Inclusion

Reviewed:

This topical guide will introduce you to important books, videos, and information resources available from the EI Clearinghouse and other sources.

Contact us via online form or by phone (1-877-275-3227) to request a resource listed below (or ask your local public librarian). Note that some videos may be viewed online, and journal titles will take you to the publisher’s homepage.

children

Books

Building blocks for teaching preschoolers with special needs
Susan Sandall
Brookes Publishing, 2019
This book gives pre and in-service teachers three types of practical, evidence-based inclusion strategies: curriculum modifications, embedded learning opportunities, and child focused instructional strategies.
Call#: LC 4019.2 .S213b 2019

Inclusion, play and empathy : neuroaffective development in children’s groups
Susan Hart, editor
Jessica Kingsley, 2017
This book features the latest research and methods for successfully encouraging the development of children’s personal, emotional, and social skills. It also explores how play with within children’s groups can be facilitated in order to foster emotional and empathic capacities to overcome common challenges to inclusion in schools and introduces practical, creative approaches to cultivating a sense of unity and team spirit.
Call#: BF 721 .H2511 2017
Also available as an eBook

It’s more than “just being in” : creating authentic inclusion for students with complex support needs
Cheryl Jorgensen
Brookes Publishing, 2018
This handbook describes in detail the important first steps in making inclusive education a reality, guiding teachers on how to include one child at a time.
Call#: LC 1201 .J6699 2018

Just one of the kids : raising a resilient family when one of your children has a physical disability
Kay Harris Hriegsman
The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013
Written for families of children with physical disabilities, this book helps parents focus on what can be, so that they, their children, and the grandparents thrive as individuals and as a family. 
Call#: HQ 773.6 .K75 2013

Lila Lu and the things I love to do
Millie Santilli
Stillwater River Publications, 2018
This book about a 3 year old girl with Noonan Syndrome lets children know that they can do and be anything they put their mind to.
Call#: PZ 7.1 .S2638Li 2018

Making Preschool Inclusion Work : Strategies for Supporting Children, Teachers, and Programs
Anne-Marie Richardson-Gibbs and M. Diane Klein
Brookes Publishing, 2014
This book provides a thorough introduction to inclusion supports to help young children with disabilities fully participate in preschool classrooms.
Call#: LC 4019.3 .R53 2014
Also available as an eBook

The preschool inclusion toolbox : how to build and lead a high-quality program
Erin Barton
Brookes Publishing, 2015
This book covers all aspects of establishing a placement process that complies with IDEA requirements, including introductory information on related research and policy, ways to identify and overcome challenges, professional development, evidence-based practice for successful inclusion, and quality indicators of inclusion.
Call#: LC 4019.2 .B37 2015

The whole spectrum of social, motor, and sensory games : using every child’s natural love of play to enhance key skills and promote inclusion
Barbara Sher
Josey-Bass, 2013
Offering strategies for helping all kids to develop social, motor, and sensory skills, this book provides step-by-step directions for how to use children’s natural interests at different stages of their development to help them develop a wealth of sensory motor and social skills.
Call#: GV 1203 .S4953 2013

Seahorse’s magical sun sequences : how all children (and sea creatures) can use yoga to feel positive, confident and completely included
Michael Chissick
Singing Dragon, 2016
This is an excellent resource for educators, yoga instructors and parents hoping to promote inclusion, positivity and confidence in all children.
Call#: WB 890 .C448 2016
Also available as an eBook

Videos

Preschool Inclusion
StarNet: Early Childhood
This two-part series explores Inclusion in Illinois.

  • Part 1: Moving Illinois Forward – The federal and state context surrounding preschool inclusion and current research, including benefits, barriers and strategies are discussed.
  • Part 2: Reflections on the Process – We talk with two programs in Illinois that have implemented successful inclusive models and focus on the supports and practices that make inclusion work.

Early Intervention, Inclusion, and My Family
Early CHOICES
This four-part series will help explain why your daily routines and community are the ideal places for your child to learn. Families can also learn more about their important role in Early Intervention.

Organizations

Early CHOICES
Early CHOICES is an Inclusion Initiative of the Illinois State Board of Education promoting high quality inclusive early care and education for each and every child birth to age 5.

Articles

Journal of Early Intervention, 42(3), 244-258
What Early Intervention Looks Like in Child Care Settings: Stories From Providers
Jenna Weglarz-Ward, et al. (2020)
This article presents the findings of a study on infants and toddlers with disabilities in child care settings from the perspectives of professionals.

Web Resources

Collaborative Care: Teaming to Support Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities
This blog offers strategies for building better relationships among professionals so infants and toddlers with disabilities can learn in natural environments, within daily routines, and with familiar people and materials.

Including Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities in Child Care
On this podcast Dr. Jenna Weglarz-Ward, an assistant professor in early childhood education and early childhood special education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, talks about the inclusion of infants and toddlers with disabilities and developmental delays in child care settings.

Inclusion in Preschool Classrooms
The goal of inclusion is to help all children learn to the best of their abilities. This tip sheet provides questions that parents often ask about inclusion and answers to those questions.

The Power of Inclusion: What to Expect When Your Preschooler Attends an Inclusive Preschool Program
An inclusive preschool serves children with and without disabilities in the same space. This article from the National Association for the Education of Young Children provides important components to know about inclusive settings.

Understanding Inclusion
Early CHOICES
The Understanding Inclusion series contains 6 topics that explore key ideas about inclusion in early childhood. The series covers a range of topics from defining inclusion to understanding the benefits to advocating for inclusion. Developed for families with family input, it is just as meaningful and useful for practitioners working with families who have children from birth to 5. All information is also available in Spanish.

Related Resource(s)