The thesis examines the role of pre-school teachers₁ in working with children with special needs in regular sections of kindergarden.
The pre-school period is one of the most important periods in a child's development, as it is necessary to encourage and develop the child's holistic development. Educators, other professionals and parents of children with special needs play an important role in this. In the comprehensive early treatment of children with special needs, maternity hospitals and other medical institutions, social welfare institutions and counseling centers also make a great contribution as such. The theoretical part focuses on the early treatment of children with special needs, which is based on the Act on comprehensive early treatment of preschool children with special needs (ZOPOPP, UL RS 41/17, 2017). We have defined early treatment, goals and principles, and the course of early treatment, which takes place through seven phases. Then we defined children with special needs, the role of professionals in regular kindergarten sections, an individualized program, additional professional help, and described adjustments for the implementation of education and training in regular kindergarten sections with children with special needs.
In the empirical part, we conducted a survey in which 117 professionals who were employed as educators or assistant educators in regular kindergarten sections participated. We used a survey questionnaire to get answers to the research questions. In the research, we found that working with children with special needs presents burdens and difficulties for the majority of educators in regular sections of the kindergarten, and therefore they are of the opinion that they are insufficiently qualified for this work. To help children with special needs, they have the option of getting a companion, who, according to the educators, are also undereducated for the job. Companions should complete training for working with children with special needs in the pre-school period before starting work.
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