Supporting Inclusion of Children with Additional Needs

This assignment discusses the importance of inclusion in childcare settings, focusing on strategies for supporting children with additional needs. It highlights the need for clear policies, environmental adjustments, individual education plans, and resources for families to ensure inclusive practices are adopted. The document also emphasizes the significance of honesty, optimism, and open communication in supporting families dealing with child disabilities.

Project 1
Detailed plan for Child in special need

Setting: Prepare Child Care ( Name of the Service )
Child: Lucy
Age: Three years
Background
Lucy is three years old and Lucy lives in a beach community. A quiet, sweet-natured Lucy ttle girl with
a lot of determination, she was born prematurely and, as a result, has a significant visual impairment
and mild delays in language and cognitive development, including difficulty in feeding herself. Lucy
Lucy lives with her parents, Tran and Phuong, and is an only child. She has been attending the
Jackson Family Child Care home since she was fourteen months old. Lucy’s parents had previously
used Tran’s mother to care for their daughter, but when the grandmother developed health problems,
they needed to find other care. Although nervous about using someone who was not a member of the
family, they both needed to work. The family found the Prepare childcare through another parents
whose children had visited service in the past.
Prepare childcare has 12 children enrolled in the centre and employs educators for different child age
group. One of the Educator is Mina had provided care for another child who had been born
prematurely; however, that child had needs different from Lucy. Terry wondered how she would
address Lucy’s visual and developmental needs. The ideas from the early intervention Educator had
been helpful in caring for the previous child, so she was optimistic about taking advantage of the
same resource in providing effective care for Lucy.
Mina had provided care for another child who had been born prematurely; however, that child had
needs different from Lucy. Mina wondered how she would address Lucy’s visual and developmental
needs. The ideas from the early intervention Mina had been helpful in caring for the previous child, so
she was optimistic about taking advantage of the same resource in providing effective care for Lucy.
Service
Lucy received Early Start early intervention services specified until she was three years of age.
alternate weeks, and a vision specialist made monthly visits. The early intervention team visited. The

early interventionist and service coordinator worked with the family and provider in designing a
transition plan since service providers change when a child reaches age three.
Lucy had made a transition to receiving services from the local school district through an IEP.
Strategy :-
Because Lucy has a visual impairment, the environment was the primary area that needed
modification. She could make some visual distinctions: she could see shapes six inches away and
could distinguish between strongly contrasting colours. However, many environmental modifications
were needed in order to support her inclusion. It was important that the modifications were made
noticeable to Lucy. First, furniture was moved so that it defined the border between the family room
and dining room, which was up one step, thus protecting Lucy from tripping on that step. Additionally,
large removable stickers were placed on the sliding glass door that led outside, ensuring that Lucy
would not walk into the glass. The toys that Lucy asked to play with were kept in the same place every
day, and other children were encouraged to return them to the same shelf in order to assist Lucy in
locating them independently. Containers of toys were a colour that contrasted with the toys inside.
This strategy also helped Lucy find what she was interested in. Toys and materials themselves
needed modification, as well. For example, Lucy asked to play with containers and take things in and
out. Many containers were adapted so that the edges were more visible: a permanent marker or
coloured tape was applied to darken the edge. Lucy also needed clear contrast between her food and
the plate or bowl she was using. So Mina planned which colour of plates and bowls to use, depending
on the food being served. Beyond her need for contrasting colours, Lucy preferred that her food did
not have mixed textures (e.g., a casserole). As an accommodation, Terry worked with Tran and
Phuong to develop ideas for menus. Terry also asked the specialist for resources on feeding children
with special needs.
The toys that Lucy liked to play with were kept in the same place every day, and other children were
encouraged to return them to the same shelf in order to assist Lucy in locating them independently. In
addition to her own learning, Terry made sure that both educators had a chance to learn from the
specialists, since Lucy’s needs required the attention and involvement of everyone at the centre. For
example, an adult needed to keep a special eye on Lucy when the children were all playing. To help
everyone in the learning process, Mina keeps a list on hand as questions arise.

One thing everyone learned was that the activities needed to be adjusted. Terry noticed that Lucy was
hesitant to join the larger groups. Terry made a special point of keeping the groups small by having
more than one interesting activity going on at a time. The specialists offered helpful ideas about ways
to encourage Lucy to use her body when moving through the environment. An orientation-and-mobility
teacher from the school district went so far as to create an obstacle course that Lucy especially
enjoyed. As it turned out, all of the other children seemed to enjoy it as well. Terry was able to
participate in one of the IFSP meetings and was actively involved in planning for the transition-to-
school services and the IEP for Lucy at age three. With the knowledge she had gained from the early
intervention specialists and the developing relationship with the preschool specialists, Terry was sure
that she could continue to provide a quality learning environment for Lucy. The family had a strong
relationship with the child care provider. The childcare provider had a prior relationship with the
specialist and was comfortable asking for help and ideas.
• The specialists were able to visit the environment where the child spent much of her time and
offer ideas for modifications.
• All providers at the childcare were involved in providing support and creating modifications for
Lucy.
• The childcare provider was able to play an active role in the planning meetings (IEP) and in
the discussion on transition.
As a result of the above factors, Lucy and her family received continuity in care and services and
experienced a smooth transition between early intervention and special education.

