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CHCFC506A: Foster children’s language and communication development

Contribute to assessment of language and communication skills and planning of appropriate support strategies

Contents

Identify children with special language needs and monitor language development, including the provision of special language programs to meet individual needs 4

Signals indicating language developmental delay or disorder 5

Causes and varieties of language delays, disorders or disabilities5

Communication methods 8

Strategies to support children with language difficulties 10

Contribute to assessment of children’s individual language and communication abilities and needs 12

Planning for children with additional language needs 12

Regularly review child’s progress and the plan 17

Consider English and other languages when assessing language development and use 19

Develop a range of strategies for language and communication development for the individual child, including children with additional language development needs 20

Provisions to facilitate language in toddlers and preschoolers 20

Discuss assessment with the parents and develop a plan in consultation with them 27

Home languages 27

Working together with parents and other professionals 28

Seek specialised assistance where necessary 29

Support agencies 29

Working with professional associates from other fields 30

2 Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCFC506A: Reader LO 9318 © NSW DET 2010

Identify children with special language needs and monitor language development, including the provision of special language programs to meet individual needs

In another learning topic you learnt about supporting the language development of children requiring specific communication needs due to the child being from a non-English-speaking background (NESB). In this learning topic we will focus on specific communication needs. However, we are now concentrating on additional communication needs due to language delays, disorders and/or disabilities.

Some children may not be able to verbally communicate effectively due to an impairment. A child who is non-verbal, or who is displaying a considerable delay in speech and language development, may be termed as having a ‘communication impairment’, and subsequently their peer and adult interactions may be inhibited.

Communication is essential for expressing ideas, feelings, thoughts and needs. Without the ability to express oneself, feelings of frustration and lack of both control and choice set in, often resulting in a child having an increasingly low self-esteem and self-concept. This is where other means of communication step in. Verbal language is not the only form of effective and meaningful communication—it just happens to be the most prevalent.

More often than not, it is when a child begins formal childcare, whether that be in a childcare centre, family day care, long day care or other facility, that any communication or language problems are observed—usually by the child care workers themselves. This is not due to the parents being unobservant of their child’s development but this is the first time an outsider has been able to notice a difference in a child’s language development in comparison to the more typical development and language abilities of other children in the same care environment.

As a caregiver you must remember that it is not your responsibility to formally assess or diagnose communication problems. This is the role of those specifically trained in this area, for example a speech pathologist or workers form an early

Diploma of Children’s Services: CHCFC502A: Reader LO 9318 3© NSW DET 2010

intervention program. However, it is the caregiver’s role to discuss concerns with parents and to guide them in the right direction for formal assessment.

Signals indicating language developmental delay or disorderAs it is a caregiver’s role to discuss concerns with parents about their child’s language development, you need to be aware of signals indicating that a child’s language is not developing on the normal path. It is important to revise the typical developmental milestones and be familiar with the progression of these. However, it is also important to remember that there is a wide range in typical development. There are many factors that will influence a child’s ability to talk, including birth order, gender and caregiving strategies used.

Clark and Ireland (1997) list indicators that a child may have a speech or language problem. To determine if you should be concerned, look at the following table:

Norm for language skills

18 months Should be using holophrases

2 years Should be demonstrating telegraphic speech

3 ½ years Should be putting three to four words into sentences

Review this website for more information: http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ Type in the following from the home page: development/language_development.shtml

Causes and varieties of language delays, disorders or disabilitiesThere are a variety of speech and language disorders that can affect young children. Speech difficulties may take many forms ranging from complete inability to speak to minor articulation problems. In addition to this, speech delays and/or disabilities can often be associated with other disabling conditions, such as:

• hearing loss• language delay• language disorder• oral deformity• poor oral coordination (Clark and Ireland 1997)• genetic conditions such as Down syndrome


http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/

• cerebral dysfunction• articulation and fluency disorders, such as stuttering• emotional factors• social and environmental influences (such as children having limited

opportunities to use their speech or not being allowed to speak for themselves).

