Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Early Childhood Special Education In A Refugee Resettlement Community: Challenges And Innovative Practices, Jennifer J. Hurley, Rachel A. Warren, Rebecca D. Habalow, Lauren E. Weber, Sarah R. Tousignant

College of Education and Social Services Faculty Publications

There has been a significant increase in the number of children who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) who qualify for early childhood special education (ECSE) services (Banerjee & Guiberson, 2012). The current study investigates the challenges and innovative practices in the evaluation and (ECSE) services for preschool aged children who are refugees. Twenty-eight early childhood educators who work in a small refugee resettlement community participated in a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews resulting in themes regarding challenges and innovative practices. Challenges include: lack of validated assessments, wait time for evaluations, different cultural perspectives and family advocacy. Innovative practices include: …