The Effectiveness of a Counseling Program for Modifying the Attitudes of Kindergarten Teachers toward the Integration of Children with Special Needs.

Abstract: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a Counseling Program in modifying the attitudes of kindergarten teachers toward the integration of children with special needs with their normal counterparts in kindergartens. The research sample consisted of 20 kindergarten teachers who were divided into an experimental group (10 teachers) and a control group (10 teachers. The study was conducted using the semi experimental design and employed two tools, which are:  The Attitudes toward the Integration of Children with Special Needs with Normal Children in Kindergartens Scale and a Counseling Program prepared by the researcher. The Counseling Program consisted of 12 sessions to modify the attitudes of the individuals in the sample toward the integration of children with special needs with their normal counterparts in kindergartens using the following counseling procedures and methods:  Direct counseling, indirect counseling, group counseling, and cognitive-behavioral counseling through the following techniques: Dialogue and discussion, home assignment, summary, and Socratic dialogue.  The results indicated the effectiveness of the Counseling Program in modifying the attitudes of kindergarten teachers toward the integration of children with special needs with their normal counterparts in kindergartens. The study was concluded with some recommendations based on the results besides suggestions for further research.