"Just Not a Good Fit...": Expulsion and Young Children With Disabilities

• In Event: Trauma-Informed Practice as an Equitable Practice in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Preschool is an environment where children learn foundational skills necessary for future academic and social success (Mellhuish, 2011). Positive early learning experiences strongly affect whether students grow up to be healthy and productive members of society (Hebbler et al., 2007). However, participation in preschool is limited for many children due to the prevalence of suspension and expulsion in this population (Stegelin, 2018; Gilliam, 2005). Young children may experience suspension when they are temporarily removed from their classroom, and expulsion when educational services have been terminated. Removals may occur when children require additional adult support to follow classroom rules and routines, or when they demonstrate challenging behavior (e.g., hitting, biting). Regardless, when students are denied access to early education in the form of exclusionary discipline, they are deprived of the learning experiences necessary for attaining prosocial outcomes as well as academic achievement (Gilliam, 2005; Gregory et al., 2010). During this session, we will share data on the prevalence of expulsion for young children with disabilities and the unintended consequences of early care and education expulsion on caregivers.

Prevalence of Expulsion for Children with Disabilities: Despite its negative effect, preschool suspension and expulsion is prevalent (Zeng, Pereiera, Larson, Corr, O’Grady, & MacDonald, in press). Researchers have explored adverse childhood experiences and teachers’ racial bias that link to disproportionate suspension and expulsion in preschools, but little research has investigated how a child’s disability status impacts the likelihood of suspension/expulsion. This study investigates the extent to which preschool children with disabilities experience preschool exclusionary practices. We used weighted logistic regression to analyze data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health. Results indicated that 5.4% of young children with disabilities had been either suspended or expelled, compared to 1.2% of children without disabilities. Young children with specific disability labels (e.g. ADD/ADHD) and/or reported behavioral or conduct problems were more likely to experience exclusionary practice.

The Unintended consequences of expulsion on caregivers: To date, the prevalence of preschool suspension and expulsion rates have been measured through large national data sets (2016 National Survey of Children’s Health) which rely on teacher and parent reports (Gilliam, 2005; Zeng, Corr, O’Grady, Guan, 2019). To date, no research has qualitatively studied the experiences of caregivers who have a young child suspended or expelled. This study investigates the experiences of caregivers of young children who have been expelled from early care and education settings (e.g. childcare, preschool etc.). We recruited 38 caregivers of young children to participate in a semi structured interview (ranging from 54-90 minutes) focused on the emotional, physical, and geographic impacts expulsion has on caregivers of young children with disabilities.

Author

• Catherine Corr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign