The Essentials: Supporting Young Children with Disabilities in the Classroom

by Pamela Brillante

Overview

Create an inclusive environment that promotes the success of all young learners

Every year, the number of children with developmental delays or disabilities in early childhood programs and classrooms is increasing. What do you need to know to support them? This guide is filled with practical information that will help educators who work with children ages birth through 8 teach children with disabilities alongside their peers. Learn the essentials of what you need to know:

• What developmental delays and disabilities are
• How special education laws apply to you and your program or school
• The process of referral, assessment, IFSP/IEP development, and service delivery
• Which supports and interventions can help children be successful socially and academically
• How to work with families, special education professionals, and the medical community
• Information about specific disabilities, including speech and language impairments, autism spectrum disorder, physical disabilities, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

All children thrive in high-quality programs that recognize and support their individual strengths, interests, and needs. Use the information in this book to help children meet their potential.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938113857
Publisher:	National Association for the Education of Young Children
Publication date:	12/29/2020
Series:	The Essentials Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	466,753
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Pamela Brillante, EdD, is assistant professor of special education at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey. She does consulting and is a former special education teacher and administrator.

Read an Excerpt

Chances are, at some point in your early childhood career, you will work with children who have, or might have, a developmental delay or disability, along with their families. This book offers essential information about disabilities and how they impact young children’s learning and development. More than that, it encourages you to go beyond a child’s disability label to see her strengths, needs, interests, and preferences and to figure out how best to support those in the classroom, just as you do for any other child. Regardless of medical diagnoses or individual challenges, children with disabilities are first and foremost children.

Table of Contents

• About the Book
• Disabilities and Young Children
• Chapter 1: Different, Yet Alike
• Chapter 2: Identifying the Needs of Young Children with Disabilities
• Chapter 3: Where to Start: Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Inclusion, and Universal Design
• Chapter 4: Individualizing Supports and Interventions
• Chapter 5: Addressing Challenging Behavior
• Specific Disabilities
• Chapter 6: Speech and Language Impairments
• Chapter 7: Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Chapter 8: Visual and Hearing Impairments
• Chapter 9: Physical Disabilities
• Chapter 10: Intellectual Disabilities
• Chapter 11: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
• Chapter 12: Learning Disabilities
• Conclusion
• Glossary
• References
• Resources
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author

Editorial Reviews

As a professional development provider, I’ve been waiting for a book like this! The perfect blend of special education law, details about specific disabilities, and practical classroom strategies—it’s rare to find all this information in a single, easy to read format. This book will be recommended reading for all early childhood teachers in our network.

—Monica Lesperance, Deputy Director, The DC Special Education Cooperative

Even though I have worked in inclusive settings for most of my 40 years as an educator, Pam Brillante’s engaging book both reinforced my foundation of knowledge and presented new information. Whether reading this as a prospective teacher or an experienced one, effective educators will return to this text again and again.

—Ellen Frede, Principal Consultant, Building Effective Early Learning Systems

In this practical and illuminating book, Brillante explains the signs of a disability and ready-to-use strategies for including a child with that disability in simple, understandable terms. Better yet, she makes a strong case for the importance of an inclusive education. This book should be part of every teacher’s reference library.

—Liz Koenig, Teacher, Bridges Public Charter School

Brillante’s must-read book skillfully humanizes children with disabilities through real-life examples and people-first language. Her teacher-centered vignettes validate the myriad challenges educators face, which she then tackles with easy-to-understand explanations and strategies.

—Krista K. Gauthier, Executive Director, Sliding Doors STEM & Dyslexia Learning Center

A great resource for early childhood educators and preservice teachers who work or will work with young children who have developmental delays or disabilities in many different settings. The author provides explicit, practical guidelines that connect important theories to daily practice.

—Yoon-Joo Lee, Associate Professor, Brooklyn College of the City Universityof New York

A valuable resource for early childhood educators and preservice teachers who want to help every child learn regardless of individual learning challenges. Filled with advice, practical information, and proven strategies to help all young children with disabilities succeed.

—Cynthia Simpson, Provost, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Professor of Education, Houston Baptist University

From the Publisher