Inclusive Design in the Field of Education from the Paradigm of Early Intervention

• Main Authors: María-Luisa Benítez-Lugo, Elena Pinero-Pinto, Fatima Leon-Larios, Esther María Medrano-Sánchez, Maria de-la-Casa-Almeida, Carmen Suarez-Serrano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Children
• Subjects: students; learning activities; game-based learning; creativity; inclusive design; diversity
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/6/474

Inclusive education and early intervention go hand in hand in the early educational stages to reach the maximum potential of the student body. The aim of this study was to analyze the inclusive profile of an educational center and assess the effectiveness of an inclusive task (designed for this study) in a group of students of early childhood education. This analytical, prospective, descriptive and longitudinal study was conducted from both qualitative and quantitative approaches. From the qualitative approach, an interview was carried out with early childhood education teachers. A total of nine participants were interviewed. Their mean age was 42.25 ± 9.30 years, with a mean experience of 14.25 ± 9.25 years. The quantitative part of the study was carried out with 97 students of early childhood education. After delivering a learning workshop about awareness of functional diversity, three variables were analyzed: story memory, demonstrated emotion, and game memory. The qualitative study indicates that it is necessary to develop coping strategies, such as including special education tasks in the classroom, prior to specific staff training and programming in specific aspects of awareness. Moreover, it is shown that the perception of treatment among peers is already present at this educational stage. The quantitative study reveals that the task was exciting and motivating for the students, which promotes learning and awareness.