PowerPoint Presentation Access to the General

1

ACCESS TO THE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN
INCLUSIVE PRE-K PROGRAMS Barbara Thompson,
Ph.D. University of Kansas
2

• Websters New Unabridged Universal Dictionary
  (1994) defines inclusion as
• the act of including, i.e., to contain,
  embrace, or comprise, as a whole does parts.

3
DEC (1993) defines inclusion as . . . a value
that supports the right of all children
regardless of their diverse abilities to
participate actively in natural settings in their
community.
The Division of Early Childhood of the Council
for Exceptional Children (1993)
4

• Dana
• When I met Dana she was three years old. She
  was lying on a mat in an overcrowded day room of
  an institution surrounded by people of all ages
  (mostly adults) with profound disabilities.
• Just a few months later when I first saw Dana
  in Raintree Montessori School, her presence
  evoked one of the most emotional experiences of
  my life. Dana looked valued, respected, and at
  home surrounded by other preschoolers who
  accepted her as one of them which of course she
  was.

Dana, In preschool - 1986
Dana, Now - In high school
5
Meet Three Children
Grant
Sheronda
Jacob
6
Jacob
7
Sheronda
8
Grant
9
(No Transcript)
10

• Meet Their
• Parents

11

• Grants Parents

(From The Circle of Inclusion, Video)
12
Jacobs Foster Mother

(From The Circle of Inclusion, Video)
13
Sherondas parents

• (From Expanding the Circle, Video)

14
.

• .

IDEA Amendments of 1997 call for a paradigm shift
that is required in the law!

Students with disabilities are entitled to
access, participation and progress within the
general education curriculum.
15
(No Transcript)
16
Hence, special educators can no longer claim
that the curriculum is the IEP!! (Pugach
Warger, 1996).
17
.

• .

What is the General Education Curriculum In Early
Childhood Education?
18
DAP A Basis for Quality Early Childhood
Curriculum
19
WHAT SHOULD YOUNG CHILDREN BE LEARNING?
Knowledge
Skills
Dispositions
Feelings
Katz, L. G. (June, 1999) Another look at what
young children should be learning. ERIC Digest,
EDO-PS-99-5
20
A Quality EC Curriculum Should Support

• Development across domains disciplines
• Understanding valuing diversity
• Observing understanding one environment
• Self-respect respect for others
• Use of creative imagination to solve problems
• Developing practical skills for real life
• Challenging/interesting ways to learn

21
Curricular Standards GuidingFlorida EC Programs
22
Several Well Known Approaches to Early Childhood
Curriculum
23
.

• .

What factors impact access to and participation
in the general early childhood education
curriculum?
24

• Factors Impacting Access

Child Family Factors
Special Education Service Factors
Explicit Implicit EC Program Factors
25
Child and Family Factors Impacting Access
26
EC Program Factors Impacting Access

• Philosophy
• Theoretical-base
• Teacher Preparation
• Environment
• Teacher/Child Relationships

• Curricular Domains
• Scope Sequence
• Materials
• Assessment
• Instructional Procedures

27
EC Program FactorsAre Both Explicit Implicit

Explicit The factors are comprised of the
written and taught components of a program.
Implicit The factors occur in a program due
to the personnels interpretation of the explicit
factors.
Low
Continuum of Fidelity
High
28
Special Education Service Factors Impacting
Access
ECSE Teacher is Lead in Inclusive
Classroom
EC Teacher ECSE Teacher Team-Teach
EC Teacher and ECSE Teacher in a Blended
Program

ECSE Teacher Serves as Collaborative
Consultant to the EC Teacher
29
.

• .

