Inclusion

The inclusion of children with special needs, through structured and creative learning, experiential activities and independent play, helps to enhance and promote a child's individual social skills.

Inclusion - As different as life

Every person is special. Marie is a maths ace with a spasticity, Paul is a terrific dancer with a speech disorder, Elif is passionate about playing the piano at a high level, although she has difficulties reading the notes due to her severe visual impairment.

Inclusive pedagogy means nothing other than responding to each individual and supporting them accordingly. Early on in childhood, educators can engage very well with the respective children individually in order to offer optimal learning and play content.

© adobe.stock / Olesia Bilkei

Promotion from the first day

For a child, the first day at day care is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. On the one hand, excitement and curiosity, on the other hand, not having their own parents in the immediate vicinity for the first time.

Educators who are allowed to welcome a new child to the group can also quickly determine the needs and nature of the respective child.

Whether introverted, energetic or even with a disability, you can cater precisely to the child's personal characteristics from day one.

In everyday care, educators act as a support from this moment on. During group activities or learning activities, they help the children to get in touch with other children despite language barriers or general shyness and thus to be part of the group.

All children, whether with or without disabilities, consequently learn to appreciate and accept the diversity of other people.

Responding to each child individually without disadvantaging others - is that possible?

When it comes to inclusion, many parents worry that their child may not get the care they need within a group. However, these worries are unfounded.

A childcare facility that works according to the inclusive principle or offers inclusive groups in general also places corresponding value on manageable group sizes. The choice of methods, games and exercises in the field of inclusion is almost unlimited and at least as different and unique as the respective child itself.

Advantage through freedom from prejudice

"Anyone who stutters is stupid." - One of many prejudices that occur in relation to disabilities, although they are completely false. Prejudices are socially picked up or learned. A child does not have them from the ground up and that is exactly the advantage of an inclusive care facility:

The children play, laugh and romp together regardless of deficits or disabilities. Especially for children with a disability, this is an important developmental milestone and not only promotes self-confidence and dealing with the disability themselves in later development.

© adobe.stock / Olesia Bilkei

Why don't all care services work according to an inclusive pedagogy?

Care that is so individual and personal also requires a lot of circumstances:

• Educators must be trained in dealing with physical and/or mental disabilities.

• The institution itself must enable barrier-free living not only through the educators, but also structurally.

• Accompanying media such as books or films need to support and appreciate exactly the diversity that is exemplified by being together in the institution.

• ...and many more