Inclusion in Practice Issue 1, 2013 - Big Fat Smile€¦ · failure to thrive. The benefits of...

Issue 1, 2013Inclusionin Practice

Early warning

signsIntervention and Inclusion

Part 3 of our Inclusion Strategy SeriesPLUS:

Sensory play and learning

ALSO:

2 Inclusion in Practice | Issue 1, 2013

Early warning signs, intervention and inclusion

As educators it is important to recognise the early warning signs associated with disabilities and other additional needs in children. Research shows that children who remain undiagnosed can lack the skills required to cope with everyday situations at school and in the workplace, leading to low self-esteem and a general failure to thrive.

The benefits of educators having an active role in identifying early warning signs, assisting with intervention strategies and implementing inclusive practices are:• improved developmental and

educational outcomes for children;• reduced feelings of isolation and

stress that families experience; and • children with additional needs grow

to become productive, independent individuals.

Early Warning Signs

All children develop at different rates. Therefore, diagnosing disabilities in individual children can be quite complex. However, there are numerous early warning signs that indicate a child may have an additional need that requires some type of specialist intervention.

Common indicators include:

• limited play skills;• difficulty using utensils to play, build

and eat;• not imitating others’ actions;

• not interested in interacting with familiar people;

• not exploring their environment;• inability to move, sit and climb in a

variety of ways;• failure to respond or an unusual

response to the environment;• non-responsive to loud noises and

voices;• lack of visual interest in faces, lights

or noise;• failure to show a range of emotions or

extreme emotional outbursts; • being noticeably floppy or rigid; • avoiding eye contact;• not liking touch;• not recognising dangerous situations;• difficulty communicating verbally;

and• being aggressive or withdrawn at

different times.

Often it is the educator who first notices the signs of a developmental delay or disability in a child. If this is the case it is important to observe the child closely over time, document any concerns about the child’s development and consult with the child’s parents.

When consulting with parents it is important to:

• choose an appropriate time and place;

• be prepared, empathetic and calm;• explain your concerns using clear,

easy to understand language;• be positive and emphasise your

Early detection, intervention and inclusion can lead to better outcomes for children during their school years and throughout life.

by Rowena Garvey, Nerida Scholze & Julie Michlmayr

In this edition: Early Warning Signs 2

Transforming Philosophy into Practice: Curriculum Approaches, Pedagogies and Curriculum 5

Sensory Play and Learning 7

Inclusion Strategies Series – Part 3 11

Reflecting on Practice 18

Ongoing Learning and Reflective Practice 19

Contact details 20

Level 1, 98 Railway StreetPO Box 475, Corrimal NSW 2518T | 02 4283 9900F | 02 4283 9901www.includeme.com.au

The Inclusion and Professional Support Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

A part of

3Inclusion in Practice | Issue 1, 2013

commitment to helping the child and the family;

• allow the parents to ask questions and have specific information available;

• refer the family to the appropriate specialist services; and

• follow up with the family regularly about the child’s progress, intervention strategies and inclusion.

Early Childhood Intervention

Early childhood intervention is the process of providing specialised support and services for infants and young children who have developmental delays or disabilities, and their families. Early intervention supports and strategies vary according to the needs of each child and educators may become an integral part of this process.

Common early intervention strategies may include diagnostic assessments; paediatric assessments; speech therapy reports and programs/activities; occupational therapy reports and exercises; audiology assessments; attendance at education and care services; individual educational programs; community support programs; psychology programs; and specialist early intervention programs.

As time frames and waiting lists for early intervention can be lengthy, educators often ask what they can do in the meantime.

Strategies may include the following:

• Consulting with your Inclusion Support Facilitator.

• Researching your concerns and developing and implementing strategies to alleviate these.

• Using team meetings to reflect on current practices and identifying where these may need to be varied or adapted to include all children (all team members need to be “on-board” with these).

• Using team meetings as a vehicle for in-house training for practices you wish to implement that are

beneficial to all children such as key word signing, use of visuals and safe spaces.

• Supporting educators who have difficulty adjusting to change or who may not be confident working with children who have additional needs.

• Establishing a timeline of events to ensure all actions have been implemented.

• Visiting or making contact with local networks to research effective methods of introducing change or goals and actions.

• Implementing short term identified actions immediately that benefit all children e.g. using visuals to support play and social situations.

• Providing opportunities to meet and discuss referrals and time-frames with the family being supported.

• Setting up a communication system with the family.

Inclusive Practice

Educators can also implement practices to ensure effective inclusion of every child whether they are displaying early warning signs, are awaiting diagnosis or early intervention or do not have a formal diagnosis but have complex support needs.

A good starting point is the Engage-Reflect-Plan cycle.

Engage:Relationships need to be planned as they form an important part of the program. Relationships are built through demonstrating your interest in the child, showing respect for the child and engaging in play with the child. Through shared play you can listen, observe and

learn about the child. This is an effective way to gather information about the child’s interests, strengths and skills. Conversations with families also assist in this process.

Reflect:Meaningful engagement with a child (the engage process) will allow you to gather multiple levels of relevant information. The next step is to reflect and ask yourself the following:

• What have I learned about the child? • How can I build on their strengths? • Are there things preventing the child

from thriving in the environment? • Does the environment need to be

changed to better suit the child? • Has the information raised more

questions for me?

Careful reflection on this information will assist you to develop an effective, individualised plan for children who require a higher level of support in the environment, and to implement a program that best suits their needs.

Plan:Planning will be easier and more useful after you engage and reflect. Planning is using the knowledge you have about the child to assist them to participate happily and successfully in the program. It is also about individualising the program to suit the needs of specific children within the group.

Scenario:

Michelle has noticed that Amy is entering the service each morning without giving eye contact to her peers or other adults. It has also been observed by Michelle that during the day Amy speaks very little, prefers to play on her own and has limited communication skills.

