Culture, ethnicity, and linguistic diversity: Implications for early childhood special education

Abstract

Culturally and linguistically sensitive and individually tailored services are essential to the effective delivery of human services. Recognition and respect for the influences of cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity across families are important underpinnings for intervention services. In the field of early childhood special education (ECSE), these components are particularly crucial given the emphasis on early identification and treatment for the very youngest in our population and the provision of services and support for children within their families’ homes and communities. While these values may be widely embraced and even adopted, putting them into practice in ECSE settings demands planned, well-informed, and reflective approaches. Recent demographic shifts reflecting greater population diversity present both challenges and opportunities for service providers to adapt their practices in order to meet and effectively support the breadth of needs of children and their families. It is the purpose of this chapter to describe considerations related to the diversity of children and families being served and to identify strategies and recommendations for effectively meeting the range of child and family needs.