This qualitative study used participant observation and semistructured interviews to examine the types of natural support that were provided and the adaptive strategies used to promote the inclusion of Ryan, a 3 year old with a visual impairment, in a community-based preschool. It found that the adults and classmates gave Ryan natural support in a variety of ways and that Ryan used distinctive adaptive strategies to carry out tasks independently.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BogdanR.C., & BiklenS.K. (1992). Qualitative research for education.Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
2.
BowdenJ., & ThorburnJ. (1993). Including a student with multiple disabilities and visual impairment in her neighborhood school.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 87, 268–272.
3.
BrickerD.D. (1978). A rationale for the integration of handicapped and nonhandi-capped preschool children. In GuralnickM.J. (Ed.), Early intervention and the integration of handicapped and nonhandicapped children (pp. 3–26). Baltimore: University Park Press.
4.
Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood. (1993a). DEC recommended practices: Indicators of quality in programs for infants and young children with special needs and their families.Reston, VA: Author.
5.
Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood. (1993b). DEC position on inclusion.Reston, VA: Author.
6.
ErwinE.J. (1993). Social participation of young children with visual impairments in specialized and integrated environments.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 87, 138–142.
7.
ErwinE.J. (1994). Social competence in young children with visual impairments.Infants and Young Children, 6, 26–33.
8.
GuralnickM.J. (1990). Major accomplishments and future directions in early childhood mainstreaming.Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 10, 1–7.
9.
KekelisL.S., & SacksS.Z. (1988). Mainstreaming visually impaired children into regular education programs: The effects of visual impairment on children's interactions with peers. In SacksS.Z., KekelisL.S., & Gaylord-RossR. (Eds.), The social development of visually impaired students, unpublished monograph, San Francisco State University.
10.
MorseM.T. (1994). Just what is qualitative research? One practitioner's experiences.Journal of Visual Impairment & blindness, 88, 43–52.
11.
PeckC.A., OdomS.L., & BrickerD.D. (Eds.). (1993). Integrating young children with disabilities into community programs.Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
12.
PreislerG.M. (1993). A descriptive study of blind children in nurseries with sighted children.Child: Care, Health and Development, 19, 295–315.
13.
SalisburyC.L. (1991). Mainstreaming during the early years.Exceptional Children, 58, 146–155.
14.
StainbackS., & StainbackW. (1984). Broadening the research perspective in special education.Exceptional Children, 50, 400–408.
15.
TaylorS.J., & BogdanR. (1984). Introduction to qualitative research (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
16.
VincentL.J., BrownL., & Getz-SheftelM. (1981). Integrating handicapped and typical children during the preschool yeas: The definition of best educational practice.Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 1, 17–24.
17.
WoleryM., Holcombe-LigonA., BrookfieldJ., HuffmanK., SchroederC., MartinC.G., VennM.L., WertsM.G., & FlemingL.A. (1993). The extent and nature of preschool mainstreaming: A survey of general early educators.Journal of Special Education, 27, 222–234.
18.
WorkmanS.H. (1986). Teachers’ verbalizations and the social interactions of blind preschoolers.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 80, 532–534.