A Study of the Impact of Preschool Integration on Children Without Disabilities in their First Year of School

Abstract

Eight children without disabilities who attended an inclusive preschool at Macquarie University Special Education Centre were followed‐up in their first year of school in an attempt to establish whether their preschool program, in particular the inclusion of a high proportion of children with a range of intellectual disabilities, would have a detrimental effect on their subsequent social and academic performance. The current skills of these children, in relation to their peers, were assessed using a range of measures including a teacher interview, a collection of independently evaluated work samples and measures of in‐class behaviour. The academic performance of the children was also compared to the measures of their receptive vocabulary and tests of early reading which were collected towards the end of their preschool year. The academic and social measures taken in the school year indicated that the children’s performance was equal to that of their peers, thereby challenging claims that integrated settings have a negative impact on development. According to the ratings of their early reading and phonemic awareness skills by their kindergarten teachers, these children were performing at or above the level predicted by measures of their language and prereading skills in the preschool.