Fortursbarn och 'vanliga' barn pa tolv daghem: Jamforande observationer. (Mainstreamed Children and 'Ordinary' Children in Twelve Day-Care Centers: An Observational Study).

N

93

Swedish Delegation for Social Research (Sweden).

Comparative Analysis; Day Care Centers; Disadvantaged Youth; Downs Syndrome; Early Childhood Education; Foreign Countries; Mainstreaming; Mental Retardation; Observation; Preschool Children; Teacher Attitudes

978-91-7372-831-7

Observations of one mainstreamed child and one "ordinary child" at each of 12 day care centers were compared. Five of the 12 mainstreamed children were mentally retarded, and seven had a slight developmental retardation mainly due to deprivation. Observations of 10-minute duration, totaling 4 hours and dispersed across 7 days, focused on (1) time each child spent in active communication; (2) qualitative aspects of this communication; and (3) the child's behavior while alone. Findings indicated that deprived children did not differ much from the "ordinary" children. However, the observations of the five mentally retarded children differed significantly. The mentally retarded children were not socially integrated, were significantly more often alone, were alone for longer periods, and played noticeably less with other children than the "ordinary" children did. Most of the children communicated only short periods of time with an adult. Mentally retarded children needing practical help received a little more time with adults. While positive about integrating the children, none of the staff considered their own role as an active one in the integration process. Results are discussed in the context of day care centers as learning environments and implications for the development of all children. (RH)

1986

ED266852