First Steps to Preschool Inclusion: How to Jumpstart Your Programwide Plan - Softcover

Gupta, Sarika S.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1598572520 ISBN 13: 9781598572520

Publisher: Brookes Publishing Co., 2014

Synopsis

Interested in preschool inclusion, but not sure where to start? This introductory guide gathers everything you need to know to launch a successful inclusive early childhood program―and get critical buy-in from your whole staff. A must for leaders of early childhood programs, this reader-friendly primer reveals how inclusive education benefits all children, how school staff and parents can work as a team to make it happen, and how to knock down common barriers to inclusion. Combining the latest research with the nuts and bolts of program development, this book will help current and future early childhood leaders assemble highly effective inclusion teams and develop programs where every child learns and thrives.

READ THIS BOOK TO

• Understand what inclusion is and what it looks like in practice
• Assess your program’s readiness for inclusion
• Determine what your program needs to make inclusion work
• Learn which federal laws support inclusion in different early childhood settings
• Collaborate with staff and parents to develop and sustain key program changes
• Break through the myths and misinformation that create resistance to inclusion

PRACTICAL FEATURES: Quick tips, vignettes, reflection activities, FYIs, and helpful resource lists make this an ideal preservice text and a practical team-building tool for inservice professional development.

About this title

About the Author

Sarika (Sari) S. Gupta is Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Special Education in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University, USA. She holds a doctoral degree in special education from the University of Maryland, USA and she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in early childhood special education leadership and policy at the University of Colorado, USA. Over the last 15 years she has blended teaching, research, and policy experiences to support preschool inclusion. She taught young children (0-5) with and without disabilities in typical and inclusive settings, coached Head Start teachers, and worked at the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs. She has led numerous professional development workshops focused on individualizing instruction for preschoolers with special needs and promoting young children's social and emotional outcomes. Dr. Gupta is an active member of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children and served as their National Children's Action (CAN) Network Coordinator in 2011. In 2013, she assisted in convening DEC's first Leadership Summit. Her research interests include leadership preparation and coaching in early childhood. Currently, she is the principal investigator for a pilot study that will explore preschool administrators educational and programmatic needs as they pertain to inclusion.

William ÒBillÓ Henninger IV, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Family Studies at the University of Northern Iowa, USA, in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He obtained his PhD from Iowa State University, USA in Human Development and Family Studies, with a specialization in Early Childhood Special Education. He has also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in early childhood special education leadership and policy at the University of Colorado - Denver, USA. Prior to obtaining his PhD, Bill worked for Juniper Gardens Children's Project in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. JPGC is a research center affiliated with the University of Kansas, which serves inner city Kansas through early intervention research. Bill's major research interests include social emotional development of typical and non-typical children and adolescents.

Megan E. Vinh, Ph.D., is an Educational Consultant with Technical Assistance and Consulting Services, a research and outreach unit at the University of Oregon, USA. She provides technical assistance and consultation to states agencies of special education, under a grant funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, to improve services for young children with disabilities and their families. She has experience with projects related to early childhood outcomes, early childhood special education, preschool inclusion, and evidence based strategies to promote social and emotional development of young children.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

http://archive.brookespublishing.com/documents/gupta-how-children-benefit-from-inclusion.pdf

Edition details

• Publisher: Brookes Publishing Co.
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1598572520
• ISBN 13: 9781598572520
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224