A Model for Access to the Early Childhood
Education Curriculum
30
Model Sources
31
Models Steps to Successful Access
3. Embed Learning Opportunities

2. Provide Individualized supports

• Determine Matches

32
Models Steps to Successful Access
3. Embed Learning Opportunities

2. Provide Individualized supports

• Determine Matches

33
Step One Determine MatchesDefinition Those
activities and routines in the general education
curriculum that match the childs abilities,
needs and interests and which requires no
additional accommodations or support

• First Analyze the early childhood education
  curriculum approach the specific program.
• Second Anticipate potentially needed
  accommodations before the child enters the
  program when possible
• Third Observe for matches between the child and
  the curriculum

34
Framework for Analysis of EC Approaches
35
Step One Determine MatchesDefinition
Those activities and routines in the general
education curriculum that match the childs
abilities, needs and interests and which requires
no additional accommodations or support

• First Analyze the early childhood education
  curriculum approach the specific program.
• Second Anticipate potentially needed
  accommodations before the child enters the
  program when possible
• Third Observe for matches between the child and
  the curriculum

36
Environmental Pre-assessmentWill Accommodations
Be Needed for . . . ?

• Materials Equipment
• Schedules and Routines
• Staff/Child Ratio
• Social Support
• Classroom and Child Management Procedures
• Instructional Procedures

• Classroom Facility Layout and Routes
• Toileting Areas Procedures
• Playground Outdoor Environment
• Snacks and Mealtime Procedures
• Health Safety Procedures

37
(No Transcript)
38
Examples of Jacobs Accommodations
www.circleofinclusion.org
39
Step One Determine MatchesDefinition
Those activities and routines in the general
education curriculum that match the childs
abilities, needs and interests and which requires
no additional accommodations or support

• First Analyze the early childhood education
  curriculum approach the specific program.
• Second Anticipate potentially needed
  accommodations before the child enters the
  program when possible
• Third Observe for matches between the child and
  the curriculum

40
Wolery, Brashers, Neitzel ( 2002)
41
Implementing the
ECA ProcessAfter collecting the data, the
teacher should review the completed form. Five
steps are suggested.

• Step 1 Identify activities in which the child
  and peers were different from one another in
  terms of their behaviors.
• Step 2 Determine if the differences are
  acceptable and make a list of the activities in
  which unacceptable differences exist.
• Step 3 Identify and make a list of the
  activities in which the child does not have the
  necessary skills.
• Step 4 Identify the types of help that are given
  across activities and make a list of them.
• Step 5 Identify priorities for goals and
  intervention practices.

42
(No Transcript)
43
(No Transcript)
44
(No Transcript)
45
Child-Curriculum Participation Worksheet An
Example
Date10/14/01 Teachers name Devon Childs
nameSheronda
46
Planning Worksheet An Example
Date _10/15/01______ Teachers name Devon
Childs name Sheronda ______
47
Does the Curriculum Support

• Development across domains disciplines?
• Understanding valuing diversity?
• Observing understanding ones environment?
• Self-respect respect for others?
• Use of creative imagination to solve problems?
• Developing practical skills for real life?
• Challenging interesting ways to learn?

Where are the matches?
48
Models Steps to Successful Access
3. Embed Learning Opportunities

2. Provide Individualized supports

• Determine Matches

49
Step Two Provide Individualized Supports
Definition A change in a routine, activity
or material that allows a child to participate

• First Determine where the individualized supports
  are needed
• Second Determine the nature of the participation
  requirements for the activity or routine.
• Third Determine the type of individual support
  needed

50
(No Transcript)
51
Step Two Provide Individualized Supports
Definition A change in a routine, activity
or material that allows a child to participate

• First Determine where the individualized supports
  are needed
• Second Determine the nature of the participation
  requirements for the activity or routine.
• Third Determine the type of individual support
  needed

52
Types of Individualized Supports
S. Sandall I. Schwartz (2002) Building Blocks
for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs.
Baltimore Paul Brookes Publishing. pp
53
Environmental Supports

• Lowered Handrails- A second, lower set of
  handrails were added on the stairway so that
  children can reach them comfortably.
• Stair Guides - Yellow tape was placed on each
  step to show the children to walk single file on
  one side of the stair case.
• Rail Guides - Green tape was added to guard rails
  to show the children where to hold on when moving
  up and down the stairs.

