Tina Macaulay
My first recollection of participating in an inclusive setting is at the age of ten. My mother organized for me to ‘volunteer’ at a local daycare. This was a special negotiated after school care arrangement for me, as my three year old sister attended this centre. I would help with snack time and play with the preschoolers for about an hour and half each day. Shortly after I began attending this daycare a four year old child started, she was blind, and it became part of my task to help her adjust to the setting. Initially, she was very tentative and would resist exploring the centre. The sound of the other children and the unfamiliar setting left her frozen to the chair where she was sitting. The details are blurry, but I recall bringing her toys to explore with her hands, as I verbally described them. Her favourite item was a walking doll, she loved exploring the facial features, the eyes, nose, lips and the doll’s her hands. I think because the doll was about the same size as the girl, she found it particularly interesting. The doll soon became the motivating item to encourage her to explore the centre. We could together walk the doll to the housekeeping corner or we could go in search of the doll in the block area. The other children would often watch as the girl explored the new items, and soon accepted that she used her hands to understand objects and people. They learned to pause when interacting to give the girl a moment to explore their hair, face and listen to their voice before continuing on with their play. I found it very exciting to witness her becoming comfortable in the setting and making friends.
The process of providing child centred interventions, and patiently giving her time to explore when she felt comfortable, made for a successful learning opportunity not just for the girl but her peers as well. And now in my career, I am doing this for other children. In my work as an Early Childhood Educator, I have had many more opportunities to watch children with developmental disabilities participate alongside their typically developing peers. I can attest to the value of inclusion in that it creates understanding and tolerance which facilitates development, a sense of belonging and improved social skills. Children ideally learn to value diversity as friendships develop and they become more sensitive to others’ needs. A social justice framework for successful inclusion insures access, participation and supports for children of all abilities in early childhood settings. This structure is dependent on educators because their perspectives have a direct influence on whether children have equal opportunities to be involved.
Shaping individual perspectives on inclusion is relevant to my current role as practicum student with Supported Child Development program. In my placement, I act as a consultant to childcare centres, early childhood educators and families with the objective of insuring the successful inclusion of children with designated support needs in community programs. As a SCD consultant practicum student, with an education and experiential background in Early Childhood Education with a special needs citation, I have the opportunity to positively affect other’s perceptions in my community by providing support, training and resources. I take this learning role very seriously and carry with me the lessons taught to me by each individual child I have had the privilege of working with. Starting with that inspiring girl I met when I was ten. As Martha Stewart would say, “Inclusion: It’s a good thing.”
The most important aspect of inclusion is the commitment of the learning community, and the larger community to work together to create an inclusive-accepting environment for all children. Parents, educators and community who are committed and willing to work together to provide the best learning and child development environment for all children. Studies are conclusive and clearly indicate that the earlier “challenged” children are included into the population, the greater opportunity they have to maximize their potential.
While volunteering in my daughter’s classroom it was wonderful to observe the generous spirit and empathy of the other students. On one occasion during a PE kickball game a boy kick the ball soft fully to Abby. Later I heard him commenting to some boys he kicked if softly but should have kicked a little harder because she threw him out. Inclusion brings out the best in all children with proper supports and continued related services
Our learning communities and educators benefit from inclusion. Children who are included from an early age become an accepted part of their community. When I spoke to my daughter about inclusion and about writing this article and her opinion on the matter was “I’ve never known anything else”. “I’ve never been excluded so I really can’t imagine anything else, I can’t understand why anyone would be excluded!” I can only hope all children will have the opportunity to be included, so they don’t have to know how it feels to be separated and isolated from their community.
This blog is written/edited by SpecialQuest community members and does not necessarily reflect the perspectives of SpecialQuest Birth-Five or funders. 