At a team meeting, educators are reflecting on the children and the curriculum. Michelle raises her concerns about Amy and, as a team, staff members decide to make further observations of Amy in the service using the Engage-Reflect-Plan cycle.


Engage:Michelle greeted Amy at the door in the morning and asked her what she would like to do. Amy pointed at the puzzles. Michelle connected with Amy by playing with her and observing her behaviour. Michelle noticed that Amy liked to line up the puzzle pieces rather than complete the puzzle and that she did not give eye contact to Michelle as they spent time together.

Reflect: Michelle made notes on Amy’s behaviour to discuss with other staff members later in the day. Amy liked to play with puzzles pieces and would allow Michelle into her play space. However, Amy had difficulty giving eye contact and verbally communicating with others, although, she was able to point when asked a question. Amy also preferred to play on her own most of the time.

Possible questions: Is Amy shy? Does Amy have an expressive language delay? Does Amy behave like this when not at the service? What information can the family share about the situation? How can Michelle help Amy to engage with her peers?

Importantly, the information gathered about Amy may have gone unnoticed without the Engage - Reflect process.

Plan:After discussions with Amy’s mum Leanne it was determined that Amy does display this behaviour outside the service and Leanne has been concerned about it for some time. Michelle has suggested that Amy may require some assessments. Michelle offered some referral agencies to contact and discussed with Leanne the strategies educators would introduce immediately at the service to assist Amy to participate more fully in the program.

Strategies for the educators:

• Greet and connect with Amy each morning to ensure an effective attachment and relationship with educators is developed.

• Where applicable apply for support funds (FSF – ISS, Short Term Funding- SCAN) to assist with implementing identified goals.

• Identify Amy’s interests and use these to establish play environments that will inspire interactions.

• Set up Amy’s favourite play experience each day to provide security, a point of interest and something to engage her.

• Develop visual timetables where Amy can choose what she would like to do for the morning. Educators can use this as a vehicle for developing communication with Amy and for task selection and completion. The timetable could also be used as a method of inviting friends to play in the selected activities.

• Support the development of peer friendships based on shared interests.

• Provide “how to play” visuals for all play experiences (these are visual cues of how to use/explore experiences).

• Implement smaller group sizes to better facilitate the inclusion of all children.

• Provide parallel groups instead of whole groups, to ensure increased opportunity for participation. Instead of one group of 16, two groups of 8 doing the same activity is easier to manage and gives all children access.

• Ensure the room environment remains stable. Provide fixed play environments and consistent staffing.

• Decide on a team approach that best suits the needs of Amy and all of the children, e.g. consistent use of key word signing, always getting down to a child’s level to initiate contact, providing warnings regarding transition times, modelling effective communication skills and modelling social skills.

• Keep goals and actions achievable in the short term. Remember, you are aiming to provide the interim support required whilst waiting for referrals and assessments.

Inevitably, some children in your care will require early intervention strategies and inclusive practices to be implemented in our services. It is the responsibility of educators to provide the best quality care for all the children, including the engage, reflect and plan cycle. Children, regardless of ability, thrive best in a caring, supportive environment based on quality programs and relationships. Therefore, it is important that educators have the appropriate training and expertise to recognise early warning signs and provide a sound, current, educational program for each child.

Further Reading:

- Roffman L & Wanerman T (2011) Including One, Including All.

Useful links and resources:

• www.learninglinks.org.au• www.noahsarkinc.org.au• www.ldonline.org/educators• Early Childhood Intervention

Australia• www.eciavic.gov.au• Inclusion Facilitators (see back page)

References

Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities (2013)

California Training Institute, California Childcare Health Program (2013) Children with Disabilities and other Special Needs.

Butler K, Early Special Educator, (2013) Learning Links

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/226/

Roffman L & Wanerman T (2011) Including One, Including All.


When reflecting on curriculum approaches and pedagogies used by a service the following need to be taken into account:• Educator and family perspectives. • The context of the service.• The service’s philosophy.• The analysis of the service’s

potentials and challenges.• New theoretical perspectives. • Educators’ preferred ways of working

throughout the day.¹

Defining Curriculum Approaches

Curriculum approaches reflect our beliefs about how children learn; the role of families, communities and educators in children’s learning; and what is important for children now and in the future.¹

Why are they important?

Each approach reflects significant ideas about the service’s stakeholders (the children, families, educators and communities) and the relationships between these stakeholders.¹ When educators carefully select approaches that align with their beliefs about how children learn, they will support the realisation of the service’s philosophy.

Our approaches to curriculum reflect our visions for children and society. Curriculum approaches have distinctive features even though they may appear similar and overlap in places. They are rarely straightforward, but rather are a continuum¹ where the balance may shift and have a different emphasis at particular times to meet the needs of the children and the environment.

What are some of the curriculum approaches used in Australia?

The following suggestions are not definitive, but can help educators in the initial stages of identifying a curriculum approach that will fit with their service’s philosophy.

Many approaches have something to offer educators. The idea of a continuum¹ is that it allows you, as an educator, to choose how aligned you are to a particular approach and allows flexibility at different times throughout the day.

Transforming philosophy into practice: curriculum approaches, pedagogies & curriculum.

Julie Michlmayr & Rowena Garvey

The curriculum approaches and pedagogies that educators select should be aligned to the service’s philosophy and curriculum, and responsive to government and educational policy priorities and expectations.

Adult-centred approach¹ Child-centred approach¹

An adult-centred curriculum is one where educators decide what and how children will learn. Planning is linear and takes no account of children’s interests, socio cultural practices or diverse learning styles. Experiences and lessons are pre-selected by the educator.

Takes into account each child’s strengths and interests. The focus is on individual children and the preparation of the environment to facilitate children’s learning. Experiences are often child-initiated and child-directed.

Individual developmental approach¹ Community of learners approach¹

The focus is on generalised developmental pat-terns appropriate for children at different ages. Experiences, resources and interactions are based on developmental norms.

