Who provides support? Exploring professional roles and perceptions of children in need of special support in preschools—A scoping review

Abstract Preschool plays an important role in children's development and well‐being. An increasing number of children require additional support, involving preschool teachers, childcare workers and special educators with differing roles. This international scoping review analyses research on the roles and duties of these professional groups in relation to special support in preschools, how they perceive children in need of support, and how these dimensions are related. The focus is on professional groups in Swedish preschools, namely preschool teachers, special educators and childcare workers (the latter being an internationally diverse group with varying roles and educational backgrounds). Following a scoping review methodology, 38 studies were analysed through qualitative synthesis, with attention to patterns, variations and relationships across studies. The findings show that the division of work between preschool teachers and childcare workers is characterised by both complementarity and ambiguity in responsibilities, with negotiations over tasks reflecting issues of professional jurisdiction and potentially affecting the inclusion of children in need of support. At the same time, there is a strong reliance on the expertise of special educators. Furthermore, the professional groups differ in how they perceive children's needs. These differences reflect categorical and relational perspectives and are linked to how support is organised.