Staff Development

Abstract

The dramatic increase in the number of mothers of young children currently in the work force has resulted in an increased demand for child care outside the home, including care for handicapped children. To meet this need, we propose the integration of handicapped children into community child care centers as adjunct services to specialized early intervention programs. The successful integration of handicapped children into day care settings requires a planned program of staff development. Several models of staff development are presented that have been found effective for teachers of school-age children in mainstreamed settings. Several features of these models are incorporated in the special education consultation model described here. This model provides on-site consultation to day care providers as they acquire the skills to adapt and modify activities to facilitate the social integration of handicapped children in all activities of the center. And, finally, case studies are presented that document the staff development process.