Activity 1

Receptive and expressive language problems

Activity 2

Language problemsWe are now going to relating these definitions to language problems.

Receptive language problems are when a child does not receive correct information about the sounds and language they are hearing.

Expressive language problems are when a child cannot verbally communicate the information properly.

Activity 3

Hearing loss‘Hearing impairment in children presents many challenges to the child, their family and anyone else involved in caring for that child. It has particular impact on communication and socialisation. A hearing loss can, if not detected and treated, lead to a child being considered ignorant, lazy, inattentive, naughty, slow or even intellectually disabled. This can lead to many inappropriate assumptions and treatment of the child.’ (Fleming L, 1999, p 103)

Due to hearing loss being an invisible disability, it is often difficult to detect, yet once detected there are many communication systems which can be put in place.

Hearing loss can be described as mild, moderate, severe or profound and can be congenital or acquired.

Congenital hearing loss is one that is present at, or soon after, birth.

Acquired hearing loss is one that occurs later in life.

Conductive and sensorineural hearing loss is categorised as conductive or sensorineural, or a mixture of both, depending on which part of the hearing system is affected.


Conductive hearing loss This is caused by blockage or damage in the ear canal or middle ear, preventing sound getting through to the hearing nerve. Many who have experienced conductive hearing loss describe what they hear as muffled, as though there is cotton wool or ear plugs in their ears.

It can be caused by:

• excess wax in the ear canal• an ear infection, glue ear or after having a cold• build up of fluid behind the ear drum (which can be extremely painful)• a loud explosion• osteosclerosis (hereditary condition where bone grows around the stirrup

bone in the middle ear).

Conductive hearing loss can be temporary and often fluctuates. It can sometimes appear that the child hears ‘when it suits them’, which can lead to frustration for all involved—the child, the parent and the childcare worker.

Sensorineural hearing lossThis is a result of damage to the cochlea (the sensory part) or the hearing nerve (the neural part). It can be acquired or congenital, and is permanent. Unlike conductive hearing loss where sounds are described as muffled, someone with a sensorineural hearing loss only hears some sounds from words and can miss some words altogether. Here's an example: ‘Let’s wash our hands and get ready for lunch’ may sound like ‘Le wa our an rea or lun’. Therefore some non-verbal language made with the verbal is extremely useful.

It can be caused by:

• diseases or viruses such as meningitis, mumps and measles• head injuries• inherited hearing loss• prematurity and birth traumas• damage to the unborn baby due to a virus such as German measles• severe cases of jaundice.

A sensorineural hearing loss usually leads not only to a loss of loudness but to a lack of clarity as well—the quantity and the quality of the sound is affected. This can sometimes limit the benefit that a hearing aid can offer as sounds may be loud enough but distorted.

(Australian Hearing, 2000)

Communication is the most important thing to consider when working with a child with any form of language or communication impairment. Communication at its most simple is about sending and receiving messages. Communication is essential


for safety, for positive play experiences and for sheer happiness and a healthy self-esteem.

Regardless of whether a child can actually speak, if you can adapt your communication style to theirs, tell them what is going on and understand their likes, needs and feelings in return, you are providing them with a wonderful environment.

Communication methodsThere are two forms of communication systems that can be used by children with hearing impairment or other communication disorders which affect expressive speech and language. These are alternative and augmentative communication systems.

Alternative communication systems include:

• lip reading• hearing aids• cochlear implants (surgical)• sign language• Auslan• Makaton • signed English• finger spelling.

Other forms of communications - finger spelling


MakatonOne of the most commonly used sign language methods within children’s services is Makaton. It is a specifically designed language program for children with communication impairments, as well as developmental delay, and is always used in conjunction with the spoken word. Many of the signs are extremely practical and easy to learn and clearly resemble the spoken word. The emphasis is to provide an essential and useful vocabulary. Only the core words of a sentence are signed while all words are spoken.

