ASSESSING THE COMFORT ZONE OF CHILD-CARE TEACHERS IN SERVING YOUNG-CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

This study employed 2 methods to assess the attitudes of 52 general ea rly childhood teachers serving young children with disabilities in inc lusive early childhood settings. The first consisted of a structured i nterview using an index of functional child characteristics to assess professional comfort in serving an individual child. The second consis ted of a rating scale to assess global attitudes toward the benefits a nd drawbacks of inclusion. Findings indicated significant differences in teachers' comfort levels as a function of severity of the child's d isability across all domains. Predicted comfort scores were lowest whe n the child was reported to have severe to profound disabilities in th e areas of leg functioning, muscle tone, and appropriate behavior.