Successful Preschool Inclusion: An LEA

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Successful Preschool Inclusion An LEAs
Perspective

• Barbara Hanft MA, OTR, FAOTA
• Edward Feinberg PhD
• Sally Mastroberti MS
• Institute on Inclusion
• August 5, 2005

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Federal/State Statistics

• US Dept. of Ed.
• 50 of all preschoolers with disabilities are
  receiving services in inclusive settings.
• Maryland State Dept. of Eds LRE goal
• less than 15 of students should receive services
  in separate special education settings
• however, many Maryland counties have high rates
  of segregated services.

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Status 2003 Anne Arundel Co.

• 39 of preschoolers receive special education
  services in segregated settings
• remainder receive speech as a single service at
  their home elementary school.
• 2 of 567 students received services in a
  community-based preschool or childcare.
• Service delivery model essentially unchanged
  since the late 1970s.

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Service system vs policy/research

• IDEA
• All children should be educated in their natural
  or LRE Must raise expectations.
• Higher standards equal higher performance.
• All children should have access to regular
  curriculum.
• Must support regular educators through quality
  staff development on relating to children with
  disabilities.

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Service system vs. policy/research

• Research
• Children in inclusive settings perform better.
• Children in inclusive settings behave better.
• Children in inclusive settings demonstrate
  positive views about individuals with
  disabilities.

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Goal Move from classroom to community-based
system

• Expand the continuum of special education
  services-
• to increase the incidence of preschoolers with
  disabilities receiving special education and
  related services in inclusive early childhood
  settings.

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Results

• September 2003
• Started with 5 students in inclusive settings
• 4 community-based settings involved

• June 2005
• 88 students served in inclusive settings ( 319)
• 82 inclusive settings involved

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What can inclusive special education service look
like?
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What can inclusive special education look like?
It must be in combination.
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Video Selections Katelyn

• Family
• wanted Katelyn included, no individual attention
• worked full-time, no time for home visits
• Childcare
• 4 year old program, missing literature component
• teacher needed help in morning
• all students included
• Katelyn
• Issues Attention, fine motor, processing verbal
  info
• Setting where she had to ignore distractions
• Loved stories about animals

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Video Selections Richard

• Family
• Concern- Richards lack of participation in large
  groups
• Preschool/Teachers
• Willing to learn, requested help for large group
  instruction
• Class issues with social skills (hitting, not
  sharing etc.)
• Needed guidance on class management and
  redirection
• Richard
• Participating in large group
• Answering questions with an audience
• Increase self-confidence for improved peer
  interaction
• Loved being teachers helper

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Professional development Points to
ponder
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From neurons to neighborhoods..

• The essential features of the environment that
  influence childrens development are their
  relationships with the important people in their
  lives beginning with their parents and other
  family members, and extending outward to include
  child care providers, teachers, and coaches
  within the places to which they are exposed
  from playgrounds to libraries to schools to
  soccer leagues.
• National Scientific Council on the Developing
  Child, 2004, p. 4

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Key myths about consultation/coaching

• Can double/triple caseloads
• Therapists train others to do OT/PT/SP
• Never work one-one with a child
• One way to consult

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The big difference
Expert vs. expertise
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Principles of adult learning

• Identify partners motivators
• What will influence my partner to collaborate
  with me and refine knowledge/information?
• Respect partners learning environment/style
• Which physical and emotional factors will promote
  a positive learning environment?
• Help partner integrate past and current
  experience
• What is my partners knowledge/experience base?

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Principles of adult learning

• Promote partners self-direction/active
  involvement
• Involvement vs engagement
• Support partners reflective thinking
• Link to role and child outcomes

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1. Be aware of power in your relationships

• Power (reward, coercive and legitimate) ? lack
  of commitment
• Referent power, via identification, builds
  rapport, shows respect and breaks down
  professional distance
• Harris Cancelli, 1991

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2. Deal with entry issues

• Clarify partners expectations and past efforts
• What do you want for your child? Settings to
  participate in.. Interactions to engage.
• What works? What has not?
• Maximize partners choices about how to consult
  with you
• Harris Cancelli, 1991

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3. Ensure investment in the consultation

• Focus on partners roles/concerns, rather than
  yours
• What s working for this child?
• Whats the most challenging part of the day
  caring for him/her?
• Encourage questions, provide explanations vs.
  give advice
• Ask partner to evaluation your recommendations
• How will this work for you?
• Harris Cancelli, 1991

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Key components of Coaching
(Hanft, Rush, Shelden, 2004)
Action
Observation
Reflection
Evaluation
Resolution
Continuation
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Process is interactive.
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Reflecting Asking probing ?

• 1. Prompt Partner to recall or gather information
• Tell me about
• Tell me more.
• What did you want to happen?
• What happened when ..?
• What did you do/say when?
• What went well?
• Where does that most often occur?
• When did you first notice this?

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How professionals talk affects caregiver
participation

• Indirect behavior praise/encouragement, ask ?,
  accepting feelings/ideas
• Encourages caregivers to initiate and
  structure interactions- BUT-
• 95 of praise was about child, not caregiver
  actions
• 96 of questions were close-ended
• Direct behavior giving info, directing,
  criticizing
• Leads to professionals giving more info
• Brady et al, 2004. Journal of
  Early Intervention26(2), pp.146-159

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Observations are outcome related and include

• partners behavior
• Nonverbal communication, comments, interaction
  and actions in response to events, others and the
  coach
• Reactions of others to your partner
• Esp. acceptance of partners actions
• Physical and social context of child and partner

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Actions
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What makes inclusion work?
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Anne Arundel Co.s GoalStarted Sept. 2003

• To expand the continuum of special education
  services to increase the percentage of
  preschoolers with disabilities receiving special
  education and related services in inclusive early
  childhood settings.

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How?

• School System Awareness
• Educating and sharing goals.
• Collaboration with other professionals.
• Parental Involvement
• Educating parents about their options.
• Providing support in choosing positive inclusive
  settings.
• -

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How?

• Community Support
• Developing positive relationships with nursery
  schools and child care centers expanding
  perspective on appropriate settings for children
  with disabilities.
• Offering staff development, coaching, adapted
  materials, co-taught classes, etc.
• Involving outside resources.
• -

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Community Support The biggest, most positive
factor

• Starts with the family
• First contact is critical
• First visit to inclusive setting creates the
  atmosphere/partnership/relationship
• Patience leads to cooperation and respect
• Positive recognition leads to teamwork
• Communication leads to trust and openness
• Commitment modeling, co-teaching, training,
  literature, materials
• Individualize to meet everyones needs