Elements of Successful Inclusion for School-age Children with Disabilities in Childcare Settings

摘要

When a school-age child with disabilities is accepted into a childcare setting, it is only the first step. The sustenance of the care option depends on whether the setting makes appropriate adaptations to accommodate the child with disability in the setting. Parents face a host of challenges related to adaptations and accommodations. This study focuses on parents' perspectives related to features needed to appropriately accommodate school-age children with disabilities in childcare and other out-of-school settings. Five focus groups attended by 29 parents and eight telephone interviews were conducted. Data were analysed qualitatively using a grounded theory approach and QSR 6, a non-statistical software package for qualitative data. The adaptations identified by parents included adaptations related to physical space and activities, adaptations focusing on socialisation with peers, supervision by staff, safety of children, parent-provider communication, and those focusing on the attitude and skills of childcare providers related to accommodating children with disabilities in childcare settings.