Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Your Assignment Module Number and Heading: CHCIC512A Plan and implement inclusion of children with additional needs
Your Assignment Type: Case Scenario
Currently Working in Childcare? No
Your knowledge: Beginner

Your Question?
You are required to develop and plan the implementation of an inclusion plan for a child with additional needs entering your service.

Your child is Kanchana (4 years, 3 months), a Sri Lankan girl;
Her parents are Australian/Sri Lankan.
Kanchana is vision impaired; her impairment diagnosis is acute myopia (short sightedness).

Ensure you make reference to the specific parts of applicable legislation and regulations, codes and organisational policy/procedures that apply to the child throughout this assessment


4. Develop a plan for inclusion, at a minimum consisting of:

a) A communication plan for identifying parents’ goals/expectations and gaining their knowledge of strategies employed, plus a list of any professional resources that may be required; Include how you would involve Kanchana.


b) Options or suggestions for adapting the service to meet the childs needs; suggest
how you might deal with interruptions to the strategy/program or changes to Kanchanas participation



c) A proposal for how you will deal with the family in the event that Kanchanas inclusion cannot begin immediately


d) Resources Required



e) At least 3 Strategies for inclusion for Kanchana; include what role culture/ethnicity will play in development of strategies; provide strategies for other children and the broader care centre community.


f) Specialist strategies



g) A sample weekly schedule including team assignments (you cannot do all the caring yourself)


h) A broad review/evaluation plan


6. 6. Prepare a plan for implementing strategies to include:
- Support Strategies
- The observation plan
- The plan for implementing specialist strategies
- Develop a consultation and review plan to include
> An information sharing plan for all stakeholders in the
child's care (break it down into who, how, when and
what will be reviewed/discussed)
> A monitoring and review strategy (more detailed than
4h)

What is your answer so far or What have you done so far as an attempt to solve this question?
a) formal meetings, informal chats, letters from doctors and specialists, enrolment booklet etc. then Im stumped about professional resources and the part that says “include how you would involve Kanchana”


b) ?Suggestions for adapting the service to meet Kanchanas needs could be inclusion support strategies which draw on a range of resources, people and agencies such as:
- Parents and Child.
Parents can give input on any changes necessary or specific resources and equipment needed to ensure Kanchanas health and Safety. Parents can check the environment with us so that we can make the general environment welcoming and accessible to the child.
Kanchana might be able to tell us about anything that will make her time at kindy more comfortable and enjoyable

- Government Agencies
Federal and state governments may be able to provide funding and resources to adapt the practices and environment for optimal inclusion.
Inclusion Support Facilitators who can assist us to identify any specialist support or additional assistance that the center may need as well as advising us on how we can initiate and obtain this.


- Professional Advice
Professionals already working with Kanchana might have programs that they are willing to share, or to advise on regarding specialist staff training


- Support or Resource Workers
Depending on the extent of the childs needs we may require extra staff to support the center staff in including Kanchana
As she is a bilingual/CALD child we may need a staff member who speaks her home language (assuming her English is bad) to ensure that she receives the support she needs for her development.


- Bicultural support and linguistically appropriate information
Apply for the limited time financial assistance to support Kanchana and her family in the areas of: translating/interpreting, assisting us with the implementation of culturally appropriate practices (if appropriate), providing the staff with information and training about any relevant community resources and services to support inclusion of Kanchana and her family (if needed), and providing bicultural advice and support to Inclusion Support Facilitators if required.

- Physical Resources
Make appropriate modifications to the environment, obtain specialised equipment or altering the routine for optimal inclusion

- Special Equipment and activities
Obtain special equipment and incorporate activities to use in the environment to meet her developmental needs such as sensory activities and Sri Lankan inspired books, pictures, music and dress ups to support her cultural inclusion.

