults mediate children’s experiences to promote learning

• Children’s participation in more developmentally advanced settings, at times with assistance, is necessary for successful and independent participation in those settings

• ECSE practice is individually and dynamically goal oriented

• Transitions across programs are enhanced by a developmental instigative adult

• Families and programs are influenced by the broader context

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Evidence-based practices associated with Positive Outcomes for Children and Families in Inclusion and Natural

environments1. Family-based practices that guide the selection of goals and

services and service location and that enhance the capacity and competence of the family to meet the needs of their child and family.

2. Routines based approaches and embedding goals within daily activities, routines and within natural learning opportunities.

3. Individualized and specialized instruction including adaptations for children with Special Needs.

4. Collaboration (to include joint participation, shared philosophy, shared ownership, communication, flexibility in adopting new and challenging roles, establishing relationships among team members, and administrative support and leadership).

Chandler & Maude, 2008

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LearningLearning OpportunitiesOpportunities ::Conceptual Conceptual basisbasis

Dunst

et al, 2001

Learning activities

Interests

Engagment

Competence

Mastery

Ana Maria Serrano - Universidade do Minho 2009

Engagement is the amount of time children spent interacting with their environment (adults, peers and materials) in a developmental and contextually, appropriate manner

(McWilliam & Bailey , 1992)

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Causes of low engagement

• Developmental immaturity• Functional impairment (blind, deaf,

motor etc.)• Social environment (teaching quality)• Physical environment (access)

McWilliam, 2007

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Methods to Promote Engagement

• Prevention of engagement problems• Physical environment• Social environment• The four contexts of teaching

• Attention engagement problems• Change the routine• Change the child• Change the expectations

McWilliam, 2007

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The adult’s role on promoting engagement

• Observer

• Facilitator

• Model

• Direct teach

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“…every hour in every day, is of great importance

to a child, when an hour is neglected…teaching

and learning go on nonetheless and the child

may be the loser”Hobbs (1996)

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Individualized and specialized instruction is an important component of inclusion

(ECRII,1998)

Participation in a regular education settingis not enough. The individual needs ofchildren with disabilities must be adressedin inclusive programs. Individualized andspecialized instruction can be deliveredthrough a variety of effective strategies, many of which can be embedded in theongoing classroom activities.

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INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION

Individualized does not necessarily means providing a dedicated block of time for one-to-one repeated trail instruction. It does mean that adults, by creating regular and frequent teaching and learning episodes as a part of the ongoing routines and activities of the classroom curriculum, ensure that young children are making progress on their goals.(Liber, Schwartz, Sandall, Horn, & Wolery, 1999)

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Who has how much influence on what?

Child outcomes

Caregiver competence & confidence

Professional support

Robin McWilliam (2002)

40-50% 88%

10-12%

INTERVENTIO

N OPPORTUNITY1 HOUR

PROFESSIONAL CHILD

PROFESSIONAL CAREGIVERS

INTERVENTIO

N OPPORTUNITY1 HOUR

CHILDIN

TERV

ENTI

ON OPPORTUNITY84 HOURS

JUNG, 2003

Day Goals Minutes MINUTESMon. •

With mom

names her clothes while dressing and names food items at breakfast.•Sing

songs with mom while she finishing cleaning the kitchen after breakfast.• Sing songs and share images in a book at nap time.• Plays

with older brother after school.• Tells a good night story to dad before going to sleep.

10 MIN

15 MIN10 MIN15 MIN10 MIN

Tuse. Names

images and read books with SLP

30 MIN

•With mom

names her clothes while dressing and names food itens

at breakfast.•Points to people and places when

goes in the car with mom.•Sing songs and share images in a book at nap time.•Plays

with older brother after school and names toys.•Names toys during bath time.

10 MIN

15 MIN10 MIN15 MIN10 MIN

Wend •With mom

names her clothes while dressing and names food items at breakfast.•Sing

songs with mom while she finishing cleaning the kitchen after breakfast.•Sing songs and share images in a book at nap time.•Plays

with older brother after school.•Tells a good night story to dad.

