Early childhood special education in a refugee resettlement community: challenges and innovative practices

Abstract

There has been a significant increase in the number of children who are culturally and linguistically diverse who qualify for early childhood special education (ECSE) services [Banerjee, R., & Guiberson, M. (2012). Evaluating young children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds for special education services. Young Exceptional Children, 15(1), 33–44]. The current study investigates the challenges and innovative practices in the evaluation and ECSE services for preschool aged children who are refugees. Twenty-eight early childhood educators who work in a small refugee resettlement community participated in a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews resulting in themes regarding challenges and innovative practices. Challenges include: lack of validated assessments, wait time for evaluations, different cultural perspectives and family advocacy. Innovative practices include: assessing skills not dependent on language and including caregivers in evaluations. Implications for future research and teacher preparation are discussed.

Keywords:

• cultural and linguistic diversity
• early childhood special education
• preschool
• qualitative
• refugee
• English language learner

Acknowledgements

The preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by funding from the US Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, grant award #90DD0645 awarded to the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion, University of Vermont. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the USHHS or the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and no official endorsement should be inferred. All names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the participants, programmes, and communities.

Notes on contributors

Jennifer J. Hurley is the programme coordinator for the early childhood special education undergraduate and graduate programmes at the University of Vermont.

Rachel A. Warren is a recent graduate of the Early Childhood Special Education Programme at the University of Vermont.

Rebecca D. Habalow is a recent graduate of the Early Childhood Special Education Programme at the University of Vermont.

Lauren E. Weber is a recent graduate of the Early Childhood Special Education Programme at the University of Vermont.

Sarah R. Tousignant is a graduate student in the Early Childhood Special Education Programme at the University of Vermont.