Inclusion in Early Childhood Programs: A Kaledioscope of Diversity

All areas of education face changes and challenges constantly. Early childhood education is no exception. A recent challenge teachers in early childhood face is the advent of inclusion. Implementing inclusion in early childhood classrooms creates more diversity among the children. Inclusion of students with various disabilities has caused concern among parents and teachers. There are some concerns that need special attention when including students with disabilities in the early childhood classrooms. This article describes some of the concerns and ways of dealing with them.

Research conducted over the past 30 years has indicated that some 6% to 10% of children and youths have emotional or behavioral problems that seriously impede their development and require treatment in order for these children to function adequately in school and society (Kauffman, Lloyd, Baker, & Riedel, 1995). According to Roach, Halvorsen, Zeph, Giugno, and Caruso (1997), these data may not accurately reflect the number of children with disabilities that are being served in the general education classroom. Many states are believed to be under-reporting the actual number of children placed in general education classrooms.