10 MIN

15 MIN10 MIN15 MIN10 MIN

Thurs Names

images and read books with SLP

30 MIN

•With mom

names her clothes while dressing and names food items at breakfast.•Points to people and places when

goes in the car with mom.•Sing songs and share images in a book at nap time.• Plays

with older brother after school and names toys.• Names toys during bath time.

10 MIN

15 MIN10 MIN15 MIN10 MIN

Frid. •With mom

names her clothes while dressing.•Sing

songs with mom while she finishing cleaning the kitchen after breakfast.•Sing songs and shares

images in a book at nap time.• Plays with grandpa reading a book and names

animals.• Tells a good night story to grandma.

5 MIN15 MIN10 MIN20 MIN10 MIN

TOTALTIME 1 Hour 5 Hours

--M

cWilli

am, 2

006

MariaDo your Math Home Work!

High Quality Preschool Program

BUILDING BLOCKS MODEL

Sandall & Schwartz 2002

Curricular adaptations

Embedded Learning Opportunities

Child CenteredTeaching Strategies

Ana Maria Serrano

High Quality Preschool program

√

Active engagement

√

A responsive and predictable environment

√

Teaching adequate to the child and activity

√Interaction, activities and materials developmentally appropriate

√

Appropriate levels of child guidance

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Curricular Adaptations

THE MORE THE CHILD PARTICIPATES IN ACTIVITIES, MORE OPPORTUNITIES SHE WILL HAVE TO LEARN AND DEVELOP

CURRICULAR ADAPTATION…is a change in a classroom activity or material that

allows the child to have access to and participate in

general curriculum. Should be used when the child

is interested in the ongoing activities but is not able

to participate…KEY is to help the child actively

participate.

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TYPES OF CURRICULAR ADPATATIONS

Environmental support

Material Adaptation

Specific Equipment

Use Child Preference

Simplify the activity

Adult Support

Peer Support

Invisible Support

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EMBEDDING TEACHING WITHIN ONGIONG CLASSROOM ROUTINES

“…is a procedure in which children are given

opportunities to practice individual goals and

objectives that are included within and

activity or event in a manner that expandes,

modifies or adapts the activity/event while

remaining meaningful and interesting to

children”.

(Bricker, Pretti-Fronczak, & McComas, 1988, p.13)

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Embedded Learning Opportunities (ELO)

…is a strategy used by early childhood educators and

other significant adults to create short teaching episodes

designed to address the young child’s learning objectives

as a part of existing routines and objectives.

(Horn, Sandall, Liber & Wolery 2000)

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BENEFICTS OF EMBEDDING LEARNING INSTRUCTION

1. Integration of learning experiences within usual routines and activities highlights for the child the meaning or use of the learning objectives.

2. Integration of these planned experiences within routines increases the probability that instruction will occur.

3. Use of child-initiated learning experiences capitalizes on child attention and motivation

4. Learning experiences are distributed throughout the day

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Individualized Education Plans (IEP’s) should:

Have a careful assessment processInvolve the familyProduce significant and measurable modificationsBeing monitored regularly and adapted as neededBeing developed within inclusive environmentsPlanned transition to other settings and programsInvolving professionals from different disciplinary areasEmploy evidence-based research and practices

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Child CentredTeaching Strategies

Peer Mediated Strategies

Reinforcement

Modeling

Differential reinforcement

Naturalistic Interventions

Scaffolding

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High Quality Preschool Program

BUILDING BLOCKS MODEL

Sandall & Schwartz 2002

Curricular adaptations

Embedded Learning Opportunities

Child CenteredTeaching Strategies

The benefits to children with or without

disabilities generally occur in high

quality programs that actively plan for

inclusion and natural learning

opportunities, promote interaction

between children, and employ other

evidence-based practices to

support child growth and

development. Ana Maria Serrano

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!