Date of Award
6-18-2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education
Program
Early Childhood Education
Capstone Instructor
Dr. Kelly Sadlovsky
Second Reader
Elizabeth Amirahmadi
Keywords
preschoolers with developmental delays, inclusion, individualized learning, teacher strategies
Abstract
Increasing numbers of preschool-age students with developmental delays and other disabilities are educated in the general education classroom. Legislation, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), has supported the idea of classroom inclusion. In the inclusive classroom, preschoolers with developmental delays are educated in the least restrictive environment and attend class with typically developing peers. Because high-quality preschool programs already include play-based learning and an individualized curriculum, the preschool classroom naturally yields itself to inclusion practices. Although early childhood professionals may feel unprepared and apprehensive about teaching children with developmental delays, there are many methods available for supporting children with developmental delays that are practical to implement in the preschool classroom. Some ways children with developmental delays are supported in the classroom include specific strategies for inclusion, special education and family support, play-based learning and curriculum, individualized learning techniques, support across developmental domains, environmental strategies, and peer mediation strategies. This paper outlined some of these support methods in more detail by reviewing the literature and presenting specific strategies already practiced and implemented in many high-quality preschool programs.