Prioritising rehabilitation in early childhood for inclusive education: a call to action.
Nihad A AlmasriTracey SmytheMijna Hadders-AlgraBolajoko O Olusanyanull nullPublished in: Disability and rehabilitation (2022)
The culture and practice of rehabilitation should be nurtured from infancy as an indispensable component of ECD to adequately prepare children with developmental disabilities for inclusive education and ensure effective rehabilitation services over the life course. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONRehabilitation is an integral and critical component of early childhood development to optimise school readiness for children with developmental disabilities.Routine newborn screening, developmental assessment, and surveillance of children from birth are foundational to any effective rehabilitation in early childhood.Global investment to promote and support rehabilitation services from early childhood within the health systems and across all levels of service delivery including community settings is warranted to achieve the sustainable development goals for children with disabilities.