Maine's Expanding
 Inclusive Opportunities Initiative

Early Childhood Settings Inclusion Toolkit

What is Inclusion?

In-clu-sion (in-kloo-zhun), n –“Inclusion, as a value, supports the right of all children, regardless of their diverse abilities, to participate actively in natural settings in their communities”. (Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Early Childhood’s position statement (2004)

• Growing Ideas: Inclusive Early Childhood Education (PDF) (2011) developed by the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies (CCIDS)

• A 12-minute video, Foundations of Inclusion Birth to Five, includes highlights from the recently released Joint Position Statement on Early Childhood Inclusion

• Joint Position Statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for Young Children (NAEYC), Early Childhood Inclusion (2009)

• How to Talk About Disabilities (PDF) - People First Language supports a clear and positive image when talking about people with disabilities.

• ADA Q&A...Back to School (PDF) (2003) developed by PACER Center to help parents with questions about school access.

• Moving Toward Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance: A Checklist and Guide for Privately Operated Child Care Programs (PDF) (2011) - Developed by the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center. Provides information about four major areas in which accommodations may need to be made: admissions; general policies, practices, and procedures; communication methods; and physical accessibility (inside and outside the facility).

Download Adobe Reader here to view PDF documents.