Maine's Expanding
 Inclusive Opportunities Initiative

Early Childhood Settings Inclusion Toolkit

What Does Inclusion Look Like?

Are you and your program ready?

Inclusive early childhood settings are built on a foundation of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and consider individualized approaches that benefit all children. Inclusion can look different in different settings but all inclusive settings have some core features. Here are some questions to consider when planning or reviewing your setting.

• Are administrative policies / procedures supportive of children with special needs?

• Is your physical environment, including your playground, accessible and does it support play for all children?

• Do you feel confident about working with children with differing abilities?

• How are play activities and materials individualized for all children?

• How do you help children form friendships?

• How are supportive relationships with families developed?

• How do you review your teaching practices on an ongoing basis to make sure they are developmentally appropriate and reflect children and family needs?

• How do you stay up to date with current research and practices that support all children?

Tools and Resources:

• Including Children with Special Needs – Are You and Your Program Ready? (2009)

• Child Care Aware – Choosing Quality Child Care for a Child with Special Needs (PDF)

• Assessment of Peer Relationships (PDF) (2003) – Guralnick

• A Thinking Guide to Inclusive Child Care (2008) (PDF)

• I don’t have an accessible play ground or do I? (PDF) Tipsheet #23 – from CC+ project in Montana

• Supporting Children with Developmental Disabilities (PDF) -

• Connect: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge - Connect has developed web-based resources and modules on effective practices to build early childhood practitioners' abilities to make evidence-based decisions. Seven modules have been developed: 1) Embedded Instruction; 2) Transition; 3) Communication and Collaboration; 4) Family-Professional Partnership; 5) Assistive Technology; 6) Dialogic Reading Practices and; 7) Tiered Instruction.