Makaton sign for 'resources'

For more details on Makaton go to http://www.makaton.org/

Augmentative communication system

Notice board

These are physical and/or electronic devices used to assist communication, rather than being an alternative form of communication, and include:

• communication boards• communication books• computers• compic (a collection of small pictures or icons used in augmentative

systems, facilitating communication, ie pictures instead of hand signs).


Both alternative and augmentative communication systems can be aided (requiring the use of an aid, eg computer, communication board, photographs, pictures) or unaided (requires the movement of the hands, arms etc, eg sign language, Makaton).

For more information about these diverse communication methods and integration into preschool programs, use Google. Type in key words such as Makaton, communication impairment, sign language, compic, etc.

The following website has all you need to know about compic. It’s extremely informative, is Australian, and has a section particularly about using compic in preschools. http://www.compic.com/

Communication board

Strategies to support children with language difficultiesBy now you should be conversant with and be able to use many strategies to assist children in their language development and about your role in developing a language-enriched program. These same strategies and approaches can be adapted to provide a framework to assist the language learning of children with additional language or communication needs.

The following is a list of general strategies that should be used with children who have language or communication disorders or difficulties:

• ensure individual one-to-one time and small group times are incorporated into your program

• model appropriate communication methods, eg use facial expressions and gestures, utilise Makaton skills

• be consistent


http://www.compic.com/

• give opportunities to express real choices• ensure the other children in the group, depending upon their age and

level of understanding, are aware of the difficulties the child experiences• ask open-ended questions• give children plenty of time to respond • do not respond or speak for children • organise linked and repeated activities to ensure concrete understanding

has time to develop• repeat phrases• learn to follow the child’s conversation in order to have a basic guide as to

what they may be talking about• if having difficulty understanding, have the child repeat or show you what

they mean—use non-verbal cues• speak clearly, but not unusually slowly or unnaturally• talk about the here and now—be realistic in their conversation skills• do not over-correct the child’s speech or language.

Enriched language programsCarers are often very quick to attempt to correct the actual speech and articulation problems children may have without really addressing the language program.

Rather than directly attacking the speech sounds and continually taking on the correcting role, we need to develop an enriched language program, emphasising the following:

• the child should not be pressured or hurried• language must be purposeful. If the child’s attempts at language are

dismissed, not listened to or not responded to by the adult, the message the child receives is ‘my language is meaningless’, hence they cease attempting to use it.

• a sense of adequacy needs to be developed—the child needs a reason to speak and by receiving a response they learn they have power with words, leading to a feeling of adequacy

• many rich and varied experiences should be offered• abundant opportunities to talk and listen should be provided• carers should consistently model correct forms of verbal and non-verbal

communication.


Contribute to assessment of children’s individual language and communication abilities and needs

Planning for children with additional language needs

Model for programming for children adapted from Hutchins and Sims. Note the philosophy of the service is the overriding factor that affects each stage of the

planning process

Activity 4

Make recommendations for planning Once we have identified the interests, strengths and needs of the child we can begin to make recommendations for planning. As was stated in the previous section, it is really vital that we address all three equally—but these recommendations for planning are so much more! This is where you have your planning meeting. It's extremely important actually making time to plan a program. The discussions and cross-fertilisation of ideas are very beneficial not only to the child but also to your own professional development. Remember there is never one correct way to do anything! It is easy to get so caught up in the day-


to-day survival in long day care or preschools so that you basically just operate from day to day. Having regular planning meetings ensures that your program continues to be appropriate to the children’s strengths, needs and interests as well as making sure it doesn’t get stale.

When working with children with additional needs, these planning meetings are often used to develop the child’s individual education plan (IEP). IEPs are a tool used by teachers and case managers to plan for and monitor the progress of the child.

Steve’s case studySteve’s carers have decided to have a planning meeting to determine where they should go with his program. His carer’s have arranged a meeting with the local SUPS worker who has been working closely with Steve. They have also invited Steve’s parents. His mother attends but brings her sister, Steve’s aunt, to help translate.

