Researchers at RMIT University are launching one of the first research studies examining the beliefs of early childhood staff about the inclusion of young children with disabilities with their typically-developing peers in community settings.
The inclusion of children with disabilities into regular mainstream classrooms has been researched heavily over the past 30 years. The beliefs of early childhood staff about inclusion in early childhood settings such as preschool have been well researched but there are no studies available to date that investigate their beliefs about early childhood inclusion beyond the classroom into the wider community such as child care centres, libraries, leisure and recreations centres and shopping centres.
It is important to look beyond preschool as children only spend a portion of their time there. Staff in child care centres play a key role in supporting parents and young children with disabilities so their views are critical and need to be carefully considered and evaluated.
Carolyne Jones, who is currently completing her Masters in Clinical Psychology at RMIT University is the Principal Investigator in this research project and Associate Professor, Susana Gavidia-Payne is supervising the project. They are recruiting participants from a range of early childhood and community settings to complete an anonymous survey that takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. If you are interested in contributing your views, please phone Carolyne on 0432 255 939 or email Carolyne.