Day: July 12, 2024

Approaching and Working with Families Whose Children Have Disabilities

Families whose children have disabilities often face stress and other difficulties in their lives. Having their children attend an inclusive child care setting can be a relief of some of the pressures these families face. As child care educators and providers, it is important to know how we best work with families of disabled children. Working closely with the families helps give students the best chance for a successful integration to an inclusive program. Educators can talk to a student’s family about the best way to communicate with them. This may include scheduled meetings or through email or phone calls. The willingness and ability of families to be involved can be  impacted by how they are approached and engaged by the school. It’s important to be mindful and respectful. Implement engagement strategies that help everyone feel empowered to advocate for the student and instill confidence that their concerns will be heard.

When meeting or engaging with families of children with disabilities there are a few things to take into consideration to provide a productive and respectful meeting. Providing accessible information about the purpose of the meeting, including advance copies of documents to be discussed and a list of who will be present, will be helpful in easing a families apprehension or anxiety. Schedule a meeting at a time and place convenient for families and the school. This ensures that needs and commitments, such as work or childcare, are accommodated. To facilitate a productive meeting make sure all key personnel have been invited and briefed on what is required of them. This may include outside support agencies. It is also comforting for families if they are encouraged to bring an advocate or support person if they desire. Inform the families about the roles of those attending the meeting including those who may be new to the families interaction with the program. Make sure the meeting is free from interruptions like phone calls, other students and staff. There is a need to be sensitive to cultural needs and protocols and always make accommodations for interpreters if needed.  Always make a record of the meeting and distribute it to participants. This may include key discussion points and areas for action. If immediate action needs to be taken, inform families of what needs to be done and help facilitate those actions. It is reassuring to let families know that everything being discussed is for the well-being and benefit of their children and that the program can be seen as an ally who has the child’s best interest in mind.

Keeping in mind that the program must be ADA compliant, it is required by law that providers make reasonable accommodations for a disabled individual. Reasonable accommodations may include a meeting to talk about how to best help the student integrate into the program. It is important to discuss with families how the student’s disability may affect the way they learn, what support and reasonable accommodations could  meet the student’s needs, and how current reasonable adjustments are meeting the student’s needs. Direct and truthful communication with the family is required and in the best interest of all the parties involved in helping the student maximize their potential.

For the main article Americans with Disabilities Act, CLICK HERE

For the article How Does the ADA Apply to a Child Care Provider?, CLICK HERE

For the article Making the Child Care Facility Accessible and Compliant with the ADA, CLICK HERE

For the article Promoting and Providing Inclusive Child Care, CLICK HERE

Promoting and Providing Inclusive Child Care

There are many benefits to disabled children being in an inclusive program. Some of the benefits of inclusive child care for children with special needs include the chances to learn by observing and interacting with other children of similar ages, the time and support to build relationships with other children, chances to practice social skills in real world situations, exposure to a wider variety of challenging activities, opportunities to learn at their own pace in a supportive environment, and chances to build relationships with caring adults outside of family. Typically developing children can also benefit from interacting with a child with a special need in their child care program. Benefits of inclusive child care for typically developing children include increased appreciation and acceptance of individual differences, increased empathy for others, and preparation for adult life in an inclusive society. As early childhood educators, how can we make our programs and services inclusive?

Educators can make inclusive classroom by creating an environment, both physical and emotional, where all students are invited to participate and everyone is treated with respect and kindness. Educators can answer children’s questions with simple, straightforward honesty and encouraging open dialogue about disabilities and abilities among children and parents. We can help children feel comfortable with each other and develop friendships based on their shared interests, facilitating interactions and play between children with different abilities, especially if the child with special needs has difficulty communicating in a way that another child can understand. Teachers can create a sense of community in the classroom, where every person is valued as a unique individual who has something to contribute and where everyone is responsible for caring for one other. Teachers in an inclusive classroom have an opportunity to help shape children’s attitudes and behavior toward people with disabilities.

