Include Me

Hope is only the beginning…. What is hope to you, a noun or a verb?  For me, it begins as a noun.  I hope for a world where early childhood educators aspire to stand for social justice and equity by thrusting their fears aside to ensure our youngest learners and families are welcomed in our classrooms, have voices that are heard, and are respected and supported for who they are.  But what about the verb?  Without action, hopes become dreams that fade with time.  No more; I should have or why didn’t I?  Hope starts with me, today, by recognizing the bias and injustice our families and children face every day, every hour and not contributing to it or turning a blind eye but by standing beside my families as an advocate.  Hope also starts with me advocating for myself, for how can a empower others to advocate if I, myself, cannot.  And finally, hope is a reflection.  Imagine if our society had been founded on justice and equity; would childre...

What do you see?   How do you feel?   What if this pathway led to the front doors of your early childhood site, would what you see and feel, change? Each day my staff and I spend our time coaching and supporting classroom inclusion for professionals throughout the county starting with; always see the child and family, first.   The joint position statement created by NAEYC and DEC regarding inclusion is quite clear:  “ Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities, and society” (NAEYC, n.d.).  The defining features?   Access, participation, and support. While the program I manage provides early childhood professionals with in-classroom support to enhance their capacity to support children of all abili...

Working within the field of Developmental Disabilities, I often find myself facilitating trainings throughout the county.  Whether providing a SUTQ training for area childcare professionals or speaking on behalf of the Disability’s Board at various community events, my go-to concluding statement always includes, “ People with disabilities constitute our nation’s largest minority group (one in five Americans has a disability).  It’s also the most inclusive and most diverse group: all ages, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic levels are represented” (Snow, n.d.).  I also remind the audience; not only do persons with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the world, it is also the only minority group anyone can join at any time.  Who would be there for you and how would you like to be treated? A life-changing moment occurred two weeks ago; however, when I stumbled upon and viewed, The Disability Conversation: Ben M...

References: Derman -Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010).  Anti-bias education for young children and          ourselves.  Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Rock, M. ( n.d. ). Definition of Diversity. Retrieved from                                                                                                 http ://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~asuomca/diversityinit/definition.html

References: Laureate Education (Producer). (2011).  Family cultures: Dynamic interactions  [Video file].  Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Why is my simulation important to the field of early childhood? Do you believe children of all abilities should be included in your community? Do you believe children of all abilities should be included in community-based early childhood programs? Do you believe children of all abilities should be included in your classroom? Imagine a society where the word inclusion was no longer uttered because no matter where a child attended preschool, children of all abilities were welcomed and engaged in all aspects of a classroom.   “Studies have shown that individualized evidence-based strategies for children with disabilities can be implemented successfully in inclusive early childhood programs. [Also,] children with disabilities, including those with the most significant disabilities and the highest needs, can make significant developmental and learning progress in inclusive settings” (Policy, n.d.).   With such knowledge and focus pertaining to ...