Tidlig indsats?: Praksis i børnehavers inklusion af børn med autisme

The purpose of the study was to investigate how ‘early intervention’ in practice is implemented for children with autism in regular kindergarten provision. The researchers wanted to shed light on how the concept, which involves early identification and prevention, functions in everyday life for this specific group of children. Through an anthropological research project focusing on children’s everyday lives, the aim was to understand how early intervention is framed and practiced in the interactions between the children, the adults and their surroundings. The research question was: What does ‘early intervention’ entail at the practice level in kindergarten provision for children with autism?

The study shows that early intervention in kindergartens for children with autism often failed to include the children socially. The children spent most of their time alone, and there were few meaningful interactions with other children or adults. The researchers found that staff lacked special needs education knowledge and often interpreted the children’s loneliness as contentment. Although the aim was to support social inclusion, the results showed that the early intervention did not achieve this aim under the prevailing conditions, partly due to a lack of resources and support for the staff.

The researchers used participatory observation as the main method for data collection. The sample consisted of four children aged 5-7 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Denmark. These children were placed in regular kindergartens that were assessed by the municipality to be able to offer early intervention involving different forms of support for the children. The researchers conducted fieldwork in four different kindergartens, where they observed the everyday life of both children with autism and neurotypical children. Detailed descriptions of interactions and situations involving the children with autism were collected.

Danneskiold-Samsøe, I., & Kjær, B. (2023). Tidlig indsats?: Praksis i børnehavers inklusion af børn med autisme. Dansk Pædagogisk Tidsskrift, 2023(4), 78–95.