Fundamentals of inclusive socio-educational care for students with disabilities in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education. A case study

Abstract

Introduction: Regarding the first cycle of Early Childhood Education (0-3 years), few studies have examined how to provide inclusive socio-educational care to students with disabilities in Spain. Methodology: Given these bibliographic limitations, the following questions have guided this work: What is inclusive socio-educational care in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education? and How is inclusive socio-educational care provided to students with disabilities during the first cycle classroom? The early childhood education center, Fernando de Magallanes in Sanlucar de Barrameda (Cadiz, Spain) educates seventy-four children, of which twenty-two suffer from some sort of disability. This work is part of a budding case study being conducted on this school, with the objective of providing a specific and contextualized response to the two previous questions. Results: The results suggest that inclusive socio-educational care is supported by five interconnected lines: 1. The purpose of Early Childhood Education as a starting point; 2. Incorporating inclusion in the educational project; 3. The school-family collaboration and communication relationships; 4. Ongoing training of the center's professionals; and 5. Human and material resources and school facilities.