Inclusion and Its Role in the Settling In Process

The settling in phase of a child with special needs such as Anahera will require educators and the kindergarten community at large to use diversity-sensitive approaches to education and a desire to create an inclusive community for all children and families.

Depending on the needs of the child, the educators will need to communicate with the family to see what preparations they will need to make in the classroom. For Anahera, and any child with a diagnosis, meeting with her and her family to discuss her needs and developmental goals will help the educators and parents to support her development. It is important to ask the parents questions about her previous experiences, what she struggles with, what goals are being worked on her therapies and so forth during this meeting.

Before Anahera's settling in, she was the primary focus of her parents' attention and had one on one meetings with therapists. Now she must adjust to being one of many children being cared for by her educators. This is not just an adjustment for Anahera, but for the adults in the community as well: her parents may not be able to communicate their worries, fears and thoughts in the language of the country they have moved to, and the other parents of the group may worry that their children will receive less attention if educators shift their focus to Anahera.