AGE 2 and UP
Child care and Preschool

When a Child Has Special Needs You can get free help. Find out how special services and inclusion work. By Diane Trister Dodge and Toni S. Bickart

All parents want to be sure their children are getting enough attention to benefit from preschool and to be happy and secure in the program. However, you may be concerned that your child is not doing well in some developmental areas or seems far behind others in the same general age group. Should you be troubled by these concerns, don't hesitate to seek information and guidance. Ask your pediatrician or your child's teacher whether their observations match yours. Request information about screening/evaluation services, which each state is required to have in place. For infants and toddlers, look for your state's "Early Intervention" program. For three- to five-year-olds, contact the special education specialist in your local public school district.

Any responses to these concerns are complex and depend on many variables. Although a child with a disability often requires specialized support, a classroom atmosphere that emphasizes a respect for differences and values each person's ability to make a contribution can work well for all children -- if, and only if, appropriate support services are available.

Specialized Programs for Children with Special Needs
Inclusion
Making Inclusion Work for the Child with a Disability
Making Inclusion Work for the Nondisabled Child

Specialized Programs for Children with Special Needs
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA), intervention services for children with disabilities are available from birth. Children eligible for services include those with a wide range of developmental delays, vision or hearing problems, cerebral palsy, autism, mental retardation, or profound multiple disabilities.

Children from birth to age 3 are eligible for early intervention services, which may include speech, occupational, and physical therapies, as well as educational and psychological services. Early intervention services focus primarily on the child and family and emphasize family and developmental priorities.

At age 3, children transition into services coordinated by local school districts . In many districts, the only preschool programs available may be special education classrooms. In addition to playing an important role in children's social and emotional development, these special education programs (which are free for children with diagnosed disabilities) provide speech, physical, and occupational therapies based on each child's needs. Preschool special education programs have an educational focus and emphasize the child's educational needs.

Another resource is Head Start . This federally funded program offers comprehensive services -- including high-quality early childhood education, nutrition, health, and social services -- to low-income children. All Head Start programs are required to reserve at least 10 percent of their enrollment for children with disabilities. They frequently have slots available, even for children who do not meet the income eligibility criteria.

Inclusion
Many parents of children with special needs are able to take advantage of the best of both worlds -- receiving services from their school system and enrolling their children in high-quality developmentally appropriate preschool programs. When children with disabilities are part of regular preschool classrooms, this is called "inclusion."

For children with disabilities, social and emotional development is extremely important, because they may be at greater risk for delays in these areas than nondisabled children. Some research shows that children with special needs do better academically and socially when they are taught in regular classrooms instead of separate settings. Benefits for other children include learning to understand and appreciate diversity, gaining an better understanding for the needs of others, and learning to feel comfortable being around people different from themselves. As a matter of philosophy, many high-quality preschools are committed to including children with disabilities in their programs. In addition, as more school districts add pre-kindergarten programs, inclusion will most likely become increasingly prevalent. You should understand, however, that for inclusion to work well for all children, teachers need additional classroom support and the advice of experts.

Making Inclusion Work for the Child with a Disability
In the simplest terms, teachers need to do for children with special needs what they do for all children -- perhaps only to a greater extent. As a parent, there are several things you can do to help your child succeed.

• Schedule a meeting before the school year begins with the school's director, your child's teachers, and any therapists or special educators with whom you work.
• Make sure teachers understand the nature of your child's disability and your goals for the year.
• Facilitate ongoing communication among team members to ensure that your child receives the preschool experience he deserves. Plan regular meetings throughout the year to consider issues that arise.

Making Inclusion Work for the Nondisabled Child
If your child is in a classroom with a child who has disabilities or other special concerns, find out about the support services available to assist the teacher. For example, if the child with special needs receives assistance from an additional adult in the classroom, all children are likely to benefit from the lower student-teacher ratio.

While recognizing their right to privacy, you may want to encourage the family of the child with a disability to talk with you, other parents, and the children in the class about their child's strengths as well as the nature of the disability. Remember that the child with special needs is more similar to than different from other children. In fact, during the preschool years, children do not generally comment on other children's disabilities.

Soothing Stranger Anxiety
Easy ways to help your baby welcome a new teacher.
By Alice S. Honig, Ph.D.

Many babies between the ages of about 6 months and 2 years develop intense distress when faced with a person who is not dear and familiar to them. They may pout and look very worried -- or even burst into wails of terror and despair. Some simply bury their heads on Papa's chest or Mama's shoulder as a new teacher or aide gently tries to pick them up.

Most babies show some variant of "stranger anxiety." While this is an entirely normal response, it can cause anguish for parents (and discomfort for new teachers). Try to remember that because you have nurtured your baby in responsive ways, you have helped her develop a loving secure attachment to you. Bravo! But now that she knows that you can be trusted to come and soothe her upsets, she can be very puzzled and even in a panic to find another person trying to fill your special role. Rejoice that your baby knows you and that she is smart enough to recognize the difference between one caring person and another. This shows that she can make excellent perceptual discriminations based on voice tones and facial differences.

Introducing a New Face
When you are ready to leave your baby with a new provider, be sure that the teacher knows some of the rituals and routines you follow and how you manage them. As you lay your baby down for a diaper change, do you have some special words you tell her so that she can anticipate what will be happening? When your baby starts to wilt at the end of a long day, do you carry her around or point out what is going on outside the window?

Try to stay with your baby for a while when you are introducing her to a new teacher. Put her on the floor and try to interest her in some new toys to reach for or bang on before you tenderly kiss her head and tell her you will be seeing her later. Suggest to your care provider that during the early weeks she hold your baby firmly up to her shoulder and murmur reassuringly as she walks about the room with her. Let her hold your infant so their cheeks are touching securely â?? she'll get used to the feeling of the teacher's skin, scent, and the sound of her soothing, cheerful voice if she is held closely.

• Encourage her to touch a squeezable toy, pet a toy doggie's fake fur, or gently squeeze a colorful ball that squeaks.
• Roll a big ball back and forth for your baby to watch and to bat at. She may want to it back and forth too.
• Point out cheerful pictures of baby animals (good ones include a bird, a dog, a pony, a lamb, a piggie, or a fish).

Your baby will gradually learn to include a wider circle of caring adults among those with whom she feels comfortable and responds to in a friendly, accepting manner. All this takes is time â?? and lots of positive experiences.