Socialization of Children With Special Needs in Pre-School Institutions

One of the important advantages of early childhood involvement is its positive impact on children's psychological well-being. Inclusion fosters a sense of belonging, acceptance and self-worth in all children, regardless of their abilities, which is exactly what preschool institutions do. The benefit of inclusion for children with special needs is the ability to observe, imitate and play with normally developed children, and successful inclusion in kindergarten is the basis of their integration throughout life. The purpose of this research is to analyze the socialization of children with special needs (CHSN) according to educators' perspectives, embedding the involvement of parents, peers' behavior, and independent involvement CHSN in the process. To conduct this research, 30 kindergarten educators voluntarily participated and were tasked with filling out a questionnaire that measured the socialization of children with special needs. Results showed that 86% of educators considered that CHSN have difficulties on participating in group social activities, supported bz 43% of them who considered peers offer some group support but limited, and this makes 43% of educators consider that CHSN do not participate independently in group activities. The only positive perspective of educators towards socialization of CHNS is the involvement of parents in this process, with 66% of educators evaluating them as highly engaged.