Early Childhood Inclusion in Australia

From the introduction of early intervention services in Australian in the mid-1970s, the families of children with intellectual and multiple disabilities have been encouraged to enroll their children in local preschools and childcare centers. Children with disabilities have also accessed a range of alternatives to full inclusion, such as reverse inclusion and partial inclusion; however, the availability of the range of inclusive options has been limited. Although federal and state governments provide funding to support inclusion, the value of the support has been diminished by difficulties associated with the funding application processes and the lack of skills of early childhood staff and supporting specialists. Recent changes to early childhood provision in Australia have increased the potential of early childhood services to better provide for children with a range of disabilities. The barrier of specialist staff inadequately prepared to support early childhood professionals to promote full participation in center activities remains.