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Benefits of Using a Developmental Approach in an Inclusive Early Childhood Center

Benefits for children with disabilities

• They become full members of an inviting and diverse classroom community.
• Their strengths and needs are understood.
• They are supported so they can continue to learn and grow.
• They have opportunities to watch, listen to and engage with typical peers.

Benefits for children without disabilities

• They learn to understand that everyone has strengths and needs.
• They have opportunities to be peer models.
• They learn to value and celebrate individual differences.
• They become part of an inviting and diverse classroom community.

Benefits for families

• They are actively involved in their child's development and education.
• They learn about how their child is learning and developing.
• They receive support in understanding their child's strength and needs.
• They are full members of their child's classroom and school community.

Benefits for staff members

• They see each child and family as unique.
• They have opportunities to share ideas and information with other teachers, therapists and family members.
• They are integral members of their classroom and school community.
• They have an opportunity to further their own professiosnal interests.

Benefits for teachers in training

• They get hands-on experience working in inclusive early childhood classrooms as they prepare to become teachers and therapists.
• They are seeing what high quality inclusive practices look like.
• They are members of an inviting and diverse classroom and school community.
• They are able to make connections between research and practice in their studies at the university.

NEXT: What Families and Professionals Are Saying About Inclusive Early Education