54
Types of Individualized Supports
S. Sandall I. Schwartz (2002) Building Blocks
for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs.
Baltimore Paul Brookes Publishing. pp
55
Materials Adaptation
We have found that placing a dot on the corner
of a shape is helpful for children learning to
write and cut shapes. The dot helps children see
the corner and go all the way to the edge, so
they don't end up with circles instead of squares
and triangles.
56
Materials Adaptation

• Materials Equipment Adaptations

Have materials or equipment in the optimal
position (height, etc.) Stabilize
materials (from DEC Recommended Practices Video)
57
Types of Individualized Supports
S. Sandall I. Schwartz (2002) Building Blocks
for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs.
Baltimore Paul Brookes Publishing Co.
58
Simplify Activity
Partial participation means that a child only
does part of an activity while is friend or
friends do the other parts. Here we see Jacob
finding the stair that looks the same size as the
picture on the card. It provides us with a
perfect example of partial participation. Jacob
can find the correct stair but placing it on the
card would be difficult for him. Rather than
denying him the opportunity to use this material,
a typically developing peer can place the stair
on the card. In this way Jacob can meaningfully
if only partially participate in this activity.

• Partial Participation

(From The Process of Instruction, Video)
59
Types of Individualized Supports
S. Sandall I. Schwartz (2002) Building Blocks
for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs.
Baltimore Paul Brookes Publishing Co.
60
Child Preferences
Grant is able to choice work as his typically
developing peers do. So does Shannon although her
physical challenges may cause her to need a
little assistance from time to time. Jacob,
however, usually indicates his choices by eye
gaze or in other words looking at the work he
wants to do.
Making Choices
(from The Process of Instruction, Video)
61
Types of Individualized Supports
S. Sandall I. Schwartz (2002) Building Blocks
for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs.
Baltimore Paul Brookes Publishing Co.
62
Special Equipment
63
Types of Individualized Supports
S. Sandall I. Schwartz (2002) Building Blocks
for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs.
Baltimore Paul Brookes Publishing Co.
64
Adult Support
Examples of (adult supportive) prompts are verbal
directions, modeling, and physical guidance.
(from DEC Recommended Practices Video)
65
Types of Individualized Supports
S. Sandall I. Schwartz (2002) Building Blocks
for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs.
Baltimore Paul Brookes Publishing Co.
66
Peer Support

• In a cooperative groups project, each learner
  contributes some element to the groups final
  product. Assisted by her friend Clayton, Libby
  narrates a class play using a tape recorder with
  an adaptive switch

(from DEC Recommended Practices Video)
from Expanding the Circle Video
67
Types of Individual Supports
S. Sandall I. Schwartz (2002) Building Blocks
for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs.
Baltimore Paul Brookes Publishing Co.
68
Invisible Support
69

• In summary - using individualized supports ensure
  that a child can actively participate and access
  the early childhood curriculum.

70
Models Steps to Successful Access
3. Embed Learning Opportunities

2. Provide Individualized supports

• Determine Matches

71

• Step Three Provide Embedded Learning
  Opportunities
• Definition When a child does not have an
  opportunity to learn the skill(s) as a part of
  their participation in the general curriculum
  without special instruction, early educators
  create ELOs by planning short teaching episodes
  for the childs individualized learning
  priorities within ongoing classroom activities
  and routines.

• First Clarify learning priorities
• Second Identify performance level
• Third Determine meaningful times for teaching
  priorities
• Fourth Design instructional interaction using
  naturalistic procedures
• Fifth Implement instruction monitor
  performance

72
(No Transcript)
73
Grants Program-at-a-Glance
74
Jacobs Program-at-a-Glance
75
Program-at-a-Glance
76
Step Three Provide Embedded Learning
Opportunities Definition When a child does not
have an opportunity to learn the skill(s) as a
part their participation in the general
curriculum without special instruction, early
educators create ELOs by planning short
teaching episodes for the childs individualized
learning priorities within ongoing classroom
activities and routines.

