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https://w w w.doi.org/10.32320/978-961-270-351-6.111-133
Enhancing Knowledge and Skills
in Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Initial and Continuous Professional
Development for Early Childhood Educators
in Five European Countries
Manja Veldin, Maša Vidmar, Ilaria Farinella, Gaja Jamniker Krevh
1. Introduction
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is increasingly acknowledged
for its significant impact on a child’s cognitive, language, educational and
social development in both the short and long term (Melhuish et al., 2015).
The child’s ECEC experience largely depends on the knowledge, skills, and
practices of early childhood educators1, thus highly qualified staff is vital in
the ECEC settings as this supports the use of appropriate pedagogical ap-
proaches, creating stimulating learning environments and providing good
care and support (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2019). How-
ever, simply having a certain level of initial education is not enough to en-
sure high-quality ECEC.
According to the European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice (2019), one
way to high-quality ECEC is through an integrated ECEC system (from
birth to the start of primary education). They characterized four core qual-
ity dimensions, which include: (i) settings (unitary or separate); (ii) author-
ities (single or dual); (iii) highly qualified staff throughout the entire ECEC
phase (minimum ISCED level 6); and (iv) education guidelines applying
for all settings. This categorization places European countries on a con-
tinuum ranging from integrated to split systems (five groups in total), de-
pending on the level of system and policy integration in their ECEC system.
1 In this study, the terms “ECEC/early childhood/preschool/kindergarten/pre-prima-
ry teachers/staff/practitioners/educators”, are used interchangeably.
111
Enhancing Knowledge and Skills
in Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Initial and Continuous Professional
Development for Early Childhood Educators
in Five European Countries
Manja Veldin, Maša Vidmar, Ilaria Farinella, Gaja Jamniker Krevh
1. Introduction
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is increasingly acknowledged
for its significant impact on a child’s cognitive, language, educational and
social development in both the short and long term (Melhuish et al., 2015).
The child’s ECEC experience largely depends on the knowledge, skills, and
practices of early childhood educators1, thus highly qualified staff is vital in
the ECEC settings as this supports the use of appropriate pedagogical ap-
proaches, creating stimulating learning environments and providing good
care and support (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2019). How-
ever, simply having a certain level of initial education is not enough to en-
sure high-quality ECEC.
According to the European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice (2019), one
way to high-quality ECEC is through an integrated ECEC system (from
birth to the start of primary education). They characterized four core qual-
ity dimensions, which include: (i) settings (unitary or separate); (ii) author-
ities (single or dual); (iii) highly qualified staff throughout the entire ECEC
phase (minimum ISCED level 6); and (iv) education guidelines applying
for all settings. This categorization places European countries on a con-
tinuum ranging from integrated to split systems (five groups in total), de-
pending on the level of system and policy integration in their ECEC system.
1 In this study, the terms “ECEC/early childhood/preschool/kindergarten/pre-prima-
ry teachers/staff/practitioners/educators”, are used interchangeably.
111
