First Steps to Preschool Inclusion: How to Jumpstart Your Programwide Plan

About Sarika S. Gupta

Sarika (Sari) S. Gupta is Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Special Education in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University USA. She holds a doctoral degree in special education from the University of Maryland USA and she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in early childhood special education leadership and policy at the University of Colorado USA. Over the last 15 years she has blended teaching research and policy experiences to support preschool inclusion. She taught young children (0-5) with and without disabilities in typical and inclusive settings coached Head Start teachers and worked at the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs. She has led numerous professional development workshops focused on individualizing instruction for preschoolers with special needs and promoting young children's social and emotional outcomes. Dr. Gupta is an active member of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children and served as their National Children's Action (CAN) Network Coordinator in 2011. In 2013 she assisted in convening DEC's first Leadership Summit. Her research interests include leadership preparation and coaching in early childhood. Currently she is the principal investigator for a pilot study that will explore preschool administrators educational and programmatic needs as they pertain to inclusion.William ÒBillÓ Henninger IV Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Family Studies at the University of Northern Iowa USA in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He obtained his PhD from Iowa State University USA in Human Development and Family Studies with a specialization in Early Childhood Special Education. He has also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in early childhood special education leadership and policy at the University of Colorado - Denver USA. Prior to obtaining his PhD Bill worked for Juniper Gardens Children's Project in Kansas City Kansas USA. JPGC is a research center affiliated with the University of Kansas which serves inner city Kansas through early intervention research. Bill's major research interests include social emotional development of typical and non-typical children and adolescents. Megan E. Vinh Ph.D. is an Educational Consultant with Technical Assistance and Consulting Services a research and outreach unit at the University of Oregon USA. She provides technical assistance and consultation to states agencies of special education under a grant funded by the Office of Special Education Programs to improve services for young children with disabilities and their families. She has experience with projects related to early childhood outcomes early childhood special education preschool inclusion and evidence based strategies to promote social and emotional development of young children.