Promoting inclusion in play for students with developmental disabilities: kindergarten teachers’ perspectives

Abstract

ABSTRACT Children identified with developmental disabilities or delays (DD) are increasingly being educated in inclusive mainstream classroom environments. At the kindergarten level, there have been pedagogical shifts towards the promotion of play-based learning, with few resources addressing how teachers can support inclusion in play. Forty-two Ontario kindergarten teachers completed an online survey with open-ended questions regarding the promotion of play and inclusion for children with DD. While participants shared differing conceptualizations of inclusion, the most common definition underscored the need to provide all children with appropriate academic support. In line with this definition, the majority of participants (74%) discussed the need for inclusive pedagogical strategies to promote greater academic inclusion in classroom learning activities. Several teachers (43%) also highlighted the need for strategies to promote a respectful classroom community. While teachers’ views on the role of play complemented themes of academic and community inclusion, few teachers (24%) shared strategies to help support academic or community inclusion within children’s play. These results provide insight into how kindergarten teachers conceptualise and promote inclusion primarily outside of the context of play and underscore a critical gap in research and practice.