Inclusive programs are more successful when classroom teachers are given adequate support. Specialized training should be considered. Educators who have participated in specialized professional development opportunities feel more confident in their knowledge and skills and provide higher quality experiences for all of the children.

A successful inclusive child care program also has an administration that is supportive. A supportive administrator puts supports in place to help teachers when the challenges become especially difficult. They seek out helpful community resources and professionals, and ensures that teachers and families have opportunities to connect with and make use of them. Collaboration with other early childhood special education professionals is of tremendous value to providers when a child with special needs is in their program. Specialists can provide a wide range of services and supports within the group setting. They can talk with teachers about what they can expect from the child and help teachers adapt the environment and curriculum so that the child can be fully involved throughout the day. They are a vital source of accurate information about specific disabilities and intervention strategies.

Inclusive child care programs and working with children with disabilities can be challenging. However, the benefits provided to the disabled student and their families, as well as the benefits to all the students and educators in the program, make those challenges a worthwhile undertaking for any program.

For the main article Americans with Disabilities Act, CLICK HERE

For the article How Does the ADA Apply to a Child Care Provider?, CLICK HERE

For the article Making the Child Care Facility Accessible and Compliant with the ADA, CLICK HERE

For the article Approaching and Working with Families Whose Children Have Disabilities, CLICK HERE

Making the Child Care Facility Accessible and Compliant with the ADA

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) offers protection from discrimination based on disabilities. As child care providers, all of our programs are required to be compliant with the ADA. There are many aspects to being ADA compliant that goes beyond just offering spaces to disabled students in our programs. ADA compliance in education requires that educators ensure all students have the opportunity to take part in and benefit from school programs and services. Programs must provide students with disabilities the same types of opportunities and experiences other students enjoy, making sure the quality of services and benefits provided is equal to those received by other students. Programs must emphasize classroom accessibility and provide the proper equipment to increase the student’s comfort and chances for success. Let’s take a deeper look at some requirements of the law to be ADA compliant.

The ADA requires that “reasonable accommodations” be made in the classroom for students with disabilities. When planning accessibility for our classrooms we should take into consideration the following:

• physical disabilities including genetic conditions
• chronic illnesses or other issues which impact mobility
• sensory impairments such as hearing and vision disturbances
• cognitive impairments including learning disabilities, ADHD, and other disorders
• emotional impairments which include major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress

Classroom accessibility involves design elements, teaching strategies, technological aids, and communications. Inclusive classrooms provide all students with equal opportunities and the tools they need to succeed. Making sure our programs and classroom are ADA compliant we must create accessible learning environments.

Vanderbilt University found the following five areas to focus on when creating these inclusive environments:

1. The first area of focus is the physical learning spaces. The location in the building, layout, and various technologies offered accommodation to student mobility issues as well as for vision, hearing, and cognitive impairments must be considered.
2. The second area of focus is course materials. All course materials should be available and able to be used by all students. Educators need to provide disabled students with auxiliary aids to learning and use of course materials.
3. The third area of focus is communication with students. It is important to communicate your goals in being ADA compliant and creating an inclusive classroom. Be aware of students in your classroom with Individualized Education Programs (IEP). Approach each student and their families to ensure they are being provided with what they need. Use a variety of methods in communicating with both the student and their families. Take time to consider if classroom policies impact students with disabilities.
4. The fourth area of focus is the class environment. Inclusive classrooms engage and encourage involvement from all students including those with disabilities. Aim at reducing social stigma and marginalization through  interactive group activities. Conduct activities in a variety of formats to ensure students with disabilities are able to contribute.
5. The fifth area of focus is out of class activities. Inclusive classrooms take into account the varied settings your students will be in. This includes the playground, school activities and celebrations, and field trips.

To ensure ADA compliance, make sure students with disabilities have what they need in all situations. Creating an ADA compliant program is not difficult and will benefit everyone in your program.