Emphasises the role of families and communities in children’s learning. Educators are encouraged to account for the social and cultural context of children’s learning and to move the emphasis from individuals to communities of learners.

Predetermined approach¹ Emergent approach¹

A fixed approach where educators take a non-responsive stance to individual children’s learn-ing. Often programs are drawn from the previous year or set lesson plans and extrinsic methods are used to motivate the children to learn.

Focuses on potential learning and documenting what happens rather than on pre-planned ex-periences. It builds upon the ideas and interests of the children and is based on negotiation and collaboration between children and educators.

Transmission approach¹ Constructivist approach¹

Children are passive recipients of knowledge and learn independently. The emphasis is on acquir-ing facts and is often product focused.

Children learn through social interactions. They are constructors of their own knowledge. Learn-ing is hands-on and process is considered as well as product.

Exclusive approach¹ Inclusive approach¹

This excludes and segregates children. It ignores diversity and treats it as a problem rather than an opportunity for all children to learn together.

Acknowledges and embraces diversity and difference. Children’s strengths and existing expertise are valued and built on. Acceptance is encouraged.

Single intelligence approach¹ Multiple intelligence approach¹

Single intelligence practices limit children’s learn-ing opportunities by focusing on one intelligence such as language or maths. This approach does not consider that the skills and abilities of children are multiple and varied. It may inhibit learning opportunities for some children.

Gardner believed there were many ways that intelligence was manifested in children. He has identified 9 different intelligences: logico-mathe-matical, linguistic, spatial, musical, bodily-kinaes-thetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist and existential.

6 Inclusion in Practice | Issue 1, 20136 Inclusion in Practice | Issue 2, 2012

Defining Pedagogies

Pedagogies are the deliberate actions and processes that educators organise and implement to translate philosophy and approaches to curriculum into practice.¹Pedagogies include:• family communication;• interactions with children;• documentation of learning;• design of learning experiences; and • the organisation of learning

environments.¹

Why are they important?

We select pedagogies to deliver our curriculum approaches into practice.¹ They are the functional things educators do to deliver a quality service.

Pedagogies co-exist with curriculum approaches. Together these enable educators to make daily pedagogical decisions based on the curriculum approach to be implemented within a service. What is important is that the pedagogies educators choose clearly

reflect the service’s philosophy and curriculum approach. It is important for educators to choose their pedagogical practices based on sound research and contemporary information and knowledge.

What are some of the pedagogies used within Australia?

Pedagogies involve the ‘early childhood educator’s professional practice, especially those aspects that involve building and nurturing relationships, curriculum decision-making, teaching and learning’.²

Educators draw on a range of pedagogies to support implementation of the curriculum and to suit moments in practice.

Again, the following suggestions are not definitive, they are however relevant to help educators in the initial stages of identifying how pedagogies support our curriculum approaches:

Defining curriculum

The Learning Frameworks for Australia curriculum means all the interactions, experiences, activities, routines and events, planned and unplanned, that occur in an environment designed to foster children’s learning and development.² It is everything that happens across the day.

Why is the curriculum important?

An effective curriculum connects learning across discipline areas and investigates meaningful, significant content. ¹

A meaningful curriculum connects to children’s everyday lives and provides opportunities for children to display their existing understandings and builds confidence in themselves as learners. ¹ Curriculums build on children’s strengths and interests and respond to children’s questions, rather than one-off experiences based on what adults perceive children are interested in or need to know. ¹

So remember...

Educators’ curriculum approaches, plus their pedagogies, shape the curriculum that a service provides for children.

References

¹ Arthur L, Beecher B, Death E, Dockett S & Farmer S. (2012) Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings 5th Edition.

² Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2009) The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.

³Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2010) Educators Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.

⁴Evanshen P & Faulk A (2011) Room to Learn, Rethinking Classroom Environments.

Communication with families¹

Interactions with children¹ Documentation and assessment of children’s learning¹

Strategies we may use include:• a focus on catching up at

arrival and departure times• informal or formal

meetings at the service or at other locations

• social functions• regular slideshows of

children’s experiences• setting information and

policies displayed at the service

• regular communication via email, newsletters and/or website.

• environments are set up with places for educators and families to sit and meet

Interactions may focus on:• listening to children’s ideas• engaging in conversations

with individuals and small groups

• sensitivity to children’s interests and intentions

• children staying in control of their learning

• relationships being at the core of the learning context.

Ways of documenting might focus on:• anecdotes• audio recordings• checklists and rating scales• comments, narratives or

explanations• diagrams and sketches• jottings• learning stories• lists of texts• photographs• running records• samples of drawing and

painting• samples of writing• storylines• texts• transcripts• video recordings• webs• word lists

Learning experiences¹ Learning environments¹

Ways to deliver learning may include:• projects• units of work• rich tasks• webbing• observations of children’s ideas• provoking children’s curiosity and interest• using conversations to negotiate the

curriculum• planning for open ended use of materials• spontaneous experiences based on

questions and ideas

Ways to deliver learning environments may include:• organising the space to promote different

responses, behaviours, interactions and relationships.

• selection of the resources to be provided• having different size groups and types of

groups• the structure of the day including timetables/

routines• offering extended periods of time in learning

centres.• providing opportunities for children to engage

in problem solving and social interaction.


Sensory play and learningCompiled by Julia Caltabiano & Julie Michlmayr

Special thanks to St Luke’s Preschool Dapto, Cobbler’s Hill Community Preschool & Figtree Heights OOSH.

A child understands the world and environment around them through their senses. The term ‘sensory play and learning’ refers to the way children use their senses to gather information as they play and engage in experiences and interactions throughout their day. The five senses of touch, taste, hearing, smell and sight provide children with the tools to be effective learners.

The senses are the most basic way to explore, manage and understand new information. Through these, children are able to engage in learning and create their own understanding of the world.

What are some of the ways educators can provide for sensory play and learning?

