Participation in early childhood educational environments for young children with and without developmental delays: a mixed methods study

Abstract

Children's participation in school-based activities is an important indicator of their inclusion. Prior studies have shown disparities in school participation between children with and without disabilities, but there is limited knowledge about whether these disparities are present during the early childhood period. The purpose of this concurrent transformative mixed methods study is three-fold: 1) to generate new knowledge about similarities and differences in how young children with and without developmental delays participate in daycare/preschool activities (in terms of their participation frequency, level of involvement, and parental desire for change), 2) to examine similarities and differences in perceived environmental supports for participation in daycare/preschool activities, and 3) to identify patterns in the strategies used by parents who want their child's participation to change. This study leverages the newly developed Young Children's Participation and Environment Measure (YC-PEM) to build new knowledge about young children's participation in a daycare/preschool environment. Study results suggest moderate to large disability group differences in young children's daycare/preschool participation and perceived environmental support for participation, even after controlling for the confounding effects of child gender, child age, and family income. Parents of young children with developmental delays, on average, report their children as less involved in daycare/preschool activities and perceive fewer supports for participation in their child's daycare/preschool environment. At the item level, significant disability group differences were found with respect to the child's frequency and level of involvement in daycare/preschool activities across all three daycare/preschool activities (i.e., group learning, socializing with friends, field trips and events). Significant disability group differences were also found in percent desire change for two of three activities (i.e., group learning, socializing with friends). Lastly, significant group differences on perceived environmental support for daycare/preschool participation were found for all but one environmental item (programs and services). Among parents who desired change in their child's participation in daycare/preschool activities, a desire for change was reported across multiple dimensions (frequency, level of involvement, broader variety). The most commonly reported parental strategies to improve participation in daycare/preschool activities pertained to childcare tasks and child peer groups, and these strategies were used irrespective of the type(s) of change that parents desired. In conclusion, the study findings suggest that 1) discrepancies in school participation between children with and without disabilities can be detected in the early childhood period and along multiple dimensions (frequency, level of involvement, parental desire for change); 2) there are wide range of perceived environmental barriers that may be appropriate intervention targets to minimize disparities in school participation for young children with developmental delays; 3) some, but not all, of the ten family accommodations that have been reported in prior literature are commonly used by parents to improve their young child's participation in a daycare/preschool setting. These study results, in turn, support the utility of the YC-PEM for use by stakeholders to 1) identify young children with participation restriction in an early childhood educational setting, 2) identify specific environmental barriers and supports impacting participation in this setting, and 3) anticipate the types of parental strategies that could be expanded upon by stakeholders to improve participation outcomes for young children experiencing participation restriction.