Nursery World - A Unique Child: A-Z of inclusive practice

By Mary Dickins, early years consultant (All Together Consultancy and London Metropolitan University)

"Inclusion is a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging"

Early Childhood Forum (2003)

As human beings, we all need friendships and positive relationships to sustain us. When you talk to any child it becomes obvious that friendship is of vital importance in their life. Disabled children often lack opportunities to establish friendships with peers and may need support and help to enable them to establish and maintain relationships.

Some barriers are organisational. For example, disabled children may have individual routines that result in lack of time for play and social opportunities. Concerns about risk may limit their activities. Social barriers may also exist because disabled children spend more time with adults than their peers and sometimes do not get the encouragement and support they need to undertake forms of play that they want to engage in.

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