Unit OP 1 Support children with additional needs

Learning Outcomes LO4 Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working. AC 4.1 Describe reasons for early intervention in order to meet children’s additional needs. AC 4.2 Explain reasons for working in partnership with others to meet children’s individual needs.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Time: 15 mins Who or what helps you when you are struggling with something? Consider: What to wear to a party How to complete a piece of written work Where to go on holiday How to get to an important appointment Making a difficult decision What would happen if no one gave you guidance when you were struggling?

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Every child has the right to be supported to achieve to the best of their ability. If children are not supported with their additional needs, then this could impact on their holistic development. If a child is left without the support they need, it could affect their ability to fully access the curriculum as they go through school.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Early interventions will help to meet the holistic needs of a child. If a child has additional needs and practitioners do not identify and address these early on, the child may struggle to learn and develop. Support should be put into place as soon as an additional need has been identified. This support can be provided by practitioners within the setting and professionals from outside the setting.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Time: 15 mins Some children require 1:1 support throughout the day. How does this benefit the child? Consider: The individual needs of the child The benefits to the child The benefits to the rest of the group or class Supporting holistic development Do you have children in your setting who have 1:1 support? Why do they need this support? Benefits: Going at the child’s pace Repeating instructions or rewording them to help understanding The rest of group are not distracted by a child who loses focus The child will develop at their own rate and will not be left behind, which supports all areas of their learning and development.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 1:1 support may given to a child for a variety of reasons. The child may have an identified special need and without this support, the child would not be able to fully access the curriculum. The child may have a specific difficulty with certain tasks such as phonics or reading. The child may have behavioural or concentration difficulties and without 1:1 support, the child may struggle to stay on task throughout the day.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Time: 15 mins Discuss any children you may have in the setting who find it difficult to sit still when asked. Consider: The age and stage of the child The task, activity or experience they find difficult to concentrate at The role of the adult What happens if no intervention is put into place when the child loses focus? Reasons for child’s loss of focus: task may be too difficult or too easy. After losing focus, the child may start distracting others. Adults need to be aware of these situations and support the additional needs. Without support, the child may become disruptive, and this could impact on their learning and development and that of others in the class or group.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Early interventions will mean that everyone involved in the care of the child will work together to provide the appropriate support. Many early interventions can be provided by practitioners in the setting, but occasionally settings may work with professionals from outside the setting. Without the appropriate early interventions, children may struggle unnecessarily, and this could impact on their development.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 An early intervention may include supporting a child to manage their own behaviour due to a transition at home. It is essential that practitioners work closely with parents/carers when using early interventions. Parents/carers can try the strategies at home with their child, and work in partnership with the practitioners. If the child was left to struggle with their behaviour and emotions, then this could impact on their learning and development.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Time: 15 mins Local authorities offer early intervention services to families who need additional support. Research the early intervention service in your local area and create a brief information sheet about their services. You could include: Their contact details Who they support The services they offer Why is it important that these services are available to families? How will this impact on a child’s learning and development? Information could be shared or displayed. Each local authority has a range of services on offer, but the main focus includes: Supporting good parenting Family support Support for families with children with special needs Multi-agency support. Giving families this support is an early intervention and will enable a child to learn and develop during their time in education. This in turn will mean that they achieve to their best possible ability.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Time: 15 mins Discuss a range of early interventions used in your setting. Consider: The age and stage of the children The individual needs of the children Children with identified special needs The role of the adult If the early intervention is not in place, how does this impact on the child? Why? Examples: Children in set groups according to ability, so that they can work to their own ability and succeed in their set task 1:1 support for children who find it difficult to access the curriculum Strategies to support a child who struggles to concentrate such as a carpet square to sit on at floor time, or an object to hold to help them focus Without these interventions, children may not be able to access the curriculum and this can affect their learning and development It may unsettle a child who is used to specific routines or support if there is a staff shortage on a particular day.

4. Understand the role of early intervention in partnership working (4 Time: 15 mins All 3- to 5-year-old children come together at the end of the day for a 20-minute story, song and rhyme time. One child cannot sit for that length of time and keeps getting into trouble. Explain a range of interventions that can support this child to take part in this session to the best of their ability. Consider: The age and stage of the child The role of the adult Praise and encouragement Positive reinforcement Short, manageable goals Working in partnership with parents/carers. Examples: Sitting with one adult to help them focus Placing a marker for the child to sit on to give them focus Expecting them to sit for a short period, then gradually increasing the time Praising them for good sitting and listening Distracting them if they begin to lose focus Involving parents/carers to encourage to the child to sit at home for short periods and focus on a task Sharing positive strategies.

Summary Early interventions will support children to learn and develop. Some children will need additional support from a practitioner so that they can achieve to the best of their ability. Working in partnership will ensure that the holistic needs of the child are met.

Plenary What is meant by the term ‘early intervention’? Describe two forms of early intervention. If early interventions were not in place, what might the impact be on the child with additional needs?