Supporting Behaviour of Children and Young People

[kbarran]

Stuck on these questions (5 & 6) and I think my answers are way off track here?


Scenario: Hanna, who is four and a half years old, was in a car crash with her parents. Her mother, Hanna’s main carer, was in hospital for approximately seven months, and her father died in the accident. How could this affect Hanna’s behaviour?

Thanks, Kelly

My answers are below:



5. Following on from this scenario, you notice that Hanna has become withdrawn and often lashes out at other children when they try to play with her. You are concerned with this recent change in behaviour. What steps should you take?


The steps we could take would be to guide Hanna’s behaviour gently, maybe introducing a game that Hannah likes that involves the other children. Making sure that we are providing Hanna with the reassurance and comfort which she needs at the moment.

Mental health effects how we feel about ourselves; our sense of well-being, confidence and self-esteem. Educators need to be a positive influence for Hanna and help her with her emotions. This also relates to Quality Area 5: Relationships with children. Hanna needs to feel safe and supported in her environment as well as a sense of belonging.

Other steps we could take, would be:

· Make Hanna feel safe. Hold, hug and cuddle her as much as possible. Tell her you will take care of her when she feels sad or scared.

· Maintain routines as much as possible.

· Give extra support at rest-time. Children who have been through trauma may become anxious at sleep/rest time.

· Encourage Hanna to share her feelings. Try a simple question such as, “How are you feeling today?” Follow any conversations about the recent event with a favourite story or a class activity to help kids feel safer and calmer.

· Draw pictures. Young children often do well expressing emotions with drawing. This is another opportunity to provide reassurance.

· If Hanna is acting out it may be a sign that she needs extra attention. Educators need to help her explain how she feels: Scared? Angry? Sad? Let her know it is okay to feel that way, then show her the right way to behave - educators can say, “It’s okay to be angry, but it is not okay to hit your friends.”

· Get Hanna involved in activities. Distraction is a good thing for kids at this age. Play games with them, and arrange for playtime with other kids.

· Talk about things that are going well. Even in the most trying times, it’s important to identify something positive.

As with any change in a child’s behaviour, this must be reported to a supervisor immediately, so that we can get the right plans, strategies and support in place for the child and her family.





6. Following on from Q5, Hanna’s behaviour does not improve. You notice that she tends to calm down in one-on-one interactions with an educator. You have spoken with your supervisor about this and have been advised that they cannot roster another staff member on without an ECE intervention support plan. What should you do?


To answer this question adequately I needed to do some in-depth research so that I could completely understand what an ECEI support plan was. I learnt that at some point almost all early educators work with a child who receives or needs early intervention (EI) services.

Early intervention consists of services and supports designed to help children who have a developmental delay or special need, and their families. Through collaboration with families and related service providers, supportive practices for infants and toddlers who receive EI services can be implemented within existing routines and across environments.

Early intervention is a resource that increases the likelihood of long-term success as children transition into formal schooling and eventually move into the work force.

Early Childhood Early Intervention

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIS) has developed the Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) approach to assist children 0-6 years of age with developmental delay or disability. The ECEI approach is a tried and tested method and acknowledges that children have special needs that require different support to adults.

The ECEI approach supports children aged 0-6 years who have a developmental delay or disability and their families and/or carers. The ECEI approach supports families to help children develop the skills they need to take part in daily activities and achieve the best possible outcomes throughout their life.

There is increasing recognition that the first few years of a child's life are a particularly sensitive period in the process of development, laying a foundation in childhood and beyond for cognitive functioning; behavioural, social, and self-regulatory capacities; and physical health.

Early intervention services can change a child's developmental path and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities. Families benefit from early intervention by being able to better meet their children's needs from an early age and throughout their lives.

There are five primary developmental domains that early intervention services focus on: cognitive; social-emotional; physical; communication and language; and self-help/adaptive skills.

Each domain contains a number of subcategories, for example, the physical domain includes gross, fine, and perceptual motor abilities. And, although each area has specific target skills, the skills do not develop in isolation. A child’s ability in the area of fine motor can have an impact on her ability to feed and dress herself, skills identified under the self-help/adaptive area.

ECE professionals can provide ample opportunities for skill practice and development in all domains through a child’s typical daily routine.

So, in answer to the question, educators need to carry on documenting and observing Hanna’s behaviour, noting possible triggers and what strategies do/don’t work and how we can help Hanna whilst we are getting an ECE intervention support plan in place so that another staff member can be rostered on.

Observe Hanna early and often: Ability-focused observation: “Observing and recording is just as crucial to good teaching as providing the setting, structuring the day and planning the curriculum.” Observing Hanna would provide us with information related to her interests, skills, and strategies for achieving personal objectives. It also shares a glimpse of her overall personality and temperament. This information helps to determine not only where she is developmentally, but what supports she may need, how to motivate and engage her, and even ways she may serve as models for their peers. Continual observation and data collection can support lesson planning and classroom management strategies, provide insight for adaptations or modifications, and support the home and school connection among other benefits.

Ability-focused observation means the goal is to observe what Hanna can presently do. Educators can scaffold Hanna’s learning experiences to support her as she achieves the next steps along her personal trajectory, while maintaining the expectation that she will achieve success.

The information that we gather will go towards strengthening our case and being able to give Hanna the best possible outcome for her and her family.

EI collaborations between the EI providers and the ECE provider can help to develop numerous quality outcomes and benefits, and is an ongoing process that results in effective ways to improve outcomes for children. Collaboration with the EI team helps the early childhood provider to gain knowledge and skill to support all children.

Collaboration also enhances specific teacher-child interactions related to more specialised practices that encourage participation and meaningful engagement for children with developmental delays/special needs.

There are six suggested best practices for successful collaborations between early education and early intervention providers:

· build relationships,

· be informed,

· communicate,

· get involved,

· provide consistency of intervention, and

· create organization.

A strengths-based approach invites the adults in Hanna’s life to engage, communicate, observe, identify, problem-solve, practice, reflect, infuse, and assess. When these same principles are applied to the early childhood education setting, successful collaboration between EI provider and ECE professional can be established. And, it is possible that with time, the coaching experience will flow comfortably between all involved in Hanna’s earliest learning experiences. This level of support is necessary to maintain a progress-based approach and to maximize opportunities for success.




xxx

[Lorina]

I think your answer is on track, in-depth and shows your knowledge on what you will do in such an experience...

,
Lorina