Sight Think about providing the following:• Objects that have strong, clear lines and/or patterns or stripes, in black and white.• Things that glisten, move or involve light and mirrors.• Toys and resources that are brightly coloured against a neutral and natural background.• Lighting that fills the space with warmth, adds character and adds to the visual learning possibilities

available.• Spaces that take advantage of natural light sources.• Hanging crystals or glass balls by a window.

Touch Think about providing the following:• Toys, resources and equipment that differ in size, texture and shape. For example: boxes, saucepans,

egg cups, pine cones, rocks, wooden coasters, sheer fabrics, hair curlers, containers of different sizes, whisks and kitchen implements, large shells, keys, different papers and card.

Smell Think about providing the following:• Small potted plants of herbs to grow on windowsills – such as mint, oregano and basil• Lavender and rosemary and other scented flowers in vases or pots around the centre.• Experiences where children can share in the smells of freshly cut fruits, herbs and vegetables.• Visits to places that have distinctive smells – such as a garden, beach or farm.

Taste Think about providing the following:• Cooking experiences to try new foods.• Tasting plates of various foods for children to explore.• Types of foods that have distinctive sensations such as sweet, salty, sour and bitter.

Hear Think about providing the following:• Conversations and lots of talking – it is the listening and responding that are essential.• Opportunities to listen to and engage in singing and chanting.• Sharing of rhymes, chants and jingles.• Resources that make interesting sounds.• Musical instruments.


St Luke’s Preschool Dapto

‘Sensorimotor play describes how children gain knowledge about the world through their sensory explorations of their environment’ (cited in Sims & Huchins, 2011 p.108).

St Luke’s Preschool community has been on a 5 year journey of researching and reflecting on our environment. We have modified, renovated and questioned every resource and the function of each area within our preschool. We discussed the intention of each area and what learning can be gained.

Our findings resulted in a full outdoor renovation which included areas of natural grass; trees and plants which are safe to pick and eat, hiding areas, different textures of bark, areas that capture nature as it falls, and trees and shrubs which grow to small heights to get lost in.

Indoors we reflected on not just providing materials that look natural, but added natural materials across all areas. Some highlights include: using flavoured tea for tasting and smelling, real fruit and veggies in home corner, fresh juice for tasting using service grown produce, inviting children to bring in natural resources to add to the environment and share with others.

While observing children in our environment we continue to modify our resources to enhance exploration, persistence,

inquiry, problem solving and co-operation. Observing children’s play is not just about standing back and waiting for something to happen. Our staff are engaged in the environment and ready to pose questions or add resources of open ended materials to stimulate sensory play in all forms. While exploring the environment, a child at any stage of development is able to smell, taste, feel, hear and do.

In practice, it is not the amount of resources we provide for children to promote sensory play, it’s allowing the environment to be a teacher’. The environment provides more learning than a bunch of highly dedicated staff could ever imagine.

Many education and care services are engaging with sensory play and learning through the provision of resources for children to explore using their senses. Here are three examples of sensory play and learning in action.

We believe our outdoor and indoor environment is an ever changing canvas for children’s play interests, designed intentionally to provoke wonder, curiosity and intellectual engagement.

By Julie Irving


Cobbler’s Hill Community Preschool

At Cobbler’s Hill, we have turned a storeroom once full of junk into a wonderful area for children to fine tune their ability to process sensory input. We all learn through our senses and it takes practice and sometimes a little extra support to organise that information.

We became interested in sensory processing disorders after doing some research, talking to some committed professionals and working with many children with ASD and other Pervasive Developmental Delays. However the turning point came after we were lucky enough to attend an in-service run by the amazing and inspiring Jen Gerub.

In the sensory room, we have bouncing and crashing toys and resources for children who require heavy work to stimulate their nervous system. We also have lycra swings and tunnels to assist with vestibular experiences, and wobble pads and boards for body position (proprioceptive) needs. We ensure that we also have access to fidget toys and manipulative toys for children who need to calm their bodies. The “engine room” is painted in a lovely neutral colour and has calming music with lots of soft surrounds to be accessed as required. Incorporating these strategies into the daily routine provides children with the sensory input they need to help organise their bodies and cope with daily experiences. It often serves as an appropriate alternative to “seeking out” behaviours such as throwing toys and banging into objects and people.

After lots of work and support, the children are at a stage now where they can take themselves into the area and follow the appropriate limits. They know when they require a few exercises or some calm time to help their ability to process information. The children will often state “I need to do my exercises.” We have found that children of all abilities utilise the room and we are extremely glad we turned what was previously a junk storage area into a beautiful supportive environment for children.

By Phil Anderson


Figtree Heights OOSH

At Figtree Heights OOSH we care for a number of children with additional needs including children with Autism, Asperger’s and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).

Here at our service we strive to cater for our children’s sensory processing needs through routines, visual displays, touch, consistent communication and bonding with all our staff. Our philosophy is to learn through play. We look for activities that are challenging and will stimulate the sensory systems of movement-balance, body position, touch, hearing, visual, taste and smell and development of fine and gross motor skills.

When our children with additional needs first began at our centre there was an extended period of orientation (even lasting up to two school terms). We followed a process, which included setting boundaries; explaining and setting routines and expectations; and establishing a sense of belonging. This involved clear routines in transportation, arrival, and transitions in hand washing, toileting and eating.

As part of our holistic and reflective practice in providing care to children with additional needs, we have also developed individual support management plans that outline personal goals, activity plans and timeframes for development. We collaborate with staff, families and the individual child in designing these plans and have a process of reflection and evaluation for each plan we make.

Some sensory experiences we provide are:

Sand and water play – this is part of a long-term plan to have access to sand/rice sensory play and explore touch. These experiences have been found to calm and settle the children. The children grab, scoop, pour the rice or sand and immerse in this task, providing tactile and receptive input. This activity has assisted in soothing children and they are then more able to engage in other tasks in a meaningful way.

Bubbles and balloons - this activity has been found to calm children who are having difficulty with self regulation or are feeling overwhelmed. It has assisted in children

developing an awareness of their breathing, which can assist in calming the child.

