ChildCare Education Institute® (CCEI), an online child care training provider dedicated exclusively to the early care and education workforce, offers CCEI968: Inclusion and Children with Special Needs as a no-cost trial course to new CCEI users December 1-31, 2017.
According to the American Heritage dictionary, the term to include means “to take in as a part, element, or member; to consider with or place into a group or class.” In education, inclusion is the practice of placing children with disabilities, or special needs, into educational environments with “typically developing” peers. But inclusion is much more than just the physical placement of children into typical, or mainstream, learning environments. This dictionary definition of include stops short of the actual spirit of inclusion, which is better defined by words such as embrace and involve. The definitions of these three words together—inclusion, embrace, and involve—describe the vision for inclusion in education today. It is not enough that a child with a disability is present in a classroom; he or she must be embraced by others as an active participant. Children with disabilities benefit from interacting with their peers, who model appropriate communication, problem solving, self−help skills, and use of materials.
There are many children enrolled in child care facilities with undiagnosed disabilities. Because children enter child care at such a young age, it is quite common for child care providers to be the first people to notice the possible signs of a disability. For this reason, it is extremely important to create an inclusive environment regardless of whether a child with a diagnosed disability is enrolled in the facility. In inclusive programs, providers consider each child as essential to the classroom community. Providers take the responsibility for ensuring each child can participate in the daily routine, planned activities, and special events. Each family member feels welcomed and respected. Each child knows they are a valued member of the community.
This course provides participants with a greater understanding of the importance of including children with disabilities in the early childhood environment. Participants will learn basic characteristics of various disabilities or conditions, along with strategies for making reasonable accommodations for all children and
their families.
“The inclusive practices listed in this course are beneficial to all students and should be present in all learning environments,” says Maria C. Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI.
CCEI968: Inclusion and Children with Special Needs is a one-hour, beginner-level course and grants 0.1 IACET CEU upon successful completion. Current CCEI users with active, unlimited annual subscriptions can register for professional development courses at no additional cost when logged in to their CCEI account. Users without subscriptions can purchase child care training courses as block hours through CCEI online enrollment.
For more information, visit www.cceionline.edu or call 1.800.499.9907, prompt 3, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST
