Susan R. Sandall

Social Acceptance and Rejection of Preschool Children with Disabilities: A Mixed-Method Analysis.

Eighty children with disabilities enrolled in a nationally distributed set of inclusive preschool programs participated in this study. The average age of the participants was 3.9 years, and 60% were male. The children exhibited a range of disabilities and developmental levels. Using a mixed-method approach, the authors established quantitative criteria for identifying children with disabilities who were socially accepted and socially rejected by their peer group, and qualitative methods revealed themes associated with social participation of each group. Cluster analyses of themes identified 3 clusters associated with social acceptance (e.g., awareness-interest, communication-play, friendship-social skills) and 2 clusters associated with social rejection (e.g., social withdrawal, conflict-aggression). Subsequent cluster analyses of children and matrix analyses illustrated how child social participation was related to superordinate theme clusters and constructs of acceptance and rejection. Socially accepted children tended to have disabilities that were less likely to affect social problem solving and emotional regulation, whereas children who were socially rejected had disabilities that were more likely to affect such skills and developmental capacities. Implications of this research for theory and practice are proposed.

On the Forms of Inclusion: Organizational Context and Individualized Service Models.

This paper describes multiple forms of inclusion for preschool children with and without disabilities. Researchers used a range of qualitative and quantitative methods to create case studies and summaries of 16 inclusive programs from 4 regional locations in the U.S. These programs varied on the 2 dimensions of organizational context and individualized service delivery models. Organizational contexts included community-based child care, Head Start, 3 public school contexts, and dual enrollment. The individualized service models that programs followed were itinerant-direct service, itinerant-collaborative consultative, team teaching, early childhood, early childhood special education, and integrative or inclusive activities.

Project DATA (Developmentally Appropriate Treatment for Autism) An Inclusive School-Based Approach to Educating Young Children with Autism

Providing appropriate educational services to young children with autism may be one of the defining challenges of the 1990s and early 2000s for early childhood special education. The number of children with autism is increasing dramatically, the research literature is rich with evidence-based instructional strategies, and the Internet is even more full of information and advice of unknown quality. Parents and school district personnel, often working together but sometimes at odds, need to develop programs to meet the needs of these children. Project DATA (Development Appropriate Treatment for Autism) started as a federally funded model demonstration project for developing a school-based program for young children with autism that would be effective and acceptable to consumers (e.g., parents, school personnel). Project DATA consists of five components: a high-quality early childhood environment, extended instructional time, social and technical support for families, collaboration and cooperation across services, and transition support. In this article, we provide data demonstrating the effectiveness of this model and discuss the implications of this type of inclusive programming for young children with autism.

An Informed, Family-Centered Approach to Public Law 99-457 Parental Views

This article reports research findings of an interview study conducted with parents of young children with special needs. The research was conducted to assess parental perceptions of infant and family services as proposed in P.L. 99--457. Parents emphasized their need to become knowledgeable about their child and about available services. They also stressed the importance of professionals relaying information and empowering families to become their own decision makers. The focused interview approach used in the study also is discussed as a family assessment strategy.

DEC Recommended Practices: A Review of 9 Years of EIlECSE Research Literature

Results are reported from an analysis of the research literature involving children with disabilities (age birth through 5), their families, personnel who serve them, and policies and systems change strategies related to the provision of services. The work reported in this article was part of a national effort by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and several participating universities to develop a set of evidence-based recommended practices for the field. We reviewed research articles appearing in 48 peer-reviewed journals from 1990 to 1998. Analyses of the literature review database reveal trends in research methods used for studying particular topics and information about populations and settings studied during this time period.

The DEC Recommended Practices in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education: Social Validation

Results are reported from the field survey of the DEC Recommended Practices as one part of a national effort by the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) to develop evidence-based practices for Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EIlECSE). Surveys were received from 388 respondents consisting of practitioners, parents, and administration or higher education personnel. The respondents supported all of the practices as recommended practice. Additional information was obtained from the respondents about the extent of current use of the practices.

Naturalistic Instructional Approaches in Early Learning A Systematic Review

Naturalistic instructional approaches are used to provide intentional and systematic instruction to young children with disabilities during typically occurring activities. Several naturalistic instructional approaches have been described in the extant literature, although different terms have been used to refer to these approaches (e.g., activity-based intervention, embedded instruction). The purpose of this systematic review was to identify, examine, and summarize the empirical literature focused on naturalistic instructional approaches for preschool children with disabilities when instruction was delivered in classroom settings. Forty-three studies that met established inclusion criteria were reviewed and coded using systematic procedures. Studies were coded to permit within- and across-approach comparisons as well as with respect to quality indicators for study design features and relationships to reported outcomes. Findings suggest a need to specify clearly the contextual and procedural components of naturalistic instructional approaches to advance understanding about this evidence-based practice and the functional relationships between implementation of the approaches and child learning outcomes.

A Building Blocks Model for Effective Instruction in Inclusive Early Childhood Settings.

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Beyond Microsystems: Unanticipated Lessons about the Meaning of Inclusion

Despite the increasing prevalence of inclusive early education programs, little is known about the organizational configurations and contexts of these programs, or the ways in which they are viewed by those who develop and use them. This article describes several lessons learned from a qualitative study of inclusive preschool programs. The lessons focus on the meanings of inclusion as it relates to the organizational and social contexts experienced and perceived by families, educators, and administrators. Implications for the field are discussed with regard to ideology and policy enactment, developmental appropriateness of organizations and curricula, and the configuration of programs and services.

The Costs of Preschool Inclusion.

The purpose of this study was to examine the instructional costs of inclusive and traditional noninclusive special education services for preschool children with disabilities. Cost information was collected from five local education agencies in different parts of the country that provided inclusive and traditional special education service options. Within-agency comparisons suggested that inclusive models were generally less expensive or comparable in cost to traditional forms of special education. Cost features, such as salaries, childcare tuition, equipment, materials, transportation, administration, and building costs were associated differently with different models. The difficulty in collecting cost information on noninstructional costs, the relatively mild degree of disabilities of children in the study, and potentially different groups of children enrolled in inclusive and traditional models were noted as limitations of this study.