This paper is intended to describe the practices in early childhood education and the procedures that maybe used to meet the unique needs of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and their families. The following paragraphs will also address the special education programs and the law; structure of teaching young children; different types of assessment; instructional programs for young children; and inclusion and young children. All of these components make up the instructional considerations for younger children.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA, 1997; PL 105-17) provides early intervention programs to young children with special needs and their families. In 1986, Public Law 99-457, which is an amendment to PL 94-142, extended all of the rights and protections of PL 94-142 to 3- to 5-year-old children with disabilities and created a discretionary program to assist states in developing early intervention programs for families and their young children who are at risk or disabled from birth up to age 3 years. Section 619 of IDEA, provides services to children if they have a diagnosis of mental retardation, hearing impairments, speech or language impairments, visual impairments, severe emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities. Part C of IDEA provides services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, developmental delays, or who are at risk for disabilities. The purpose of early intervention programs is to enhance the development of infants and toddlers and to minimize the need for subsequent special education services as they reach school age. Also, early intervention is intended to enhance the capacity of families to meet the special needs of their infant or toddler. There are seven goals of early childhood special education programs (Bailey and Wolery, 1992).