• Balance and ball games - we use small and large gym balls in our play to involve our children in exploring visual, touch, balance and social senses. These provide muscle work and develop a sense of where the body is in space. This helps in calming and supports attention.

• Beanbags - these provide tactile and receptive input. It has been found that the children will at times seek the bean bags to explore and hold. Cushions are also used in the same way. This has assisted children in calming and engaging. From this, games have been introduced supporting sharing and turn taking concepts.

• Outdoor time - the service provides clear guidelines on outdoor expectations and clearly defined areas that provide active play opportunities.

• Visual supports - have assisted children at the service who have processing difficulties. Children are made aware of upcoming changes and expectations which prepares and guides them through the routine.

These experiences are planned and spontaneous as each child’s play preferences are observed, scaffolded and extended by the educator in small group situations; initially in parallel and cooperative play, often involving peers. Play is important as it allows our children with additional needs to interact with their peers within a safe environment. This encourages them to learn from their peers, which enables a

whole new scope of learning and interacting for all children at the service.

Each child has an individual plan that is integrated into our program and we are dedicated to helping them develop in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment.

Our world is full of potential for rich and wonderful sensory experiences which enables children to use all their senses to build understandings and knowledge. (Winderlich, K 2012)

Sensory play and learning need to be part and parcel of all the living and learning experiences in which children are involved in everyday. References

Winderlich, K. (2012) Sensory play and learning. Early Childhood Australia, Canberra.

Morgan, A. (2010) A Handful of Fun: Why Sensory Play is Important for Preschoolers. www.notjustcute.com

Sims, M. & Hutchins, T. (2011) Program Planning for infants and toddlers in search of relationships. p.180 Pademelon Press.

By Sheree Springetti


Inclusion Strategies Series – Part 3

Important things to remember:• Each child diagnosed with an

additional need will be different and individual.

• Gain information from the parents as to what characteristics of the additional need their child displays.

• Work closely with the parents as well as any additional support specialists, e.g. therapists who may be involved with the child.

• Gain an understanding from the parent as to what is the most important aspect of their child attending your service. What is it that parents hope to gain from using your service?

The following inclusion strategies are just some examples which may be applied to support the inclusion process. This list is only the start and is dependent on a variety of factors such as environment, length of time the child is in care, the child’s interest, likes, dislikes and skills already achieved. The additional needs being focused on for this edition are:• Autism Spectrum Disorder• Aspergers Syndrome• Dyspraxia

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutism Spectrum Disorder can affect people of all intellectual levels; though research suggests that the majority of the affected population are males – 4 males to every female. By the age of 20,approximately one-third of the autistic population may also have developed epilepsy.

The Autistic Children’s Association of Queensland Inc. describes autism as a developmental disability that affects how the child:1. understands and participates in the

communication process;2. learns to interact with others;3. processes sensory information; and4. learns to adapt to his environment

The confusion, frustration and anxiety that result from these deficits often lead to behaviour problems such as withdrawal, aggression, self-abuse or repetitive motor movements.

At present, there are no medical or psychological tests to determine the presence of autism, however, a diagnosis of autism is based on the presence of a cluster of observable behavioural symptoms and lack of skills in particular areas of functioning. Most of these behaviours are also typical of normal development. It is the combination of the behaviours, their intensity, and the fact that they persist beyond the normal age that leads to a diagnosis of autism.

Effects on Developmental Areas May Include

Social and Emotional• Socialisation deficit - difficulty in

interacting meaningfully.• Reluctant to make eye contact.• Appears to lack desire to share

activities (with other social isolation).

• Lack of understanding of issues from another’s point of view – social empathy.

• Some people with autism may be able to respond appropriately to others within very familiar routines or to very familiar people, but become confused and anxious at any other time.

The purpose of the series is to provide practical, simple and effective strategies that educators can implement as part of their day to day practice.

Compiled by Julie Michlmayr

The Inclusion Strategies Series is a continuation of Inclusion in Practice from 2012.


• Difficulty in taking turns and/or sharing with peers.

• Observed on the outside of social activities, watching, but not joining in.

• Unintentionally aggressive in an attempt to be social.

• Limited in play skills: plays with only a few toys and does not display imaginative play.

Language and Communication Development• Communication deficit • Does not readily understand

or use appropriate forms of communication including verbal language, body language, facial expression, tone of voice and gestures.

• Speech may develop to varying degrees, rarely developing to an age-appropriate level of ability.

• Rarely develops ability to cope with complex or abstract concepts.

• Guides adult by the hand to a desired object rather than ask; or does things independently; or does without, rather than use a person for assistance.

• Uses repetitive sounds or repeats certain questions over and over.

• Literal and concrete understanding of language.

Sensory Information Processing• Experiences great difficulty

processing information received from the senses.

• Unusually sensitive to surroundings and unable to screen out irrelevant stimuli.

• Ignores some sounds but over reacts or is very sensitive to other sounds.

• Eye contact may be actively avoided, fleeting or lacking in social intent.

• Focuses intently on the small visual details of walls, furniture, objects, prints, pictures or body parts whilst not seeing the whole picture.

• Explores by smelling or mouthing objects, people and surfaces.

• May have eating problems that could be related to the smell, texture or flavour of food – often has strong preferences or refuses new foods.

• Walks on tiptoes.

Adaptation to the Environment• Finds it very difficult to interpret and

process new information.• Minor change to routine, activity or

surroundings may cause stress.• Shows fear of strangers or new

activities by avoiding or resisting contact.

• Develops strong attraction to certain objects, routines and rituals

and may stay involved with them for long periods or be upset if interrupted.

• Becomes very concerned about doing work perfectly; may become unwilling to attempt work they feel they cannot do perfectly.

• May become very motivated to be in control of situations and may become very successful at manipulating people into allowing this control.

