|
What
is Inclusive Child Care?
Inclusive child care can be
defined as child care that allows
all children to learn together
in an educational atmosphere
that supports and nurtures the
individual strengths of each
child, and where each child
participates in the daily routines
and activities of the class,
regardless of cognitive or physical
impairments. For more information
on inclusion go to our What
is Inclusive Child Care
or Inclusive Child Care Links
sections. Top
Why
is it important?
Every child deserves the opportunity to interact with other people
regardless of his/her (dis)ability. Children learn many of their
skills from other children, from social behaviors to physical and
cognitive actions. By including children with disabilities in typical
classrooms, active engagement between students is encouraged, allowing
optimal opportunities for children to form their own relationships
and accept one another's differences at an early age.
With inclusion, children discover
that individuals with and without
disabilities are more alike
than different. When differences
arise, children are provided
with opportunities to develop
positive attitudes toward others
who are different from themselves
and to learn to value each others
unique attributes.
For more information on the
importance of inclusive child
care go to our Benefits
to Inclusion or Inclusive
Child Care
Links sections. Top
Who
can families and providers contact
for individual support and information?
San Francisco's Child Care Inclusion
Challenge Project offers integrated
services to both parents and
providers of children with special
health care needs. The Inclusion
Project is a collaborative project
of four organizations: The Children's
Council of San Francisco, Wu
Yee Children's Services (the
two child care resource and
referral agencies in San Francisco),
Support for Families of Children
with Disabilities, and the Child
Care Law Center.
Parents can contact Support
for Families of Children with
Disabilities at 415/469-4518
to speak with a Community Resource
Parent. Support for Families
offers information, education,
and parent-to-parent support
free of charge to families of
children with any kind of disability
or special health care need
in San Francisco.
Child Care Providers can contact
the Children's Council of San
Francisco at 415/343-3334 to
speak with a Child Development
Specialist. Child Development
Specialists provide written,
telephone and on-site technical
assistance and training to child
care providers on topics pertaining
to serving children with special
needs in inclusive child care
settings.
For more information on Inclusion
Project Services go to Services
for Families or Services
for Providers. Top
How
does the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) relate to inclusive
child care?
The Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) is federal legislation
that extends civil rights protections
to individuals with disabilities,
prohibiting discrimination by
child care and after-school
care providers against children
with special needs. For a Question
and Answer handout, and more
information on the legal obligations
of child care providers from
the Child Care Law Center and
the U.S. Department of Justice,
follow the links below:
Or call the U.S. Department
of Justice's ADA Information
Line at 800/514-0301 (voice);
800/514-0383 (TDD). Top
How
do Child Care Providers implement
Inclusive Child Care?
Professional educators are able
to implement inclusive child
care by ensuring that activities
and materials used in the classroom
are adaptable to their students
with disabilities. In this case,
adaptation can be defined as
assisting children in overcoming
their individual intellectual,
physical, or behavioral challenges.
By using the skills that each
individual child possesses to
incorporate new skills, each
child is able to become actively
involved in the educational
experience. However, it is important
to remember that the circumstances
and extent of each child's disability
are unique, and adaptations
to lessons should be under constant
review.
For examples of ways to adapt
the child care environment or
curriculum to include children
with special needs in child
care settings go to our Tips
for Inclusion section. For
additional information about
enhancing social interactions
please visit: http://www.canr.uconn.edu/ces/child/newsarticles/SAC931.html.
Top
How
important is parental involvement?
Families are the best resources for their children. Parental involvement is key
to every child's education,
but especially so with children
who are working within an Individualized
Education Plan (IEP), Individual
Family Service Plan (IFSP) or
an Individualized Program Plan
(IPP). Parents are instrumental
in helping to identify strengths
and setting goals for their
children's education, as well
as reinforcing the lessons learned
within the classroom. Top
What
is an IEP?
An Individualized Education
Program, or IEP, is a written plan
of educational goals and objectives.
This plan is reviewed at least
once annually with input from
the student's teachers, aides,
and family. Parents or teachers
may request a meeting to develop,
review or revise the IEP at
any time. For more information
on the IEP process, visit the
Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
(PAI) website at: http://www.pai-ca.org/pubs/504401.pdf. Support for Families also offers trainings and resources to assist families in the IEP process.
Top
What
is an IFSP or IPP?
An Individual Family Service
Plan, or IFSP, is a written
plan of special support goals
and services to be provided
to infants and toddlers under
the age of three. An Individual
Program Plan, or IPP, is provided
for individuals over the age
of three. The plan, either IFSP
or IPP, is reviewed at least
annually through dialogue with
the individual (when age appropriate),
their family, aides, and teachers.
Families may request a meeting
to develop, review or revise
the IFSP/IPP if a significant
change has occurred that affects
the goals or objectives set
forth in the plan. For more
detailed information about Early
Intervention and the IFSP process
see the PAI manual at: http://www.pai-ca.org/Pubs/505201.pdf.
For information on the IPP process
see the PAI manual at: http://www.pai-ca.org/pubs/503801.htm.
For information on both plans
please visit the Golden Gate
Regional Center website at:
http://www.ggrc.org/fi_ipp.htm. Support for Families also offers trainings and resources to assist families in the IFSP and IPP processes.
Top
What
language should I use to describe
a student with a disability?
The language that you use when
describing a child with a disability
can send a strong message. The
important thing to remember
is to identify the child first,
not the disability. For example,
you might say "a child with
diabetes" not a "diabetic child."
The web page listed here has
some helpful hints for "Person
First" language: http://www.usd.edu/cd/systemschange.
Top
How
do I answer questions from other
children about a child's disability?
Children are naturally curious
about their surroundings and
about one another. It is helpful
if you can answer children's
questions simply and honestly.
For example you can say, "Sally
sometimes has a hard time breathing,
her inhaler gives her special
medicine that makes it easier
for her to breathe." It is also
helpful to ask parents for suggestions
on ways to discuss their child's
needs with the other children.
For more information please
visit Child Care Plus' guide
"Helping Young Children Learn
about Differences" at http://www.ccplus.org/Tip%20Sheets/TipSheet12.pdf.
Top
Where
can I get information about
particular disabilities?
Please visit our Disability
Links
Section.
Some of the above
frequently asked questions have
been adapted from the Northampton
Community College's Early Childhood
Education program website. Visit
their website at http://www2.northampton.edu/bicc/.
|
FAQs