- Training for Staff
Training for all staff members to be able meet her developmental and cultural
Needs

Then with the part about suggesting
“ how to deal with interruptions to the program or changes to Kanchanas participation,” I have no idea the only thing I would say would be something like being flexible and if it is safe to do so I would modify the program somehow

c) I would talk to them sensitively and respectfully and explain that as their child has additional needs she has priority and will be given the next available space in the centre. I would explain to them that the Disability Discrimination Act. 1992 states that we need to prepare the developmental environment for their child.

d)

e)


f)

6.


g) (Im not even sure what a regular weekly schedule looks like let alone one for additional needs, and Ive never heard of team assignments)

h)

Description and Message:
Ive been working on this case study for two weeks and im so so lost and confused, Im not working in childcare at the moment so I don't have any examples to follow or anyone to explain things.
I have googled and researched my little heart out on almost every topic I can think of which relates to this child and the case study but Im still stuck on Question 4 and 6.
Please help
Thanks in advance

HI Steffelz
Professional resources could just include literature on short sightedness from the opthamologist or even spare glasses to be kept in your centre. Perhaps enlarged sheets of whatever you are doing in the centre so that Kanchana can read things for herself. Sometimes desktop writing boards/easels for her to work on can help as it brings her coloring page/art work whatever closer to her. Also maybe a mganifier. Involving Kanchana can be as simple as asking her what she likes to do at home and what makes it easier for her to see and discussing whether certain aids will help (or not)
Google Vision Australia - they have a section for children that could be helpful plus a shop section to give you ideas of resources.
I am not sure what state you are in but here in WA, I have had them visit a child at my Kindy to advise on the best ways to help him. It took a while to get them out but was useful.
Set up an IEP - Individual education plan stating what your short term goals/long term goals are: ie: Ensure Kanchana has the ability to walk around the centre unhindered, discuss with staff moving of any obstacles and setting up a space that Kanchana knows contains all her resources.
The schedule may look like 9.15-10.30 Morning group sessions - home corner, art, cooking etc, 10.30 morning tea and so on. there are sample ones of these on this site i think. You would just need to write amendments on it for your child such as ensure magnifier is available so Kanchana can view art work. There would need to be time allocated for a staff member to observe her to see what changes need to be made to help her.
Then put in a review date and ensure that staff meet to to discuss how it is going and what needs changing.
Does this help?
Cathiek

Thanks Cathiek, that helps a lot.
I still have a few questions though.

So for
E "At least 3 strategies for inclusion for Kanchana; include what role culture/ethnicity will play in the development of strategies; Provide strategies for other children and the broader care center community."

Strategies for inclusion for Kanchana:
- Serve Sri Lankan Food
- Provide traditional Sri Lankan dress ups for children to dress up in
- Read Multicultural stories
- Sing Kanchanas favorite Traditional songs
- Put bilingual Labels up around the classroom in large bold text
- Provide Easels for art and craft time.
- Use her strengths and interests as inspiration for activities and/or group time/show and tell.
I believe these strategies use Kanchana's Sri Lankan heritage as an opportunity for learning about other people and places and teching children about acceptance and appreciating each others differences.
Provide strategies for other children and the broader care center community (is this just the other children in the class?):
- Get a large poster of the world map, and find out where all the childrens familys are from, and put a place marker/pin/photo with caption in the
spot on the map which represents their country.
- I would use this information as inspiration and go through the countries and cultures one by one learning about each one by doing things like, serving their traditional food, traditional dress ups, songs and stories, music etc.

Is that right?

then for F "Specialist strategies"
Work with her family and specialists to set goals, help her achieve these goals to achieve the best possible outcome.
Is that right, I cant hink of what else it could be

for G, would team assignments be like getting a member of staff to conduct observations?

for H, "A broad review/evaluation plan"
Is that the IEP thing that you mentioned?

for number 6;
"Prepare a plan for implementing strategies to include:
- Support Strategies
- The observation plan
- The plan for implementing specialist strategies
- Develop a consultation and review plan to include
> An information sharing plan for all stakeholders in the
child's care (break it down into who, how, when and
what will be reviewed/discussed)
> A monitoring and review strategy"

Which strategies are these? are they the ones at e)?
How do I do that?

Gosh I feel stupid sometimes, surely it shouldnt take me this long to grasp the concept