Beyond Compliance in Early Childhood Education Centering Disability Freedom and Belonging

<p><b>What might it mean for young children with disabilities to experience freedom and belonging from their earliest moments in school? </b></p><p>This volume provides an in-depth discussion and analysis of how critical perspectives on disability can inform our work with children, families, and teachers in early childhood settings. Thirty <b> international contributors center disability and prioritize children's perspectives</b> across a variety of contexts, including Head Start, community-based centers, public school classrooms, and home visiting. </p><p>This <b>one-of-a-kind book</b> argues that a focus on disability and ableism is necessary for countering traditional developmental perspectives and oppressive notions of "normalcy" to cultivate freedom and belonging for marginalized young children.</p><p><b>Chapter topics include:</b></p><ul><li>Histories and contexts of ableism in early childhood.</li><li>Affirming and supporting positive disability identity in early childhood.</li><li>Creating interdependence and relationships of support with and between children in early care settings.</li><li>Recognizing children's varied socio-emotional expressions as legitimate.</li><li>Children's expansive, multilingual, and multimodal meaning-making in the context of standardized academic goals.</li><li>Honoring marginalized families' priorities, engagement strategies, and meaningful resistance.</li><li>Integrating Indigenous, Black feminist, and/or disability justice perspectives in teacher education.</li></ul>