Cognitive• Possible learning difficulties.• Does not stay long at activities due

to short concentration span.• Requires instructions, directions,

etc. to be repeated 2 or 3 times and requires time to process before responding or acting.

• Difficulty understanding concepts of turn-taking, sharing and how to enter into play situations.

Inclusion Strategies

Social development• Consistency is important. If the child

finds that every time they are given a direction, the same response is expected; or that every time they react in a certain way, the same consequence follows; they will learn the appropriate behaviour far more quickly.

• Limit choices.• Give the child clear information

about what is coming next, and what will be expected of the child in that new situation. Give the child the chance to prepare for the event and to work out how to behave.

• Warnings help the child cope better with events such as finishing an activity they are enjoying. Alerting the child that they have 2 minutes left on the computer, or can have 10 more bounces on the trampoline etc. allows the child to prepare for and deal with finishing more appropriately.

• Behaviour problems may increase when the child is bored, confused, stressed, making repeated mistakes or when the child doesn’t have other alternatives.


Physical development• Keep things in the same place to

assist the child to move from one place to another.

• Provide finger plays to encourage the use of both hands in a controlled manner, as well as developing fine motor skills.

• Provide lock boxes and musical boards to promote finger and wrist movement and rotation.

Language and Communication Development• Provide positive reinforcement

during play times and encourage dramatic play.

• Provide clear directions and break tasks into manageable steps in sequence.

• Use a picture or object system for organising the daily events and encourage children to sequence.

• Establish a comfortable routine.• Provide advance warning if routine is

going to change.• Maintain a calm approach to ensure

situations are more likely to be successfully resolved. Being calm when dealing with a child who is feeling anxious, upset or frightened is more likely to reassure the child, and settle them down more quickly.

• Simple, clear language and short sentences are necessary for children with autism.

• Use positive statements by telling the child what you want them to do. The child may genuinely not know what to do and a negative statement is no help.

• Plan for success - check to see that everything is set up as much as possible to guarantee success.

• Give directions when the child is fully attending.

• Carry out demanding activities when the child functions best – first thing in the morning, after lunch.

• Organise the physical setting to aid the child as much as possible.

• Avoid generalisation

References:

Umansky, W. and Hooper, S. (1998) Young Children with Special Needs Third Edition New Jersey, USA:Prentice-Hal

Deiner, P.L. Resources for Teaching Children with Diverse Abilities - Birth through Eight (1993)

Noah’s Ark Children’s Services Resource Unit, Fact Sheet – Autism Spectrum Disorder (2012)

Umansky, W. and Hooper, S. Young Children with Special Needs Third Edition (1998)

Aspergers SyndromeDefined by Hans Asperger, a Viennese paediatrician, as children with poverty of social interaction, failure of communication and the development of special interests. This definition included a consistent pattern of abilities and behaviour that predominantly occurred in boys.

The patterns of behaviours include:• lack of empathy• little ability to form friendships• one-sided conversations• intense absorption in a special

interest• clumsy movements


Social and Emotional• Confused by emotions of others.• Difficulty expressing own feelings.• Has limited facial expressions.• Uses body language to express

anger or frustration but less frequently to express emotions such as embarrassment or pride.

• Unable to pick up on subtle cues of other’s body language, e.g. frown meaning anger.

Physical Development• Experiences ‘motor-clumsiness’.• Lacks upper or lower limb co-

ordination.• Has difficulties catching and

throwing. • Poor co-ordination and timing.• May have impaired imbalance.• Impaired ability to use both hands

(manual dexterity).

Language and Communication Development• Delay in development of speech.• Impaired ability to have a natural

conversation.• Impaired understanding of language

in the social context.• Expressive language may appear

superficially perfect.• Peculiar voice characteristics -

unusual pitch, stress or rhythm.• Impaired comprehension, including

misinterpretations of literal/implied meanings.

• Repetitive speech patterns.• Difficulty with auditory

discrimination, e.g. focussing on one voice when there is noise in the background.

Cognitive Development• May have good long-term memory

(may have a photographic memory).• One track mind and rigid thinking.• Unusual imaginative play (child may

take on the role of an object in play rather than a person).


Social and Emotional Development• Be aware of the child’s social

and emotional abilities and plan experiences to further develop these skills.

• Read stories about different feelings and emotions.

• Display pictures of children engaging in different activities and talk about their facial expressions and why they may be feeling that way.

• Sing songs about facial expressions and feelings.

• Support developing friendships with other children.

• Model appropriate social behaviours for children.

• Talk about what is happening in the social environment and teach children how to look for social cues.

• Children may need to be taught specifically how to engage in, participate in and end social situations, such as play.

• Use language sessions to talk about friendships and friendly behaviours such as co-operation and sharing.


Language and Communication Development• Explain things clearly and avoid figures

of speech and double meanings.• Allow children time and opportunity

to explain their ideas/thoughts.• Sing songs and play games that

encourage children to use loud and soft voices.

• Use different pitches and rhythms when singing.

• Read stories that include social interactions between characters for verbal and pictorial representation of social behaviours.

Cognitive Development• Games such as ‘what’s wrong’ cards

can be used to encourage flexible thinking.

• Provide visual and concrete representations of cognitive tasks.

• Use concrete representations of daily events/routines to encourage awareness of what comes next.

Physical Development• Provide opportunities for children

to develop balance using obstacle courses, etc.

• Use low beams or ropes for children to walk along.

• Play games that encourage throwing and catching skills—bouncing balls, balloons, etc.

• Be aware of the child’s skills and always provide appropriate and achievable challenges (caution - over challenging can cause frustration).

• Be aware of sensory issues such as sensitivity to sound, touch, pain, temperature.

