Barriers to inclusion

Preschools are dynamic settings with many variables impacting on inclusive practice. Obstacles may exist or arise that unintentionally disrupt children’s access and participation, impacting on benefits from learning opportunities and developmental outcomes. In some cases, inclusion barriers may prevent a child from accessing a preschool altogether.

Our goal – inclusion for all children across every aspect of the program

Inclusive best practice enables children with disabilities and developmental differences to be active participants across all aspects of the program on the same basis as their peers.

Key components of inclusive practice:

is continuously improved based on critical reflection
involves collaboration with families and other involved professionals
requires attention to the strengths, interests and needs of the individual child
is embedded across the preschool program

Inclusive practice leads to benefits and a strong sense of belonging for all children.

For related information see Inclusion and the EYLF V2.0

Defining barriers to inclusion

A barrier may be defined as any element of the preschool setting that prevents a child from fully participating in the program. Barriers may present in a variety of ways. A barrier may potentially lead to conflict between educators and parents around appropriate support in the preschool. Examples of barriers to inclusion may be:

Limiting beliefs and attitudes of educators and/or parents about the capacity of all children to be successfully included in the program
A physical environment that does not meet the physical access, sensory or communication needs of all children
Inflexible routines or practices that are not responsive to children
Resources or equipment that do not allow all children to participate meaningfully
Lack of communication between parents, educators and other involved professionals leading to inconsistent approaches to supporting children
Policies or processes that may lead to exclusive practice
Expectations of children that are unrealistic for their current developmental level or are inconsistent between educators
Lack of confidence, skills and/or knowledge of educators

Building bridges to inclusive practice - reflection and planning

Identifying and acknowledging barriers is the first step to building bridges to successful inclusion. Take time to specifically consider how your preschool may be experienced by a child with developmental differences and their family. Don’t forget to reflect on this with all of your senses!

Utilising the KU SCBP Self-Reflection Tool with your team and completing your Preschool Profile and Action Plan (PP&AP) annually, in consultation with your Preschool Inclusion Consultant, is a comprehensive process to reflect on your current practice and environment, including any barriers that are evident, and to formulate inclusion goals and actions to build bridges to inclusion.

Action the plan and set dates to review your PP&AP as a team throughout the year (adding this to the agenda of a staff meeting each term is one way to facilitate this)*. Consider what has and has not helped to address the inclusion barriers, why this is the case and what changes you need to make to the plan moving forward. Communicate with your Preschool inclusion Consultant to request support where needed.

* You may choose to review your PP&AP in conjunction with your ILPs for children, considering the interplay between these plans.

Moving from barriers to building bridges

Steps from barriers to inclusive action

Step 1 - Identifying barriers	Step 2 - Building bridges	Step 3 - Inclusive action and reflection
Step 1 - Identifying barriers Identify the barrier/s to inclusion through reflection on all aspects of your program and practice. What is preventing all children from having full access to, and participation in, the program?	Step 2 - Building bridges Reflect and plan. What are your strengths and needs as educators? What can be changed in order to improve access and participation for all children? What goals do you have? How do you plan to achieve these goals?	Step 3 - Inclusive action and reflection Action the plan and give changes time to work. Review and adjust the plan if needed. What is helping? What is not working? What else could you try?

Some examples:

Situation	Barrier	Bridge
Situation Some children find it challenging to sit at group time and other children become distracted.	Barrier Group times are not catering to the physical needs of all children - the expectation is that they will sit unaided for the duration of the group time.	Bridge Educators plan to embed physical movement in every group time. They offer fidget toys and wobble cushions to children, providing sensory feedback for those who need this input. They support children to choose alternate play options when they are no longer engaging with the group time experience.
Situation Educators are including a new child with an unfamiliar diagnosis.	Barrier Educators do not have the knowledge or information to understand how to meet the needs of the child and provide appropriate supports.	Bridge Educators identify professional development opportunities to learn about the diagnosis. They establish ongoing communication channels with the family and involved professionals to create a team approach and inform their practice. They focus on observing and forming relationships with the child.

National Quality Standard links for the content on this page

QA 1 Educational Program and Practice

1.3.2 Critical Reflection

QA 3 Physical Environment

3.1.3 Fit for purpose

3.2.1 Inclusive environment