At the meeting there is Steve’s Mum and Aunt, the three carers from his room and the SUPS worker. The service coordinator will be facilitating the meeting. Firstly they begin by discussing how Steve is progressing. Each person will outline their perception of Steve’s strengths, interests and needs. The carers identify that he has strengths in fine motor skills, interests in roadworking equipment and needs in language areas. Mum (through the interpreter) tells the carer that she really wants Steve to speak only English and he is not to speak in his native language at the centre.

There is some discussion about this issue and it is agreed that Steve will be mainly spoken to in English and as much assistance as possible to learn English will be given to him. However, during the meeting it is emphasised by the carers that maintaining Steve’s home language is very important also. He will be encouraged to speak in English as much as possible. From this meeting the carers develop an individual education plan for Steve. As you will see we have only filled in the first part of it. The subsequent sections will be filled in as we work through this topic.

Steve’s individual education plan

Child’s name: Steve R DOB: 4/7

Date: 21 January Review: 2 March Age 4 years

Recommendations for planning Strategies Responsibility Evaluation

To offer opportunities to consolidate and extend his fine motor skills.


Use of scissors· Drawing/writing implements·

Gluing/pasting activities ·

To offer opportunities to use English whenever possible.

Labelling·

Telegraphic speech·

Small group activities·

1:1 activities with carer

To offer opportunities to listen to English when possible.

Stories· meal times·

Small group times·

1:1 activities with carers ·

Identify strategies to achieve recommendationsThis next step correlates to the second column in the IEP. Now that the team involved has identified the child’s interests, needs and strengths, they can look at some strategies to ensure that these are met. Look at Steve’s IEP to see what strategies his team came up with.




Recommendations for planning

Strategies Responsibility Evaluation




Box construction activity using roadwork equipment as focus. ·

Cutting· Pasting· Painting Drawing


Labelling·




Encourage S to label objects. Ask simple questions giving non-verbal cues·

Sensory experiences, eg playdough, feely boxes, treasure box, sand/water play




Small group times·


Stories in English, variety of levels·

Facilitate lunchtime conversation between S and other children·

Staff labelling and using non-verbal cues to assist

As you can see, they have come up with a number of strategies. One of the main points to consider here is how you can incorporate the strengths, needs and interests of the child to ensure you have an interesting activity that builds on strengths and needs at the same time.

Implement the planSo far we have identified the child’s interests, strengths and needs. We have come up with some recommendations for planning, decided on some strategies and come up with an activity for Steve. Be aware that this example is somewhat simplistic. In the practical exercise we will be looking at this in much more detail.

One of the next steps would be to determine who is actually going to carry out each of the recommendations. In some IEPs you would see quite a large number of personnel involved including parents, teachers or carers, special educators, occupational therapists, speech therapists and physiotherapists, to name some of the major participants. In the one we have been developing there are just a few participants. The major responsibilities for this IEP are going to be met by Steve’s carers and the SUPS worker. Look at the IEP to see who will be doing what.




Recommendations for Planning





Box construction activity using roadwork equipment as focus. ·

Cutting· Pasting· Painting· Drawing

Primary caregiver



Labelling·




Encourage S to label objects·

Ask simple questions giving non verbal cues·

Sensory experiences eg playdough, feely boxes, treasure box, sand/water play

All staff in room

SUPS worker



Small group times·


Stories in English variety of levels·


Staff labelling and using non verbal cues to assist

All staff in room

SUPS worker

Of course the next step is to determine how we will fit this into our daily plan of activities. As Steve’s centre uses a ‘child-focused' approach to planning, his primary caregiver decides to plan a box construction activity. She will place a number of pictures of the different roadwork equipment on the wall near the table and also provide a number of boxes and other materials in different sizes and shapes. She is going to discuss with the children prior to the experience the names and functions of the different vehicles. The children will be encouraged to represent the roadwork equipment, however, no models will be provided (except the real-life pictures around the area). The carer will ensure she sits near Steve and discusses and labels the different parts of the roadwork equipment and also the materials Steve will use. She will attempt to draw him into a conversation, modelling correct sentence structure and grammatical usage.

