Inclusive ECCD: - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...

Ainscow (1994) states, “If this is the case, a ludicrous
procedure is taking place by which the ‘victims’ of a
school system are given extra help by transferring finances
in such a way that it becomes likely that even
more victims will be created.” (21)
What We Are
Working Toward
Greater Awareness
Awareness is a part of the answer. Case studies (see
pages 27–50) indicate that in order to develop sustainable
inclusive programmes it is necessary to raise
awareness. There is a need for advocacy on behalf of
children with special needs. The general public must
be made aware that all children have the right of access
to the supports that promote healthy growth
and development, regardless of where children start
in terms of their knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Arguments in favour of attention to children with
special needs can be built on a variety of platforms.
While research indicates the value of inclusive programming
for all children, research is not frequently
used to sell the concept. In some countries it is the
international declarations, and the government’s
endorsement of these statements, that seem to motivate
the development of inclusive programmes.
International donor agencies can play a significant
role as well, by working with governments to develop
programmes for children with special needs. In still
other instances, it is the advocacy by parents that is
forcing the government to take the needs of all children
into consideration. Moving to inclusion may also
be the result of financial constraints and a recognition
that inclusive programmes cost less than specialised
services. Any (or all) of these mechanisms can come
into play in building a case for and shaping the development
of inclusive programming.
It is important to recognise that while awareness
comes from knowledge and information, it also involves
attitudes. Attitudes determine how information
is interpreted. The reality is that arguments in
support of special education are often political and
emotional rather than rational.
More Appropriate
Screening and
Assessment
Techniques for
Determining
Children’s Needs
There are two processes for determining the specific
needs of children: screening and assessment. These
are not interchangeable processes. Screening is a
preliminary process for identifying those who may
Early assessment is crucial.
be at risk of future difficulty. The identified children
must then be assessed more carefully to evaluate the
nature of the difficulty.
■ Developmental screening
In general, the more severe the disability, the earlier
and more easily it can be detected (i.e., severe disabilities
are likely to be detected at birth or soon thereafter).
The more subtle the problem, the more difficult
it is to detect and the later it is likely to be identified.
Since there is great variation in normal development
and behaviour during the early years, infants and
young children under the age of eighteen months are
difficult to screen. As a result, the number of disabilities
which can be detected during the first and second
years of life tend to be relatively small. Furthermore it
requires a substantial financial and human investment
to develop screening tests which are sensitive and
based on local norms. Additional costs are incurred in
the training of health workers or others to administer
screening tests. For these reasons, the routine screening
of all children may not be cost effective. Whatever
screening is done needs to be quick and simple to
administer by someone who works with the child on
a daily basis, low cost, and easy to interpret. In addition,
there needs to be a good hit/miss ratio (i.e.,
screening should correctly identify children with special
needs—there should not be too many children
who are falsely identified as having a problem nor too
many children who are not identified when in fact
they have a problem). An example of a simple screening
instrument is found in Box 2.
UNICEF/5747/Lauren Goodsmith
14