Collaboration to Support Children with Disabilities
Early childhood educators have a rich history of supporting all children. We were particularly struck by articles during the Bulletin’ s first decade that emphasized the importance of caring for children with diverse abilities. One noteworthy example appeared in Winter 1955’ s On the State Side feature, which detailed state-level early childhood initiatives. Rosalie Blau described how the early childhood association in Portland, Oregon, set a goal“ to consider the needs of the‘ handicapped’ child and the possibility of integrating him into our standard nurseries”( 41). Collaboration was evident in her descriptions of a Kansas preschool that partnered with professionals to support children who were blind and a school that included otologists and social workers to support preschoolers who were deaf.
In the same feature, Blau detailed the joint efforts of the Elliot Park Neighborhood House in Minnesota.“ A somewhat unique feature of the program lies in the cooperative picture it presents,” she wrote( 39). This experimental preschool served children with severe cognitive disabilities and was made possible through the collaboration of educators, the Minneapolis Association for Retarded Children( now known as The ARC Minnesota), the Women’ s Club of Minneapolis, and a community settlement house. Beyond securing funding for a school, the initiative sought to provide hands-on experiences for future educators. Blau described how“ projected plans also include the possibility of assigning student nurses and student teachers from the nearby training centers in the school” to gain experience with this population of children( 39).
Bulletin Articles About Children with Diverse Abilities
Area of Focus Title and Author Bulletin Issue
General disabilities
“ The Education of the Handicapped Child,” by Melba M. Miller
March 1948, jstor. org / stable / 42723229
“ The Role of the Nursery School Teacher in a Children’ s Hospital,” by Mildred Wallace and Violet Feinauer
Fall 1952, jstor. org / stable / 42723321
“ What Is Your Definition of‘ Handicap?’” by Helen Christianson
Summer 1954, jstor. org / stable / 42723642
Physical disabilities“ The Child with Cerebral Palsy,” by Agnes Reeda
Summer 1950, jstor. org / stable / 42723271
“ Tom Goes to School,” by Marie and Theron Alexander
Fall 1954, jstor. org / stable / 42723646
Blindness
“ The Blind Child, Too, Can Go to Nursery School,” by Pauline M. Moore
Fall 1951, jstor. org / stable / 42723299
“ The Nursery School Includes a Blind Child,” by Betty Hein
Summer 1953, jstor. org / stable / 42723345
Deafness
“ How the John Tracy Clinic Helps Parents,” by Alathena J. Smith
Summer 1954, jstor. org / stable / 42723645
74 Young Children
Spring 2026