CHCIC512A: Plan the inclusion of children with additional needs

Monitor and review strategies

Contents

Closely monitor new strategies and any unexpected side effects in accordance with workplace practices 3

Adhere to workplace regulations and practices 3

Monitor for any unexpected side effects 3

Adapt to changes in the child’s participation at the time 4

Confront and resolve interruptions to the strategy being implemented5

2 Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9373 © NSW DET 2010

Closely monitor new strategies and any unexpected side effects in accordance with workplace practices

Adhere to workplace regulations and practicesIn including a child with additional needs, you need to consider the implications for the service, staff, families and children. For example, you should be aware of workplace regulations and practices. A staff member who has had no training cannot be expected to administer an EpiPen® (an adrenaline injector) to someone suffering an anaphylactic reaction.

You need to ensure that all staff are fully supported in implementing new strategies. This means ensuring that these strategies are included in each staff member’s duty statement and that they are willing and able to implement them with confidence.

Monitor for any unexpected side effectsYou will need to monitor new strategies to ensure that they are appropriate and document and address any side effects. Consider, for example, a child who is unable to eat icing sugar because of a food allergy. The centre is aware of this and ensures the child eats a biscuit when other children eat birthday cakes brought from home.

Imagine the implications for this child. How would you feel if you felt excluded from a friends’ special occasion? Another option would be to bake a cake without icing for children’s birthdays. Alternatively, the children could share a special meal to celebrate a birthday. How you address these types of issues will determine the overall success of your inclusion plan.

Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9373 3© NSW DET 2010

Adapt to changes in the child’s participation at the time

It is essential that you constantly review and modify your program so that the child with an additional need can fully participate. Consider the following situation:

Activity 1

The key is avoiding complacency with the current situation. You need constantly to strive to find better ways to fully support the child with additional needs.

4 Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9373 © NSW DET 2010

Confront and resolve interruptions to the strategy being implemented

Working in early childhood services you would be aware that nothing ever stays the same and events often occur which interrupt the implementation of your programs. This is also the case when working with children who have additional needs. Possible changes include:

• a child being ill• a child going on holidays• staff changes and absentees• disagreement about appropriate strategies for the child• inability to access specialist resources• cancellation of a meeting.

While these interruptions are extremely frustrating, you need to adapt and continue with the job. You can do this by professionally evaluating how much you have progressed as well as focusing on your goals. Goals encourage us to work towards a desired end.

Let’s revisit the scenario of Sean.

As you may remember, Sean had a physical disability and was extremely clingy with his mother—very understandable when we consider what he had been through in his first three years of life.

He attended a group at early intervention one day per week with his mother and the special education teacher would visit him at home once a fortnight. As part of his individual family service plan (IFSP), Sean would begin preschool two days per week at a local service.

The Director of the service attended the IFSP meetings and strategies were put into place for a transition program to be implemented. The program consisted of a series of visits and short stays to slowly transition Sean to the new service catering to his individual needs and ensuring that the service had access to appropriate resources so that they could successfully include Sean.

Use the following steps to address interruptions.

Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9373 5© NSW DET 2010

Steps Example

1 Acknowledge the interruption. It is very difficult for Sean to resettle as he has been ill and absent for the last five weeks.

2 Develop strategies to overcome interruption and modify goals.

How can we support Sean to resettle at the service?

transition program

look at interests

group with friends

special bonds with particular caregivers

discuss with IFSP team.

Goal: For Sean to attend half-days until the end of the term.

3 Implement strategies. Sean is to attend half-days until end of the term. Provide experiences based on Sean’s interests, friends etc.

4 Evaluate goals and strategies. Sean has resettled and is back to his normal self. He will commence full days during the holidays and continue next term.

6 Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCIC512A: Reader LO 9373 © NSW DET 2010