Benefits of Inclusive Childcare

There are many benefits of an inclusive childcare program and ways to support children with disabilities in any classroom. 

Strategies include: 

1. Providing environmental supports:

• Using pictures or objects to signal next activities
• Making physical boundaries to decrease distraction
• Engineer classroom to support children of all abilities
• Lower hooks, make paths for children in wheel chairs

2. Adapt materials. Examples include:

• Adding knobs to wooden puzzles
• Offer a variety of scissor, pen, marker, crayon options
• Use a tilt board or easel for easier viewing

3. Activity Simplification

• Simplify complicated tasks by breaking them into smaller parts. For example, give child materials for a task one piece at a time.

4. Be Aware of Child Preferences

• Use motivating subjects, toys and games to promote learning, participation and interaction

5. Use of Special Equipment

• Use adaptive devices to maximize and facilitate participation. Making sure child care staff are trained by parents and therapists to properly use adaptive or medical equipment.
• Make sure children who need physical support are positioned optimally and are encouraged to play on the same level as peers.

6. Adult Support

• Make sure staff is trained and comfortable in working with all children in their classroom. Having permission to interact and learn from a child’s therapist is important. Knowing a child’s goals and beneficial supports will benefit the child.

7. Peer Support

• Use classmates as models to help children learn.
• Teach children specific ways to engage and interact with a child with disabilities.

8. Invisible Support- Arrange naturally occurring events to assist in inclusion.

• Assign roles during children’s play, such as having a child with limited mobility be in charge of “pumping gas” as the children riding bikes go by.
• Comment on children’s play in ways that encourage further interaction.

An inclusion classroom benefits all students by:

• Cultivating meaningful friendships
• Increased understanding and acceptance of diversity
• Developing respect for others with diverse characteristics
• Increased ability to help others
• Prepares all students for adult life in an inclusive society
• Opportunities to master activities by practicing and teaching others
• Greater academic outcomes
• Greater capacity for empathy
• Developing sensitivity toward others’ limitations
• Developing feelings of empowerment and the ability to make a difference

To learn more about the Lily Garden Child Development Center, our inclusive child care center here at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley please call Kim at 630.261.6283.