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Papers Topic - Inclusion Advancing Comprehensive Early Childhood Intervention P6.07 Critically Reflecting on the Relationship Between Early Childhood Intervention and Early Childhood Inclusion in the Contexts of Greece and Cyprus
Session 6
Presenting Author: Aristea Fyssa (Greece) Affiliation: University of Patras, Greece Co-Author: Simoni Symeonidou
In early childhood, the design of inclusive policies and practices is a prerequisite for ensuring sustainable community support systems on the basis that all young children and their families, and especially those of marginalized social groups, experience equity, social participation, and well-being. This presentation focuses on the systems of Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) with the aim of comparatively and critically reflecting on the related policies and practices in Greece and Cyprus. Two country-specific databases were created with the collection of various documents (legislative measures, positions and practices published by disability organizations, professional networks, etc.) for thematic analysis. In both countries, ECI is restrictively understood as early diagnosing the child’s “problem” and providing therapeutic/special support. Of interest is also the lack of cohesiveness among health, social care, and educational agencies, and, by extension, the collaboration with the families. The urgent need for re-conceptualizing ECI through justice-driven and family-centered approaches will be discussed. P6.08 It Takes a Village: Developing Collaborative Practices in Support of Inclusion Through a Research-Practice Partnership Presenting Author: Annie Paquet (Canada) According to UNESCO (2021a), education requires the collaboration of a range of actors to ensure that the needs of all are met. This collaboration in particular supports inclusive practices in early childhood (Bricker et al., 2020; Soukakou et al., 2024). It can involve people from the same organization, but also collaboration between establishments and service sectors. This is referred to as cross-sector collaboration (Garner et al.,2021). In the context of a research-practice partnership aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating a model of support for inclusion, the collaboration dimension is therefore considered inescapable. Through an iterative process of co-construction, involving three phases of testing and improvement, a guide to supporting collaborative practices in inclusive childcare settings was developed. The approach taken, the main collaborative challenges encountered, and the proposed steps and structure for supporting collaboration according to the level of collaboration required will be presented. Affiliation: University of Quebec Trois-Rivières, Canada Co-Authors: Carmen Dionne, Maria Londono Aristizabal P6.09 The Need to Re-Define Inclusion: How Current Policies Are Harming Preschoolers With Disabilities in the USA Presenting Author: Kathleen Hebbeler (USA) Less than half of preschoolers with disabilities in the US receive their special education services with same-aged peers. Furthermore, preschoolers with disabilities in families who need child care often experience disruptions to their day in ways that their peers without disabilities do not, such as giving up their child care program to attend a school-district preschool, transitioning between programs during the day or week, or being pulled from an inclusive classroom to another room for service delivery. This paper draws on data from a mixed-methods study of inclusion in subsidized early learning and care and presents the case that the principle of minimal disruption should be considered in placement and service delivery decisions and as a component of high-quality inclusion. P6.10 Special Educators on Implementing Play and Language Interventions and a Sustainable Partnership between Practice and Research in Inclusive Preschools Affiliation: SRI International Co-Author: Margaret Gillis All children need support in social play and their language development. Without adult support, children risk exclusion and marginalization. With funding from the Swedish Institute for School Research 2019-2023, a project group consisting of special educators and researchers, the implementation process of research-based play and reading interventions in preschools was followed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of the interventions and to report a qualitative analysis of empirical data. The results showed a changed special education profession, where an authentic partnership between practice and research has emerged over time and enabled a sustainable, preventive, and inclusive approach in practice. Three follow-up interviews with the project's special educators highlight opportunities and obstacles for a continued partnership between research, practice, and special education collaboration that aims to continue the development of solid evidence-based practice in inclusive preschools for the future. Presenting Author: Eva Siljehag (Sweden) Affiliation: Stockholm University, Sweden Co-Author: Mara Westling Allodi
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