A comparison of language production skills of preschoolers with special needs in segregated and integrated settings

Abstract

Although the popular and general professional literature concerning the integration of preschoolers with special needs into community‐based settings is supportive of such efforts, remarkably little information is available regarding the use and production of language by these young children in integrated versus segregated settings. The opportunity for an exploratory study of the language production of children attending, on a partial week basis, both a segregated centre and integrated community centres became available at a Canadian program in Victoria, B.C. Through the cooperative efforts of a program‐based speech and language pathologist and a university‐based child care researcher, a small n [5 children], observationally based study was undertaken. The children were videotaped in both settings during a free play period as well as during an adult‐directed activity. The results, with each child serving as his or her own control, indicated that three of the children were mo verbally productive in the segregated setting during free play periods, und in the integrated community settings for the teacher directed [structured] activity. One child was more productive overall in the specialised segregated setting, and one was more productive overall in the integrated community setting. Concluding remarks underscore the need for continuing research efforts in this area of inquiry.