Activity 5

Evaluate the plan and make ongoing observationsThis is of course the final step, but also the beginning of the cycle. Here we need to check the progress of the child as well as our delivery methods and strategies to ensure we are still meeting the needs of the child and family. Using the IEP outlined, it is now the responsibility of the carer implementing the strategies to evaluate. Sometimes this will be an individual evaluation but at times may involve others. Look at the evaluations written by Steve’s carers.










Box Construction activity using roadwork equipment as focus. ·

Cutting· Pasting· Painting· Drawing

Primary caregiver

Represented a tip truck, cutting out small circles and shapes for parts of his truck.

Accurately pasted and painted truck.


Labelling·




Encourage S to label objects· Ask simple questions giving non verbal cues·

Sensory experiences eg playdough, feely boxes, treasure box, sand/water play

All staff in room

SUPS worker

In box construction, S names all 6 road-working vehicles.

S used 2- and 3-word sentences when replying to questions.

Began to use some texture words for first time during feely box activity – soft, furry.



Small group times·


Stories in English variety of levels·


Staff labelling and using non verbal cues to assist

All staff in room

SUPS worker

At lunchtime, S joined in rhyme with A and J. Attends to stories for 5 – 10 mins, especially if they have transport in them. Tried to whistle with others after reading story about a boy who tries to whistle.

Regularly review child’s progress and the planThe carers have entered their observations and interpretations of the strategies that have been put in place. In addition the entire program will need to be evaluated on a regular, ongoing basis. As you can imagine, trying to get all members of interdisciplinary teams together on a weekly basis would probably be impossible. Therefore there needs to be enough scope for the IEP to be continued for a few weeks—around six may be appropriate. Of course each case needs to be


looked at individually and different services will have different expectations and procedures.

This last step is also the beginning of the cycle all over again. The progress of the child is determined along with the success of the program. Here changes will be made to both the process and the outcomes.


Consider English and other languages when assessing language development and use

When assessing children’s language development we need to consider their home language. How would we like it if an exam we were to sit was in a foreign language! I think that we would have a hard time answering any questions accurately at all let alone passing.

So when we assess a child’s language it may be necessary to have an interpreter or language support worker to assist in determining the language capabilities of the child.

Also when talking with parents about the child’s language development it may be beneficial to have an interpreter present so that you can have effective communication.

Remember the scenario of Steve and his family? When they came in to discuss his IEP his aunt came with his mother and father because they spoke little English and she was able to act as interpreter for them.


Develop a range of strategies for language and communication development for the individual child, including children with additional language development needs

Provisions to facilitate language in toddlers and preschoolersThere are a large number of different types of provisions that you can set up for young children to enhance language development. These activities are extremely valuable to both the toddler and the preschool-age child. Note that the information here is simply an introduction to these types of experiences. There is much information on these different experiences.

Puppets

One type of puppet


Puppets can be used as a motivating tool in order to gain children’s attention or to entice children to participate in a particular language activity. They can be used by both adults and children, providing children with an opportunity encouraging speech and physical coordination, as well as assisting children to express themselves. They can also assist in story telling, finger plays and action rhymes.

There are many different types of puppets, such as:

• finger puppets• hand puppets• stick puppets• sock puppets• paper-bag puppets.

For more information on puppets, and for some brilliant patterns to make your own puppets, go to the following website: http://www.pbs.org/totstv/english/puppets.html

Feely or mystery treasure bags, baskets and boxes

Mystery treasure bag

Any box, bag or basket or even a sock or a pillowcase which can hold some treasure is ideal for creating your own mystery treasure bag, basket or box and is an invaluable resource to have. When making your resource you will need to think about whether:

• it is attractive and inviting to children• they are going to look at it and long to put their hand in it or look inside it• it is durable and able to be used over and over again• the treasure in it will be safe or might it get damaged• it is safe for the children to use (ie no sharp edges)• it is suitable for only one child or for a small group activity.


