This book explores policies and practices in special education in the early years, highlighting shared enablers and barriers. It examines research, policies and practices from different Nordic countries and discusses the theory and empirical data underlying the research. It looks at specific issues including gifted children, social inequality and exclusion, teaching children with autism, inclusive practice, language and emotions. The book offers critical perspectives, highlights potential developmental objects and gives recommendations for further research as well as policy and practice. The book features many aspects of the so-called Nordic model - the economic and social policies common to the Nordic Countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The findings provide important insights into the Nordic model and advance the understanding of relevant issues facing the Nordic countries.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Special Education in the Early YearsPolicies
and Practices across the Nordic Countries.- Part I: Policy Perspectives.-
Chapter 2 Early Childhood Special Education in Finland.
Chapter 3 Children
with Autism Spectrum Conditions: Social Norms and Expectations in Swedish
Preschools.
Chapter 4 Implicit and Inclusive Early Education for Gifted
Children Swedish Policy and International Possibilities.
Chapter 5 Gaps in
Care(E)Quality Ecec in Nordic Early Childhoods.
Chapter 6 Autism and Young
Children in Sweden.
Chapter
7. Swedish Early Childhood Preservice Teachers
and Inclusive Education.- Part Ii: Practice Perspectives.
Chapter
8.
Developing Inclusive Learning Environments When Collaboration is (Not) The
Answer.
Chapter
9. How do Children Describe Learning Self-Regulation Skills
in the Kids Skills Intervention?.
Chapter
10. Experiences of Educational
Support for Mathematical High-Ability Children in Finland. A Netnography of
Parental Perspective from Ece to the School Context.
Chapter
11. A Survey of
the Views of Graduates of Early Childhood Teacher Education in Norway on
Special Needs Education.
Chapter
12. Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood
Education in Norway.
Chapter
13. Late Talkers and Language Learning in
Norwegian Ececs for Children under Three.
Chapter
14. Finger Patterns as
Tools for Learning the Basic Meaning of Numbers.
Chapter
15. Support of
Language and Communication in Swedish Preschools.
Chapter
16. Communities of
Practice: A Model for Professional Development in Early Childhood Education
and Care to Support Children with Communication Barriers?.
Chapter
17.
Teacher Perceptions of Language Challenges among Children in Three Different
Language-Medium Settings in Finland.
Chapter
18. Behind the Practice:
Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care Professionals Perceptions and
Beliefs Concerning Children in Need of Social and Emotional Support.
Chapter
19. Special Education in the Early Years: Summary andOutlook.
Professor Heidi Harju-Luukkainen holds a Ph.D. in education, special education teacher qualification and qualification in leadership and management from Finland. She has published more than 100 international books, journal articles and reports as well as worked on more than 35 projects globally. Harju-Luukkainen has worked at top-ranked universities in the USA like UCLA, USC as well as in many Nordic research universities. She has developed education programs for universities, been a PI of PISA sub-assessments in Finland and functioned as a board professional. Her research areas are early childhood education, justice in education and international student assessment.
Natallia Bahdanovich Hanssen, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Faculty of Education and Arts at Nord University in Bodų, Norway, and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer. She has an aesthetic education, with a major in music, singing, and art history from the Belarusian State Pedagogical University and adaptive training and special needs education from Nord University in Bodų, Norway. Natallias research is currently linked to early childhood education, special needs education, inclusive education, comparative studies, developmental language disorder, aesthetic and special needs education.
Christel Sundqvist, Ph.D., is an associate professor in special education at Nord University in Norway and at Åbo Akademi University in Finland. Her research interest concerns inclusive education, the special education teachers role, multi-professional collaboration and consultation in special needs education.
