The separation between young children with disabilities and their peers is not merely physical but represents a deeper gap in opportunity, engagement, and understanding. True equity in inclusive education hinges on viewing disability not as an inherent limitation, but as a gap between personal capacity and the demands of the educational context --…

The impact of trauma among young children is gaining attention. About one in four children experience potentially traumatic events before their third birthday. The rate of trauma among children with disabilities is unclear; however, evidence suggests that the rate of abuse and neglect is higher for individuals with disabilities than for those…

Among various benefits of art for young children, this article highlights the emotional development aspect, specifically boosting self-confidence through art activities. The definition of self-confidence as having trust in one's self, clear knowledge of one's strengths and limitations, and assurance of one's ability to handle a variety of…

Home and English language learning is essential for young DLLs with disabilities. Early educators as well as parents and other caregivers can implement promising strategies to support home and second language development for young children who are DLLs. This article reviews the importance of adult (e.g., teacher, parent) feedback and language…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to get an understanding of perspectives on effective parent-professional partnership for young children with special needs in Taiwan. Through purposive sampling, a total of nine parent-professional pairs were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain perspectives from both sides of the…

Many early childhood educators encounter children who exhibit sexual behavior and are not sure how to respond. Although they have had training in childhood development, sexual development is rarely given the attention it deserves. At the same time, early childhood education personnel often get training in child abuse and in their responsibilities…

Smooth transitions through the early years of education are recognised as pivotal to later personal and academic success. However, for children considered outside the mainstream, these transitions can provide extra challenge for them, their families and educators. This paper reveals the findings of two qualitative studies investigating early…

The inclusion of young children with special needs with their typically developing peers has been the subject of discussion for more than three decades. There are several compelling reasons to create high-quality inclusive programs for young children with special needs in schools. Most countries supports inclusion and research has shown teachers'…

In this article, the authors use scenarios to describe three students with different individual needs related to feeding, as well as other developmental domains. Feeding difficulties affect students in multiple ways and addressing feeding-related skills on IEPs can include grocery shopping, food preparation, and placing food orders in various…

This grounded theory study explores beliefs about disability and inclusion from the perspectives of educators of young children in their respective roles as elementary school teachers and early childhood educators, in Ontario, Canada. The social relational model described by Reindal is used as a theoretical framework for interviews with four…

Spirituality is recognised by many to be an inherent property of the human being. Empirical studies and theoretical literature both suggest that spirituality affects one's quality of life in terms of emotional and physical well-being, relationships, and social inclusion. However, the importance of the spiritual dimension of life is rarely…

This paper considers how pre-service primary teachers in England (trainees) are supported to work with children with special educational needs (SEN) using a personalized learning task. The focus, in particular, considers how speech, language and communication skills are foregrounded in the reports describing children with moderate learning…

Itinerant special educators can be much more than "tutors" for young children with special needs. They can transform whole classrooms and help inclusion flourish--if they have the clear guidelines and best practices they need to make the most of their critical roles. This is the book that every itinerant early childhood special educator has been…

Poverty-related factors place children at higher risk for disabilities and also serve as barriers to families accessing services for their children and themselves. Early childhood practitioners can play a critical role in supporting families by providing services to overcome these obstacles and by working in partnership with specialized early…

This article provides early childhood practitioners a way to develop a common understanding of the importance of play in the early learning experience of young children. Meaningful discussion among teachers, parents, administrators, and teacher candidates regarding play in early childhood education programs is critical to ensure the growth and…