Treasure box

What will be the treasure? The type of treasure inside depends on what you are wanting the children to get out of the activity. A large conch shell may be put inside a bag in order to initiate discussion on the beach, or a bird’s nest in a box might be used to talk about different animals and houses or birds in general. A bag filled with many differently feeling things may be used as a ‘feely bag’ whereby children only feel, describing what they feel, without seeing the object. The main things to consider:

• Are the items inside safe for the children to handle?• Are they of interest to the age of the children being presented to?• Are they relevant to what you are hoping the children get from the

activity?

Activity 6

Pictures

Use pictures to stimulate interest

Pictures can be used to initiate discussion and interest, giving children something to talk about and something to relate to. Pictures can be collected from


magazines, calendars, cards, etc. When selecting your pictures, you need to consider the following:

• For toddlers, they need to be familiar things. However, for preschoolers they can be of things new to them in order to expand their learning and interest levels.

• They are to depict a variety of people, races, occupations, etc, showing people in non-traditional roles.

• Displays need to be changed frequently, as if the same thing is up for a long period the children tend to stop noticing.

Other things to take into consideration are the displaying, mounting and storing of the pictures, their durability and whether or not they are strong enough to be handled by children.

Activity 7

Nature tables

Nature table

Nature or interest tables are simply that—a table that has been thoughtfully arranged by the caregiver to stimulate the children’s interest in a topic and further expand their knowledge. By carefully choosing the items, adding a magnifying glass and a caregiver with some appropriate questioning skills and you have an ideal opportunity to stimulate children’s language.

Activity 8


Finger plays and action rhymes

Finger plays and action rhymes

Finger plays and action rhymes are one of the core teaching and learning tools of the skilled caregiver. Having a selection of appropriate finger plays or action rhymes at your fingertips is essential to gain the attention of a group of children and keep them motivated throughout the language experience. Add to this the benefits of counting, rhyming, memory and so forth.

The following websites are filled with finger plays and rhymes and are well worth a visit with a pen or a printer!

http://www.geocities.com/teachingwithheart/fingerplays.html

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/family~rhymes.html

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool~rhymes.html

For more sites go to the Google search engine and type in ‘children’s finger plays and action rhymes’ and you will be given many sites to visit and the titles of many books you can purchase that are filled with finger plays.

Excursions and visitors to the centre

Visitors to the centre


http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool~rhymes.html

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/family~rhymes.html

http://www.geocities.com/teachingwithheart/fingerplays.html

Excursions and visitors to the centre can play a major role in fostering language development. By having the children visit local areas you will:

• forge links between the service and the local community• introduce new vocabulary to the children• expand concepts• give children a wider range of social situations to listen to language and to

talk• be able to model a range of question-asking techniques• provide opportunities for children to ask questions on specific topics and

receive informed answers.

As with any positives there are also a few negatives, including the fact that excursions and new faces can cause great anxiety in some children, as well as disruption of routines. It is becoming more difficult to go on excursions as safety and insurance are a major issue, and there are limited numbers of parents available to assist with supervision. These difficulties, however, should not stop you from involving children in excursions even if they are just walking to the local park. You may need to be a little more inventive. Getting visitors to the service may take the place of an excursion.

The follow up and reinforcement procedures of excursions and visitors are vital to helping the children remember the concepts and vocabulary used. Some ideas include drawing pictures, making a book, taking photos and displaying them, embarking on a project such as making a mosaic, setting up a dramatic play area and so forth. Again, the possibilities are limitless. What is important here is that the children are given the opportunity to use their new-found information and knowledge to expand their concepts.

Activity 9

Television and videos

Watching television


For many people, television viewing for children is not seen positively, particularly when considering language development but it does have advantages as well as disadvantages. It seems these are very dependent on the guidelines and limits placed on the television viewing. The following reading outlines both the disadvantages and advantages, while also giving a thorough list of appropriate guidelines.

http://www.lpch.org From the home page type in: /DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/growth/telechld.html

Computers

Using computers to develop skills

Again, there are many who may dispute that computers have positive effects on children’s language development. However, there are some very appropriate programs specifically designed to support language and reading development.

