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r aziskovanje v vzgoji in izobr aževanju: digitalizacija vzgoje in izobr aževanja ...
In various countries, there are official documents and guidelines to
support educators in ECEC who work with children with SEN, including
ASD. Both public and private entities are involved in providing training,
with EU-funded projects also being recognized as significant. As can be
seen in Table 8, countries take different approaches to addressing ASD. Var-
ious training programs are available for working with children with special
educational needs (e.g., courses at Universities) and also some that specifi-
cally focus on ASD (e.g., ASD-specific approaches such as ABA). In Italy for
example, some courses are limited to specific regions. Interestingly, Swe-
den is an exception, as they did not report any official CPD course address-
ing this topic for ECEC teachers; however, new stricter requirements for
competencies related to neuropsychiatric difficulties/conditions in schools
and preschools are expected to be in place from July 2021 (Regeringskans-
liet, 2020). Nevertheless, the majority of content related specifically to ASD
seems to be delivered via CPD.
The study shows differences in how selected countries approach spe-
cial and inclusive education. One of the main conclusions of our study is
that despite the importance of quality early childhood education and care
for children with additional needs, including ASD, none of the selected
countries explicitly mention ASD in their initial education for core staff
curricula. This suggests that there may be a gap in the training of ECEC
teachers to effectively work with children on the autism spectrum, particu-
larly in the early stages of development when early intervention is crucial.
The study, therefore, highlights the importance of continuing professional
development (CPD) for preschool teachers to gain appropriate knowledge
and skills to work with disadvantaged children. As can be seen, ECEC in
our study places a greater emphasis on CPD for core practitioners working
with older children, compared to assistants and staff working with younger
children. Additionally, the extent to which CPD is mandated and regulat-
ed varies widely across the five EU countries examined in the study. CPD is
not compulsory in all countries, and the required minimum hours of CPD
per year for preschool teachers vary widely across countries. The decision of
choosing a CPD program is generally left to the individual preschool teach-
er, with various private and public institutions proposing, developing, and
implementing CPD programs. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for
consistent and high-quality training and continuing professional develop-
ment opportunities for ECEC teachers to effectively support the develop-
ment and learning of all children, including those with ASD.
128
In various countries, there are official documents and guidelines to
support educators in ECEC who work with children with SEN, including
ASD. Both public and private entities are involved in providing training,
with EU-funded projects also being recognized as significant. As can be
seen in Table 8, countries take different approaches to addressing ASD. Var-
ious training programs are available for working with children with special
educational needs (e.g., courses at Universities) and also some that specifi-
cally focus on ASD (e.g., ASD-specific approaches such as ABA). In Italy for
example, some courses are limited to specific regions. Interestingly, Swe-
den is an exception, as they did not report any official CPD course address-
ing this topic for ECEC teachers; however, new stricter requirements for
competencies related to neuropsychiatric difficulties/conditions in schools
and preschools are expected to be in place from July 2021 (Regeringskans-
liet, 2020). Nevertheless, the majority of content related specifically to ASD
seems to be delivered via CPD.
The study shows differences in how selected countries approach spe-
cial and inclusive education. One of the main conclusions of our study is
that despite the importance of quality early childhood education and care
for children with additional needs, including ASD, none of the selected
countries explicitly mention ASD in their initial education for core staff
curricula. This suggests that there may be a gap in the training of ECEC
teachers to effectively work with children on the autism spectrum, particu-
larly in the early stages of development when early intervention is crucial.
The study, therefore, highlights the importance of continuing professional
development (CPD) for preschool teachers to gain appropriate knowledge
and skills to work with disadvantaged children. As can be seen, ECEC in
our study places a greater emphasis on CPD for core practitioners working
with older children, compared to assistants and staff working with younger
children. Additionally, the extent to which CPD is mandated and regulat-
ed varies widely across the five EU countries examined in the study. CPD is
not compulsory in all countries, and the required minimum hours of CPD
per year for preschool teachers vary widely across countries. The decision of
choosing a CPD program is generally left to the individual preschool teach-
er, with various private and public institutions proposing, developing, and
implementing CPD programs. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for
consistent and high-quality training and continuing professional develop-
ment opportunities for ECEC teachers to effectively support the develop-
ment and learning of all children, including those with ASD.
128
