Participation, involvement and peer relationships in children with special educational needs in early childhood education

The aim of this study was to obtain new information about the diversity of everyday activities and social relations among children with special education needs (N = 145) in Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) units. In this research children´s daily activities, involvement, target of attention and social relations during play and other social activities in different groups formed according to children’s special educational needs are investigated. Results revealed that children with problems in self-regulation and children with major disabilities spent less time with peers and in various social activities than children with developmental language disorder and children without special education needs. The results suggest that inclusive practices are still only under development within the Finnish ECEC units. Practical implications of the results concerning ways to support children’s equal participation in daily activities in early childhood education and in building peer relationships, regardless of the amount of needed support are discussed.