Teachers’ Work with Children with Special Needs in Kindergarten

Abstract

The preschool period is a susceptible stage of children’s development, and it is essential that children receive the necessary support for their optimal development during this period. This is especially important for children with special educational needs. The present study highlights the importance of early childhood education teachers and teacher assistants to provide optimal conditions for the development of children with special educational needs. Our research includes 148 early childhood education teachers and teacher assistants, who completed a questionnaire about the general tasks they perform when working with children with special educational needs. The results show that while teachers perform various tasks intended for children with special educational needs and cooperate with the kindergarten counselling service, parents and other professionals, they do not feel competent to work with children with special educational needs. Additionally, the results indicate that there are differences between early childhood education teachers and teacher assistants, as the results are more favourable for the former.