L. Okagaki et al., CORRELATES OF YOUNG CHILDRENS INTERACTIONS WITH CLASSMATES WITH DISABILITIES, Early childhood research quarterly, 13(1), 1998, pp. 67-86
Citations number
40
Categorie Soggetti
Psychology, Developmental","Education & Educational Research
Although including children with developmental disabilities in prescho
ol classes has become increasingly common, little is known about how e
xperiences in an inclusive classroom affect young children's developme
nt, In Study 1, 36 typically developing children (mean age = 55.2 mont
hs) attending an inclusive, university-based early childhood program w
ere interviewed about their knowledge of and attitudes toward children
with disabilities. Parents answered questions about: (a) expectations
for their children's prosocial behaviors and (b) their own beliefs ab
out interacting with children with disabilities. Parents' beliefs and
children's attitudes toward children with disabilities were positively
related to the frequency of children's actual contacts with classmate
s with disabilities during free play time. In Study 2, the beliefs and
behaviors of 20 children from an inclusive university-based early chi
ldhood program and 18 children from an inclusive community-based progr
am were compared. There was no difference between the two programs in
the amount of contact typically developing children had with classmate
s with disabilities.