One of Us: Access and Equity for All Young Children

The State of Illinois has a variety of high-quality early childhood programs, but children with disabilities do not consistently have access to these programs as placement options for receiving their special education and related services. Preschool-aged children with disabilities should have access to education with their typically developing peers. This guidebook was designed to inform and encourage school district personnel to ensure that young children with disabilities and their families are included within the early childhood settings and services used by other families in their communities. The guidebook builds awareness of how the concepts of inclusion and collaboration are supported by multiple State and Federal initiatives. It is indicated that collaboration is the key to achieving inclusion. In both Part C and Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there is a clear intent that children with disabilities be educated with other children in typical early childhood settings, and that they have access to a curriculum appropriate to their age. Three common models for inclusive settings are Itinerant, Blended, and Team-based. A classroom building blocks model is described as a useful way of thinking about embedding individualized services within the everyday routines of a child care or other early childhood setting. Achieving inclusive settings and services requires new relationships among programs, settings, and agencies. To enable new ways of delivering services, administrators from all programs will need to think flexibly and creatively about new personnel roles, service arrangements, and funding structures. Leadership may be the most important ingredient in finding solutions to overcome barriers to early childhood inclusion.