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Rethinking Early Childhood Intervention and Education: A Turbulent Decade in Australia's Progress toward the Inclusion of Young Children with Disability

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Title: Rethinking Early Childhood Intervention and Education: A Turbulent Decade in Australia's Progress toward the Inclusion of Young Children with Disability
Language: English
Authors: Samantha Vlcek, John Forster, Kerry Bull, Susana Gavidia-Payne, Coral Kemp, Anoo Bhopti, Denise Luscombe
Source: Infants and Young Children. 2026 39(1):30-50.
Availability: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Available from: Wolters Kluwer. 351 West Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Tel: 800-638-3030; e-mail: MR-WKCustomerSupport@wolterskluwer.com; Web site: https://journals.lww.com/pages/default.aspx
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Intervention, Foreign Countries, Young Children, Disabilities, Public Policy, Health Services, Commercialization
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1097/IYC.0000000000000317
ISSN: 0896-3746
1550-5081
Abstract: Australia was one of the first countries to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with its commitment to inclusive education. However, policy and practice shifts in the last decade have seen an increase in the provision of services on the basis of diagnosis, and a fragmentation of the disability service system. The aim of this paper is to examine the unintended consequences of a major policy reform in Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and its implications for the inclusion of young children with disability in education and healthcare. A review of current research and grey literature identifies key structural and operational factors contributing to a shift away from inclusive practices and supports in early childhood education and care and early childhood intervention services. The marketization of disability services and individual budgets through the NDIS have led to an influx of providers with limited understanding, skills, and expertise in children's inclusion. This shift, driven by consumer choice rather than coordinated service delivery, has created unintended barriers to the developmental and participation outcomes of young children with disability. These issues are discussed in the context of policy changes across the past decade to understand equity, universality, marketization, workforce development, and implementation of services for Australian children with developmental concerns, delay, or disability.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1494574
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Available from: Wolters Kluwer. 351 West Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Tel: 800-638-3030; e-mail: MR-WKCustomerSupport@wolterskluwer.com; Web site: https://journals.lww.com/pages/default.aspx
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  Data: Australia was one of the first countries to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with its commitment to inclusive education. However, policy and practice shifts in the last decade have seen an increase in the provision of services on the basis of diagnosis, and a fragmentation of the disability service system. The aim of this paper is to examine the unintended consequences of a major policy reform in Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and its implications for the inclusion of young children with disability in education and healthcare. A review of current research and grey literature identifies key structural and operational factors contributing to a shift away from inclusive practices and supports in early childhood education and care and early childhood intervention services. The marketization of disability services and individual budgets through the NDIS have led to an influx of providers with limited understanding, skills, and expertise in children's inclusion. This shift, driven by consumer choice rather than coordinated service delivery, has created unintended barriers to the developmental and participation outcomes of young children with disability. These issues are discussed in the context of policy changes across the past decade to understand equity, universality, marketization, workforce development, and implementation of services for Australian children with developmental concerns, delay, or disability.
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