[Extract] "Inclusion, as a value, supports the right of all children, regardless of their diverse abilities, to participate actively in natural settings within their communities. A natural setting is one in which the child would spend time had he or she not had a disability. Such settings include, but are not limited to, home and family, play groups, child care, nursery schools, Head Start programs, kindergartens, and neighborhood school classrooms." (Adobe Acrobat/.pdf format)
[Extract]Today an ever-increasing number of infants and young children with disabilities1 play, develop,
and learn together with their typically developing peers in a wide variety of places – at home, in
early childhood programs, in neighborhoods, and in other community-based settings. The
notion that young children with disabilities and their families are full members of the
community reflects societal values about promoting opportunities for development and
learning in normal environments and a sense of belonging for every child. It also reflects a
reaction against previous educational practices of separating and isolating children with
disabilities. Over time, in combination with certain regulations and protections under the law,
these values and societal views toward children birth to 8 with disabilities and their families
have come to be known as early childhood inclusion.2 The most far-reaching effect of federal
legislation on inclusion enacted over the past three decades has been to fundamentally change
the way in which early childhood services ideally can be organized and delivered for this
population.3 However, because inclusion takes many different forms and implementation is
influenced by a wide variety of factors, questions persist about the precise meaning of inclusion
and its implications for policy, practice, and potential outcomes for children and families.
