The U. S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Education developed a Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs to promote the Departments’ position that all young children with disabilities should have “access to inclusive high-quality early childhood programs, where they are provided with individualized and appropriate support in meeting high expectations.” However, across the country, children with disabilities and their families face significant barriers of access to and participation within high-quality inclusive settings. The joint policy statement states, “too many preschool children with disabilities are only offered the option of receiving special education services in settings separate from their peers without disabilities”.
Follow the Guiding Questions for Discussing Services in the LRE to make sound placement decisions for each young child with a disability.