Case Study: Inclusive Education and Teacher Wellbeing. A Teacher's Perspective on Classroom Dynamics

This case study offers a first-person account of implementing inclusive education in an early years classroom, written from my perspective as a practicing EYFS teacher. It documents a real situation involving a three-year-old child later understood to have autism, whose developmental needs were not disclosed to me at the time of admission. The study examines how the absence of transparent communication between home and school, combined with limited institutional support and inadequate teacher training, affected both the child's inclusion outcomes and my own professional wellbeing. It draws on established theoretical frameworks, including Lev Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory (Zone of Proximal Development, scaffolding) and Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (mesosystem interactions between home and school), to analyse what happened when these systems failed to work together effectively. Key themes explored in this case study include: The gap between inclusive education policy and classroom reality The impact of parental non-disclosure on early intervention and teaching practice Peer dynamics and social interaction challenges in inclusive settings Teacher stress, emotional exhaustion, and the risk of burnout in unsupported environments Institutional priorities that conflict with meaningful inclusion The importance of shadow teacher support and why it was declined The study concludes with reflections on what genuine inclusion requires: transparent communication, institutional responsibility, structured teacher training, and attention to teacher wellbeing. It argues that inclusive education is not simply about placing children with diverse needs into mainstream classrooms, but about creating environments where every child and every teacher is supported to succeed. This case study is relevant to early childhood educators, special educational needs coordinators, teacher educators, and researchers interested in inclusive pedagogy, teacher wellbeing, and the practical realities of implementing inclusion in early years settings.