To make inclusive learning environments accessible, it is critical that parents of children without disability select inclusive alternatives when making decisions about their child's preschool placement. This study examined attitudes toward inclusive education among parents of children without disability across 18 state-funded pre-kindergarten…

This research aimed to determine whether the Making Friends (MF) program is effective on social acceptance levels of typically developing children in preschool toward their peers with special needs. The research had an experimental design with a control group, pretest, posttest, and follow-up test. The study included 130 typically developing…

The problem that was the focus of this study is that many parents, both children who are typically developing and those who have special needs, are unsure of the benefits of inclusive preschool classrooms. This study is important because it enhanced understanding of how parents make informed decisions about what is educationally best for their…

In the present paper, we focused on toys depicting physical disabilities and their potential role as inclusive educational means in kindergartens. We tested The Mere Exposure Effect and the Contact Theory (previously suggested as explanatory mechanisms underlying more favorable attitudes toward disability) by using toys depicting physical…

Teachers are uniquely positioned to mitigate ableism and address disability in the classroom; however, many hesitate to do so. This silence perpetuates bias and may teach children that difference is negative. Situated within the field of Disability Studies in Education, this investigation of PK-12 teachers (n = 256) aims to broadly characterise…

Recent calls and general interest have increased to strengthen preschool and special education's inclusivity to empower early childhood teachers' professional development. In response, this study explores the mediating role of early childhood teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education in the relationship between perceived organizational…

The Individuals' experiences and memories about people with special needs affect their attitudes, behaviours and perceptions towards these individuals in the following years. This study aims to discover pre-school teacher candidates' early memories about people with special needs and understand the effect of these early memories on teacher…

The purpose of this study is to analyze the play behaviors of children aged 60-72 months with respect to individual differences, cultural differences, and special needs differences. The study employs the basic qualitative research method. Fifty-two children enrolled in four different pre-school classes were given toys that featured diversity. The…

In this paper we conduct a poststructural discourse analysis inspired by Carol Bacchi's 'What's the problem represented to be?' (WRP) approach. We explore what kinds of problems are formulated in preschool educational policy on multilingualism, and what underlying assumptions underlie the dominant discourse on language proficiency in Sweden.…

This study explores children's attitudes towards their peers with special needs (SN) at a preschool level. A total of 151 children were examined using the "Acceptance Scale for Kindergarteners -- Revised" and social demographic questionnaires to collect information from parents and educators. The research included preschool children…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition, has become a major concern for both developed and underdeveloped countries since the condition is associated with significant caregiver, family, and financial burdens. Approaches to educating these children, especially in their preschool years, are burdensome and demanding for both…

Inclusive kindergarten provision remains relatively rare in Indonesia. This article indicates factors that contribute to this situation (stigmatisation, lack of resources and training) and reports on an approach to begin to address it. Sign Supported Big Books were evaluated in mainstream kindergartens (i.e. classes without children with special…

The purpose of this study was to understand the status and influential factors of preschool teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education, given the evidence that attitudes predict successful inclusion for young children with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities. We translated the "Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Inclusive…

Within educational systems across the nation, traditionally marginalized and "multiply marginalized and underrepresented (MMU)" groups, composed of students of color, students with dis/abilities, students living in poverty and/or emergent bilinguals, continue to be excluded and segregated, perpetuating discriminatory practices both…

This study evaluated the effects of an early education inclusion program for children with autism: 'Understanding our Peers; the Early Years'. A series of children's books were created outlining the core behavioural features of autism and how the characters in the books were able to understand these behaviours and accommodate the needs of the…