Inclusion: Meetings

Save the Date: The Eighth National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute will be held July 29-31, 2008, in Chapel Hill, NC.

The Seventh National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute was held July 31 - August 2, 2007, in Chapel Hill, NC. Copies of the materials used in the plenaries and concurrent sessions are available for download from the meeting Web Site.

The Sixth National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute was held July 25-27, 2006 in Chapel Hill, NC. Copies of the materials used in the plenaries and concurrent sessions are available for download from the meeting Web Site.

The Fifth National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute was held August 3-5, 2005 in Chapel Hill, NC. Copies of the materials used in the plenaries and concurrent sessions are avilable for download from the meeting Web Site.

In December 2004 Project Forum, at the request of OSEP, convened a Policy Forum: High Quality Inclusion Opportunities for Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities (PDF: 371kb) . The purposes of this Forum were to continue the dialogue among stakeholders about increasing high quality inclusion opportunities for preschool-age children with disabilities and to generate options for resources and strategies that promote these opportunities.

On August 9, 2004, NECTAC held The Fourth National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute "Supporting Natural Environments and Inclusion for Children Age Birth - Five" in Chapel Hill, NC.

On July 8, 2002, NECTAC held The Third National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute "Widening the Circle" in Chapel Hill, NC.

On August 14, 2001, NECTAS held The Second National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute "Focus on Change" in Chapel Hill, NC. Presentations from the opening and closing sessions are available.

On August 9, 2000, NECTAS held the first national inclusion meeting "Children, Families, and Inclusive Communities: Rethinking State Systems for Supports and Services."

• The keynote address "Issues and Perspectives on Inclusion" was provided by Donald Bailey, Ph.D., Director of Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center.
• Sam Odom, Ph.D., Otting Professor of Special Education, Indiana University, provided a plenary: "Supporting Young Children in Inclusive Settings: Points of Synthesis from the Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion.

Key Influences on Initiation and Implementation of Inclusive Preschool Programs (note: Link will open in new window) links to a power point presentation delivered by Joan Lieber at the OSEP Research Institute Meeting, December 8, 1999, Washington, D.C.

Summaries From the NECTAS Research-to-Practice Summit: NECTAS — in collaboration with the Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Education Research and Improvement (OERI)— sponsored a Research to Practice Summit in July 1998 in Washington, D.C. An audience of researchers, practitioners, administrators, and families gathered to discuss findings from research into inclusive policies and practices. Some of these research summaries are presented here:

• Communities as Sources of Children's Learning Opportunities by Carl J. Dunst
• A Comparison of the Effects of Early Intervention Delivered in Segregated or Inclusive Classrooms by Mary Beth Bruder
• Embedding Prompting Strategies in Inclusive Preschool Classes by Mark Wolery
• Engagement and Integration in Group Settings by Robin McWilliam
• Family and Community Life as Sources of Participatory Learning Opportunities by Carl J. Dunst and Mary Beth Bruder
• Forms of Preschool Inclusion by Sam Odom
• Inclusion for Preschool Children: A Collaborative Services Model by Mary Beth Bruder
• Intervention Strategies for Team Collaboration in the Classroom by Joan Lieber
• Little or No Reference to Children with Special Needs Found in Child Care Licensing Regulations by Robin Rooney
• Self-Perceptions, Values, and Case Studies in Early Elementary Grades by Robin McWilliam
• School-Linked Integrated Services: Evidence of Change At the Local Level by Christine Salisbury
• Social Relationships of Preschool Children with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings by Sam Odom
• Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusion: Emphasis on Art, Music, and Physical Education Teachers by Mark Wolery