A Place for Me

Book excerpt: For integration of special needs students to succeed, teachers and caregivers must be aware of the challenges inclusion can present, and engage in thoughtful planning and follow-through. This book provides information and support for early childhood staff with special needs children in their classrooms. The introduction describes the child with special needs and why this child is in a regular class. The second chapter addresses dealing with teacher's feelings about persons with special needs, while the third chapter suggests areas in need of consideration when preparing oneself and the physical environment to accommodate such children. The child with special needs and ways to assist with integration are discussed in chapter 4, while techniques that the staff can use to encourage acceptance and understanding of children with special needs by children with typical needs are suggested in chapter 5. Chapters 6 and 7 outline, respectively, working with parents of both groups of children and working with other service agencies. Names of organizations; suppliers of relevant publications and materials; and publications, children's books, recordings and videos are listed in the resource section of the book. (BAC)