• First Clarify learning priorities
• Second Identify current level of
  performance/instructional level
• Third Determine meaningful times for teaching
  priorities
• Fourth Design instructional interaction using
  naturalistic procedures
• Fifth Implement Instruction Monitor Child
  Performance

77
(No Transcript)
78
Organizing Matrix
79
www.circleofinclusion.org
80
Step Three Provide Embedded Learning
Opportunities Definition When a child does not
have an opportunity to learn the skill(s) as a
part of their participation in the general
curriculum without special instruction, early
educators create ELOs by planning short
teaching episodes for the childs individualized
learning priorities within ongoing classroom
activities and routines.

• First Clarify learning priorities
• Second Identify current level of
  performance/instructional level
• Third Determine meaningful times for teaching
  priorities
• Fourth Design instructional interaction using
  naturalistic procedures
• Fifth Implement instruction monitor
  performance

81
(No Transcript)
82
ELO-at-a-Glance
83
Step Three Provide Embedded Learning
Opportunities Definition When a child does
not have an opportunity to learn skill(s) as a
part of their participation in the general
curriculum without special instruction, early
educators create ELOs by planning short teaching
episodes for the childs individualized learning
priorities within ongoing activities and routines.

• First Clarify learning priorities
• Second Identify current level of
  performance/instructional level
• Third Determine meaningful times for teaching
  priorities
• Fourth Design instructional interaction using
  naturalistic procedures
• Fifth Implement instruction, monitor child
  performance evaluate

84
(No Transcript)
85
Evaluation Worksheet
Date 02/14/03 Teachers name Devon Childs
nameSheronda
86
Advantages of the Embedded Learning Opportunity

• At most requires minimal changes to classroom
• activities
• Childs motivation to participate and learn
• should be enhanced
• Ability to use skills in
• natural contexts is
• enhanced
• Child use of skills across
• people, materials and
• contexts is enhanced.

87
Jacobs ELO
(from The Process of Communication, Video)
88
In summary the Embedded Learning Opportunity

• Is NOT just about planning activities.
• It IS a specialized strategy that is used to
  deliver individualized, deliberate instruction.
• The aim is for children to learn their
  individualized learning priorities.
• Success is measured by the childs progress

89
EC Program Factors that Support Successful
Access

• Families are viewed as integral to the child
  the program.
• Environment is welcoming, safe and predictable
• Enrollment provides for multi-age groups
• Schedule provides extended periods of open
  play/work
• Opportunities to make meaningful choices are
  plentiful
• Curriculum is individualized with a clear scope
  sequence
• Respect for individuals and materials is
  practiced
• Philosophy supports social-emotional development
  along with the acquisition of skills and
  knowledge
• Staff are instructionally theoretically
  prepared flexible
• Environment contains DAP materials that provide
  for a wide range of development and content
  interests
• Curriculum integrates developmental tasks and
  content specific disciplines via an active
  learning approach

Thompson, Horn, Palmer, 2000
90

Educational Strategies Supporting Successful
Inclusion Access

• Child matches to the curriculum are determined
• Individual supports needed for the child to
  access the curriculum are determined
• Individual learning priorities are embedded into
  the ongoing activities (ELO)
• Naturalistic instructional strategies are
  employed
• Involved personnel hold positive attitudes and
  understand their roles
• Involved personnel have received training on
  strategies and procedures to facilitate an
  inclusive experience (e.g. social interaction
  among peers)
• Collaborative processes are used among personnel
  and families
• Parents child are viewed as the primary
  stakeholders and parents are full members of the
  team.

Thompson, Horn, Palmer, 2000
91
Thank you!

• Barbara Thompson
• University of Kansas
• bthomps_at_ku.edu