Creating Accessibility and Inclusion for Children with Disabilities in Child Care Settings

by Karen Wright, Deputy Director of Inclusion, Early Language and Literacy, TN Child Care Resource and Referral Network

Editor’s Note: The Child Care Resource and Referral Network helps childcare providers meet the needs of young children with disabilities. The network was first established in 1995 by a collaboration between our Council, the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Health, before moving to its current funding home.

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The TN Child Care Resource and Referral Network (TN CCR&R) provides free training and onsite coaching to Department of Human Services-licensed childcare educators on many topics, such as:
• child development,
• behavior and guidance,
• health and safety,
• and the inclusion of children with disabilities.

TN CCR&R is funded through a grant between the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) and Signal Centers, Inc.

TN CCR&R believes that all children deserve to have access to:
• high-quality early childhood environments,
• participation and engagement in all aspects of the childcare experience,
• and the support and resources to fully participate in childcare activities and routines.

Hands-on Support through Inclusion Coaches

While helping children thrive in childcare is important to families, teachers, and childcare center directors, knowing how to help them thrive can be difficult. Thus, a team of well-qualified Inclusion Coaches was created in 2022. These coaches provide specialized coaching and training services to help childcare educators and directors offer accessibility, support, and participation for children with disabilities in a meaningful way.

One of the most important things the CCR&R Inclusion Coaches do is to help directors and educators feel confident in providing care for children with disabilities. They do this through training and individualized, onsite modeling and coaching. This coaching relationship provides early childhood professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to successfully include all children in their classroom activities and routines. This can happen through working with the classroom professionals on proven activities, materials, and strategies that all children can enjoy and learn from.

Strategies for Inclusive Environments

A popular strategy that early childhood educators use in their classroom is the visual schedule. The schedule provides pictures and written text about how the classroom routines and activities will unfold throughout the day. This directly supports children by providing the sense of predictability and security that young children need to thrive.

Visual schedules benefit toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children, and can be particularly helpful when working with children diagnosed with developmental delays, autism, and sensory processing disorders. CCR&R Inclusion Coaches help educators create and understand how to use visual schedules with young children and have found that teachers report fewer behavior challenges during transitions when the visual schedule has been implemented.

Another strategy that early childhood educators use is the calming area. Children who have sensory processing disorders can feel overstimulated by the busy and noisy nature of the early childhood classroom. The calming area provides children with a relaxing place to go when they feel overwhelmed by their environment. Often found in a quiet part of the classroom, the calming area can include comfortable seating, neutral colors, and soft music to help the child calm down and self-regulate. CCR&R Inclusion Coaches help educators to create calming spaces and coach them on how to use the area as a tool to help children self-regulate so they can fully take part in play and learning throughout the day.

Inclusion Coaches also aid educators in supporting and providing access to materials and equipment, first through the observation of the classroom activities and routines, and then by offering strategies and ideas on how to make it more accessible for all children in the setting.

For example, tables and shelves may be re-arranged to create a wheelchair accessible route through the classroom. Materials like knobbed puzzles, chunky paint brushes, or modifications to activity storage containers can be provided so that children with fine motor disabilities can participate along with their peers.

Support and accessibility are vital components in a high-quality childcare setting. High-quality childcare should be an option for all children and their families. Inclusion Coaches can help educators use various strategies in the classroom to improve accessibility, support, and participation for children with disabilities in a meaningful way.

For more information, visit tnccrr.org.