Computers and the Internet are valuable learning devices, particularly for school-aged children, assisting them in finding out and accessing information. This must be carefully monitored by suitable caregivers.

Using computers develops:

• children’s observational skills• cause and effect knowledge (with the mouse and keyboard): ‘when you

press ….., .…. happens’• problem solving• applying already established skills in order to find out more information• making predictions—what will happen next.


http://www.lpch.org/

Discuss assessment with the parents and develop a plan in consultation with them

Home languagesMaintaining home language is as equally important with a child with communication impairment. It is essential to have a positive relationship with parents in order to gain information, an understanding of what forms of communication are being used at home and how these can be implemented at the childcare service. This is particularly significant for the child with very limited communication skills or those who have a hearing impairment or another diagnosed disability. If alternative communication methods are being used at home, it is not only important for staff to utilise as much as possible this communication method but also for the other children in the group to be able to take part.

Certain communication forms, such as Makaton sign and communication boards, need to be taught to caregivers and other children so communication is two-way. Learning different forms of communication extends both the workers' and the children’s skills and abilities. In turn, communication barriers with additional-needs children are removed, improving their self-esteem and building positive relationships.

For more information, try these websites:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5206.html

http://www.naeyc.org/resources/position_statements/psdiv98.htm


http://www.naeyc.org/resources/position_statements/psdiv98.htm

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5206.html

Working together with parents and other professionals

Activity 10

Parents’ reactionsThe parents whose child is in need of additional support due to being from a NESB is usually very aware of the difficulty, whereas parents whose child is in need of additional support due to not being within the normal range of development are often not aware there is a problem in the first place. They may react very differently when you attempt to talk about the situation. There may be feelings of anger, shock, disbelief, sadness and denial. These reactions are all very normal and need to be treated with sensitivity. Parents and families also face the pressure of having to seek further treatment, learn new skills and adapt themselves to their child’s needs, treatment and therapy.

Partnerships with parents may also extend to associated professionals, such as speech pathologists, with all parties working together as a team to provide the best possible opportunities for the child to reach their greatest potential.


Seek specialised assistance where necessary

Support agenciesIn many organisations where there is an early intervention program funded by the Department of Ageing and Disabilities or some other government department or non-profit organisation, there are individual family service plans (IFSPs) and/or early childhood intervention coordination programs (ECICP) operating. These are plans which bring the parents, childcare workers and associated professionals together to put individual programs in place, catering best for a particular child’s needs and abilities, assisting them to their greatest potential and ensuring consistency from all who are working with them.

Here is an example of an IEP.

Individual education plan (model 1)

Child’s name: DOB:

Date: Review: Age



Activity 11

Activity 12


Working with professional associates from other fieldsOther professionals may ask you to follow through with a child’s program and work on areas of need at the children’s service, for example emphasising particular word sounds when speaking to the child. Sometimes what is required of the childcare worker from the professional associate can be difficult due to reasons such as:

• specific things required of you may not be realistically carried out in the preschool room with lots of other children present

• the suggested task for you to carry out may include 15 minutes of one-to-one individual time with the particular child, which is difficult to schedule due to the time factor and staffing constraints

• specific tasks may be difficult for you to coordinate within your program.• Specific points when working closely with others• Be clear about the information you need from them.• Offer clear, objective and relevant information to help the associate to do

their work with the child.• Listen carefully and clarify the information given to ensure the correct

message and information is being received at both ends—theirs and yours.

• Provide feedback to parents and associates as well as seeking feedback, ensuring the program is effective and achieving the desired results and direction.

While there may be many obstacles when trying to facilitate individualised programs, we must remember they are vital to the development of the focus child and it is the childcare worker’s role to work effectively with associates from other fields, using both your and their expertise, together with the parents, ensuring consistency in providing positive outcomes.

Activity 13


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