Barriers to and Facilitators of Inclusion for Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Education

In the New Zealand education system, as in other countries, legislation and early childhood policy has been developed to support equity, social justice and democratic participation for children with disabilities and their families. However, despite this non-discriminatory and inclusive policy and legislative environment, some children with disabilities and their families experience exclusionary and discriminatory early childhood settings and struggle to access quality education. In this article, the author examines some of the barriers to and facilitators of inclusion for children with disabilities and their families in early childhood education. The author also suggests some changes in cultures, policies and practices that may help create early childhood settings that would see all children included.