For the main article Americans with Disabilities Act, CLICK HERE

For the article How Does the ADA Apply to a Child Care Provider?, CLICK HERE

For the article Promoting and Providing Inclusive Child Care, CLICK HERE

For the article Approaching and Working with Families Whose Children Have Disabilities, CLICK HERE

How Does the ADA Apply to a Child Care Provider?

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities against discrimination. The law requires that child care providers not discriminate on the basis of disability, thus providing children and families with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in the child care center’s programs and services. There are many different aspects to the ADA that child care providers must comply with.

Children with disabilities may not be excluded from child care settings merely for having a disability. Facilities may exclude children with disabilities if their presence is a direct threat to the health or safety of others or requires a fundamental alteration of the program. Programs have to make reasonable modifications to their policies and practices to integrate children, parents and guardians with disabilities into their programs unless doing so would be a fundamental alteration to the program. Child care providers must also provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services needed for effective communication for children and adults with disabilities when doing so is not an undue burden. Centers and child care spaces must also be generally accessible to disabled persons. Existing facilities are subject to readily achievable standard for removal of barriers that would hinder access to the disabled. New construction and altered portions of older facilities must be fully accessible. Terms such as direct threat, fundamental alteration, undue burden, readily achievable are all terms that can be viewed differently by different parties. It is best to seek counsel before excluding anyone for any reason from your program. Another article this newsletter discusses further is how to make your facility accessible and compliant with the ADA.

How can providers decide if a child with disabilities can be enrolled in the program? Facilities cannot just assume that a child’s disabilities are too severe for the child to successfully be part of the program and services provided. An individualized assessment must be made about whether the provider can meet the needs of the child without fundamentally altering the program. During this assessment the child care provider must not react to preconceived notions or stereotypes of the individual’s abilities or how much care would be required. Providers should speak to guardians, and other professional that work with the child to determine the fit within the program. It is often very simple to integrate children with disabilities into a mainstream program. The benefit of doing so will be good not only for the child, but for everyone in your program. In another article in this newsletter, we will see the benefits of promoting and providing inclusive child care.

Complying with the ADA is a matter of law. All facilities and providers must be in compliance, failure to comply may cost your facility’s license to be revoked or not renewed, you may find your program being sued by individuals or even by the US Government. Compliance is easier than most think and being an inclusive provider is of benefit to your entire program.

For the main article Americans with Disabilities Act, CLICK HERE

For the article Making the Child Care Facility Accessible and Compliant with the ADA, CLICK HERE

For the article Promoting and Providing Inclusive Child Care, CLICK HERE

For the article Approaching and Working with Families Whose Children Have Disabilities, CLICK HERE

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that protects the rights of disabled people and protects these individuals from discrimination based on their disabilities. All American businesses need to comply with the ADA in both terms of customers and employees. Child care providers also need to be in compliance with this law. In a child care setting the law protects students, their families, and the employees of the program. As it pertains to our students, children with disabilities cannot be excluded from programs solely on the basis of their disability. The ADA aims to promote inclusion and equal opportunities for all children regardless of their abilities. As Early Childhood Professionals our aim should be the same as this law’s  – providing opportunities to all children is what our profession is all about.

There are many steps for our child care programs and facilities to take in order to be ADA compliant. In this month’s newsletter we examine how the ADA pertains to our preschool programs and services. We show how the law applies specifically to our centers and programs. The newsletter discusses how to make our facilities accessible and compliant with the law. We also dive into how we can promote and provide inclusive child care and the benefits that an inclusive program provides to everyone associated with it. How to approach and work with families whose children have disabilities is examined to determine how we can better serve these families.

Compliance with the ADA is mandated by law, but as educators we should strive to provide the best possible care to all of the children in our communities.

For the article How Does the ADA Apply to a Child Care Provider?, CLICK HERE

For the article Making the Child Care Facility Accessible and Compliant with the ADA, CLICK HERE

For the article Promoting and Providing Inclusive Child Care, CLICK HERE

For the article Approaching and Working with Families Whose Children Have Disabilities, CLICK HERE