Dear Editor:
Research has shown that access to high-quality early education makes a lifetime of difference in the lives of children, especially those with disabilities.
This fall, the U.S. Department of Education, joined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, issued a policy paper aimed at increasing the inclusion of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities in high-quality early childhood programs. They urge that children with disabilities be fully integrated and included with those who are developing typically.
Leaders in Washington are right – young children with disabilities DO need access to early childhood programs such as Head Start, private preschool, and public school and community-based pre-kindergarten programs.
But they need more.
They also need intensive and highly-specialized services. They need well-trained, credentialed, and well-super vised therapists and specialists to address delays in areas such as speech and language, mobility, social skills, self-help skills, and behavior.
But this is not happening. Years ago, specialized programs had robust preschool programs, but now, we get very few referrals for preschoolers. Instead, we see a growing number of referrals for older children and teens whose academic, social, and behavioral challenges have never been adequately addressed. These children can and do make gains with appropriate services, but our impact is more limited than when we get children at a younger age.
Just as disabilities should never be a barrier for inclusion, inclusion must never be a barrier to accessing the best early intervention and support available.
Vincent Renda, Â Executive Director
Hawkswood School
Eatontown
