Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Disabilities and Special Needs

by Ruth E. Cook

The commitment to inclusive intervention and education for infants and young children is well established in federal law. Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 states: (1) “To the maximum extent appropriate, early intervention services are provided in natural environments; and (2) the provision of early intervention services occurs in a setting other than a natural environment only when early intervention cannot be achieved satisfactorily for the infant or toddler in a natural environment” (Sec. 635 [a] [16]). Part B addresses the needs of preschoolers by requiring that “to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled.” This part also goes on to state in Section 612 that preschoolers are not to be removed from the regular educational environment unless “education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.” This law and the differences between Part B and Part C will become clearer later in this chapter.