Dialoguing with developmentally appropriate practice (DAP): what does DAP mean for children with disabilities and inclusion?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper employs critical discourse analysis to examine the conceptualisation of disability within Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) and to investigate how DAP addresses the role of early childhood educators working with children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. The research questions guiding this study are: 1) How is disability conceptualised within the DAP? 2) How does DAP address the role of educators when working with children with disabilities in the context of inclusion? Using different models of disability and DisCrit as the theoretical lens, the study reveals that disability within DAP is associated with implicit bias, diversity, and a paradigm of fixing. The role of educators unfolds through themes such as reflecting on one's bias, creating inclusive environments by focusing on strengths and Universal Design (UD) and implementing screening processes. The findings shed light on the conflicting discourse of disability embedded in DAP, emphasising the need for educators to critically examine the notions of normalcy and the intersection of racism and ableism in the context of early childhood inclusion.