References:

Deiner, P.L. Resources for Teaching Children with Diverse Abilities - Birth through Eight (1993)

Noah’s Ark Children’s Services Resource Unit, Fact Sheet – Autism Spectrum Disorder (2012)

Umansky, W. and Hooper, S. Young Children with Special Needs Third Edition (1998)

DyspraxiaDyspraxia is a neurologically based developmental disability which is present from birth with three (3) types of Dyspraxia - Oral, Verbal and Motor. A child with Dyspraxia may have one or a combination of all three types, and in varying degrees of severity. It is believed that Dyspraxia is an immaturity of parts of the motor cortex (area of the brain) that prevents messages from being properly transmitted. Children with this disability appear the same as any other child, however it is only when a skill is performed that the disability is noticeable. This disability does not impact on intelligence, however it can have a major impact on the child’s social skills and acceptance by peers.

Oral Dyspraxia refers to the complexity in making and coordinating movements of the vocal tract, including the larynx, lips, palate and tongue in the absence of speech. It may affect the child’s capacity to protrude the tongue on request, put their tongue up to the top of their mouth on request or to round the lips when modelling an adult. Some research shows Oral dyspraxia can be linked with Verbal Dyspraxia however in some cases the child may display well controlled oral movement when speech is not involved. Professionals mostly differentiate between Oral and Verbal Dyspraxia, yet occasionally they are used interchangeably.

Verbal Dyspraxia is a speech disorder that affects the programming, sequencing and initiating of movements required to make speech sounds. Children with Verbal Dyspraxia have difficulty forming words and letters. Children with Verbal Dyspraxia have to think out each mouth movement to form words. Thus taking a long time to say something or even one word. This can be tiring and frustrating for the child.

Children with Motor Dyspraxia have difficulties in coping with everyday activities. Movement difficulties such as motor planning (planning and executing a movement), fine motor skills, gross motor skills, balance and co-ordination and

proprioception (awareness of their own body in space) are common. Dyspraxia affects between 6-10% of children, and it is seen more commonly in boys than in girls.


Social and Emotional• Minimal social experiences.• Difficulty making and keeping friends.• Lacks a certain amount of

independence.• Lacks self esteem and confidence.• May have attacks of rage and

aggression.

Motor and Physical Development• Difficulty swallowing or sucking.• Poor co-ordination skills and appears

clumsy in fine and gross motor activities.

Language and Communication Development• Difficulty speaking at all.• Unintelligible speech.• Words are simplified, eg. “har“ for

“harbour”• Delayed expressive language.• Inconsistent speech patterns.• Difficulty with sequencing words, and

sounds in words.• Understands instructions but finds it

hard to reply.• May not understand or

use appropriate forms of communication.

• Difficulty in making or expressing choices.

• May have more problems with speech when excited.

• Repeats rather than creates sentences.

• Mixes up the order of sounds within a word.

• Mixes up the order of words within a sentence.

Cognitive• May have learning difficulties.• Does not stay long at activities due

to intense need to concentrate on words/speech.

• Gets frustrated when trying to describe something verbally.


• Requires instructions or directions to be repeated 2 or 3 times and requires some time to process before responding or acting.

• Delays in skills of concentration, memory and ability to generalise.

• Difficulty understanding the concepts of turn taking, sharing and how to enter into play situations.


Social development• On arrival / farewell and when wanting

the child’s attention, say the child’s name first to catch their attention eg. “Jack, good morning” rather than “Good morning, Jack”.

• These children tend to panic easily and respond badly to sudden changes in routine. Try to keep to routines.

• Explain what you are doing when you are doing it when presenting an activity, giving instructions or encouraging turn-taking/sharing.

• Provide a quiet area with objects for the child to explore independently.

• Let other children know what the child is doing to reinforce the concept of being part of the group.

Do this with all children, e.g. “Look, Jack is doing a puzzle as well”

Physical development• Hand/eye co-ordination games

actually help these children to talk better because these games encourage the child to learn how their bodies respond to actions and teaches them to understand how their bodies relate to the world around them.

• Keep things in the same place to assist the child to be able to move from one place to another. If you change the environment walk and talk this through with the child.

• Count stairs, number of steps from each room to aid independence.

• Provide finger plays to encourage the use of both hands in a controlled manner, as well as developing fine motor skills.

Language• Try to be patient with these children

and do not keep interrupting or finishing a sentence for them.

• Use large clear pictures to reinforce what you are saying.

• Para-phrase back what the child has said.

• Provide puppets/pictures as an extra prop when using finger plays and songs.

• Reduce the amount of instructions in one statement to allow time for the child to gain an understanding of what has been said, e.g. “Hold the puppet up high” rather than “hold the puppet up high and wave it around so that all the children can see it.” Once the child understands to “hold the puppet up high” you can then add “Good, now all the children can see it”.

• Avoid nagging and correcting as this can make the child tense and angry.

• Ascertain from parents words that are familiar with the child, e.g. family words that represent aspects of the child’s life and use these in your program.Cognitive

• Encourage the use of a bright, easily recognisable bag for the child to be able to recognise his hook/locker.

• Gain information from parents about the child’s likes and interests and incorporate these in your program.

• Break tasks down to smaller steps e.g. placing one puzzle piece in at a time rather than expecting the puzzle to be completed.

• Allow the child time to complete tasks and practice skills at their own pace.

References:

Aspen Reference Group, Caregiver Education Guide for Children with Developmental Disabilities. (1997).

Brownlow Andrea, More than Just Words A handbook of Games and Activities to help include children with language and communication impairments (1998).

Portwood M, Developmental Dyspraxia Identification and Intervention A Manual for Parents andProfessionals (1999).

Macintyre C, Dyspraxia in the Early Years (2000).

Vize Anne, The A to Z of Special Needs (2011).


How to get started with visualsby Sharyn Palmer & Casey Kemp

Educators often ask ISFs about using visuals in their service. Here is a basic introduction to help you get started.

Visuals are generic images that help an individual to:

• process information (understand and interpret information)

• communicate (send and receive a message)

• interact and engage (behave and learn)

When introducing visuals it is best to ‘start small’. Introducing too many visuals at one time can be very overwhelming for both children and educators. It is

important to begin slowly and then grow your visual library over time.

