Early Childhood Care and Education: A Missed Opportunity for Children with Disability

Abstract

This article best explains public school-based early childhood program and community-based early childhood program in order to understand the problem in the state’s education system addressing the children with disability.It was felt that the teachers have knowledge about child friendly environment and playful practice that is necessary to nurture children from the early age. Global evidence and research fi ndings have shown that children with disabilities are at risk, and vulnerable environment in school, physical facilities for playful environment are diffi cult to deliver. A cross sectional descriptive study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and existing practices on early childhood development and education for children with disabilities. The diversity of ethnicity, level of education, occupation, and religion were found with different levels of knowledge, practice and attitude of the respondents. Most of the teachers were found with the knowledge about the need of playful environment, health, sanitation and hygiene for early childhood development. Teachers with ECDtraining were found more knowledge about playful environment, health and sanitation. Even though existing strategies were promoting learning centers including awareness raising and improving the availability of funds, transport and supply education and health kits, encouraging for institutional capacity building, in reality most of the playful learning environment were found poor, health facilities were not available in schools. The study has been concluded with feeling the need of nurturing children having special attention in school health and nutrition not only for normal child, but also for children with disabilities, teachers and parents, and also other categories of people.