Here are some basic visual ideas to get you started.

Basic Signs

Start with some basic signs such as stop, sit, wait, finish. Have multiple copies of the same signs throughout the service to ensure consistency. Put the signs on a key ring so that each educator can carry a copy with them.

Routines

Start with the service routine. Rather than adding picture symbols to every part of the daily routine, begin with a time of the day when children seem to have trouble or are most unsettled. Visuals help support children’s understanding and anticipation of what to expect next.

Choice Board

Make a felt board or folder with velcro dots, displaying choices. Do not provide too many choices. Start with only two or three options. Providing choices assists children who have difficulty initiating, deciding and settling into the experience. It also assists children with limited language to express their preferences to another person.

Activity / Routine Sequences

These visuals assist children with limited play skills to understand how to complete a routine, an experience or a sequence of play.

First/Then Board

For children who struggle with change or transition, this is a simple way to help them anticipate what is coming up next. For example, first you go to the toilet, and then you can play in the sandpit. A First/Then Board can also be set up so the child completes their current experience before moving on to the next choice.

Topic/Chat Boards

Provide a board with visuals on a particular topic or activity to assist the children’s understanding and interactions. A feelings board is a great way to help children with limited language skills or challenging behaviours to identify and express their emotions.

Visual Representations of songs, stories & games

Represent songs visually so children with communication difficulties have a way of making a choice. It also assists to increase participation for children who may be reluctant to join in.

Positive Rules

Make rules in consultation with the children at your service. State them simply and positively - what they are to do, instead of what they are not to do. Display the rules visually, adding the words to assist the staff to use consistent language.


Some useful websites to help get you started are: • Visual Aids for Learning (Free)

– www.visualaidsforlearning.com/emotions-learning.htm• Board Maker

– http://www.mayer-johnson.com/boardmaker-software-family

If you need any more assistance and ideas with visuals in your service, contact your Inclusion Support Facilitator.

Reflecting on practice - inclusionAt its heart, inclusion is a very simple concept: educate children with and without additional needs, in the same program. Inclusion, at its best, is a model that enriches every aspect of a program, from the experience of the child, to the skills of the teacher, to the harmony and diversity of the education and care service (Roffma, L. & Wanerman, T. 2011).

Chris is an educator and has been engaging with other team members in preparing the service’s quality improvement plan. During this reflective process Chris realised that the service could do more in relation to the provision of a truly inclusive program. Chris has decided to raise this at the service’s next staff meeting. In order to develop the vision, educators will need to reflect upon the centre’s curriculum provision.

To prepare for the meeting Chris has asked each team member to review their understanding of inclusion, and consider how the centre puts into practice its inclusion program:

Some of the questions to guide the reflections are below:

• How do you acknowledge and educate children with and without additional needs as competent learners?

• How do you acknowledge and value the needs and preferences of children with and without additional needs?

• What do you bring to a child’s day that helps them to function and be included in all parts of the day?

• What is your professional aspiration or goal for inclusion?

• What are the barriers for you in delivering your aspiration or goal for inclusion?

• How would you deliver your model of inclusion at our service?



Ongoing learning and reflective practice

ACECQA www.acecqa.gov.au

ACECQA or The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. This is the national body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the National Quality Framework for education and care services. On this site you will find guides, forms and information on the National Quality Framework, National Quality Law and Regulations and the National Quality Standard.

The Department of Education and Communities

www.det.nsw.edu.au/what-we-offer/early-childhood-education-and-care

The Department of Education and Communities is the Regulatory Authority for all NSW education and care services. The website offers a range of resources and links to industry bodies such as Children’s Services Central and Early Childhood Australia.

My Time Our Place www.mytimeourplace.com

A website dedicated to all school age care services. It has videos, fact sheets and a blog, as well as links to access further information regarding the EYLF, NQF and NQS.

Early Childhood Australia National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program

www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp

The National Quality Standard Professional Learning Program (NQS PLP) provides ongoing professional support to services as they engage in the NQS implementation process. Resources on this site include professional learning workshops, an interactive online forum, the NQS PLP e-newsletter, What do you think? weekly EYLF PLP, Connecting with practice—EYLF and NQS series, Have you thought about ...? series, training videos and informative articles.

Professional Support Coordinator Alliance

www.pscalliance.org.au

The PSC Alliance includes the Professional Support Coordinator (PSC) in each state and territory. This website offers a great range of resources such as the ‘How To Series’, EYLF, NQF, MTOP and Research Papers.


Contact Details

Inclusion Facilitators

Dani Liddell02 4283 [email protected]

Kim Raffler02 4283 [email protected]

Maria Villella02 4283 [email protected]

Casey Kemp02 4283 [email protected]

Sandra Kolednik02 4283 [email protected]

Belinda Muldoon0417 459 [email protected]

Nerida Scholze0419 637 [email protected]

Melinda Goad0413 277 [email protected]

Julie Hemmings0421 347 [email protected]

Mehnaz [email protected]

Sharyn Palmer02 4283 [email protected]

Julia Caltabiano02 4283 [email protected]

Inclusion Support Agency (ISA) Coordinator

Supporting Children with Additional Needs (SCAN) Coordinator

Gloria Dalla Valle02 4283 9935 or 0421 347 [email protected]

Lucy Ladic02 4283 [email protected]

Director, Policy and Equity — Julie Michlmayr, 02 4283 9917, [email protected]

Feedback and suggestions can be emailed to [email protected]

DisclaimerInformation in this publication is not intended to constitute medical or legal advice. Persons accessing this information assume full responsibility for their interpretation and use of this information.

Please noteChildren’s services have permission to photocopy parts of this newsletter, with acknowledgement, for professional development or to share with families and students.

Inclusion in Practice Issue 1, 2013 - Big Fat Smile€¦ · failure to thrive. The benefits of...

Documents

Transcript of Inclusion in Practice Issue 1, 2013 - Big Fat Smile€¦ · failure to thrive. The benefits of...