The child’s behaviour and expressed emotions are investigated to identify an additional need
Below observations has been made in childcare setup.
Child Playing – Lucy has been facing difficulty in playing She is not able to approach to the toys or
explore areas she can’t see. She has intention to play but she is not confident in walking or exploring.
She is trying to explore and afraid to do so. She sometimes is occupied in toy whatever is in her hand.
Social interactions –Lucy gets lost in a crowd of children. In fact, she is afraid of crowd. She has
trouble making friends due to her condition. In this age recognizing friends and responding to them is
important which she is not able to do it.. If someone is waving hand to say her hello, she is not
acknowledging the gesture due to her vision. Lucy is not able to read non-verbal cues and gestures.
Communicating – Lucy sometimes does not see someone waving and smiling at her sometimes is not
able to make eye contact. If there is focussed chit chat, she is OK to communicate but due to her
vision its barrier to proper communication.
At childcare Lucy tends to turn or tilt her head or cover one eye when looking at things up closely. She
gets tired after looking at things up closely – for example, reading, drawing or playing handheld
games.
For all these reasons and also with communicating with parents we understood that Lucy has Vision
impairment.
The particular child is observed and needs for additional care identified, documented and used
to develop a plan of inclusion
After a few weeks observing and documenting Lucy in the childcare environment I spoke to her Mum
about my concerns in an appropriate manner. Mum had had similar concerns which she had
addressed to GP in the past however she felt that she had been brushed off. After having quiet, a long
discussion in confidence with Lucy’s mum she was very relieved to know that I could make
appropriate referrals to other agencies and services to access Lucy. As I’m not qualified to make
assessments, I have referred Lucy to ‘Early Intervention Services’ for qualified professionals to make
a full diagnosis. Following this it was discovered that Lucy did in fact have quite low vision for her age
and was diagnosed with Retinitis pigmentosa (RP)which is a group of genetic disorders that affect the
retina's ability to respond to light. This inherited disease causes a slow loss of vision, beginning with
decreased night vision and loss of peripheral (side) vision. It is unlikely that Lucy will become blind
however as she reaches adulthood her sight will decrease, and she will have ‘tunnel vision’
Lucy’s disability indicator is based on the child’s underlying long-term health condition or disability
which presents the need for additional assistance compared to children of a similar age in areas of:
learning and applying knowledge, education; communication; mobility; self-care; interpersonal
interactions and relationships; and others including general tasks, domestic life, community and
social life.
Children with additional needs - like all children - are very different from one another. Even children
with the same diagnosis will have varying abilities and needs, and their learning and development
may be influenced by several factors.
Just because We have worked with a child with vision Impairment in the past doesn’t mean the
abilities, needs and interests of another child with similar disability will be the same as the first child.

Rather than focusing on the label alone - and my knowledge of the label – I need to remember to get
to know this child in the same way that I would all other children.
Some specific strategies I would like to use to support inclusion are:
For the child with additional needs
 Encourage the child and family to visit the service for short periods prior to enrolling
 Use your enrolment and orientation procedures as an opportunity to find out all you need to
know about the child, for example, their needs, interests, abilities, sense of humour, learning
style, cultural background, communication preferences, likes and dislikes, etc.
 Do an audit of your physical environment to ensure the child can access and participate fully
in all aspects of the program
 Ask your Inclusion Support Facilitator (ISF) to sit down with you to help you develop a plan of
action detailing what you need to do, know and must support the child’s inclusion in the
program
 Invest time getting to know the child and building a positive relationship with them – just as
you do with all children
 Don’t feel you have to do things differently just because a child has additional needs.
Recognise and build on the child’s strengths, abilities and interests, just as you would with
other children
 Ensure children with additional needs have opportunities to see positive images of
themselves in their environment, for example through photographs, posters and picture
books and so on
 As educators, talk as a team about your individual and shared responsibilities in supporting
this child and all other children
concerns are discussed with others to develop a clear understanding of a particular child’s
needs and this information is used to plan for inclusion
I will work with families to provide me useful information to develop a plan and strategies for child’s
care and education . I will use below strategies
 Invest time in building a trusting relationship with the family so they feel accepted,
respected and valued
 Treat the family as your prime consultants and acknowledge them as experts in their child
 Ask the family about their goals and expectations for their child, and talk with them about
how you can work together to make them happen
 Ask the family how they would like to exchange two-way information in an ongoing capacity.
Some may prefer written communication such as email or communication books, while
others may prefer oral communication such as meetings or phone contact
 Some families may prefer that there is one educator that they communicate with rather
than talking to everyone in the team (for centre-based services)
The plan is developed in consultation with all those working with the child

I will start with parents of the child, other educators and my leaders in the service . I also trust my
ability to support children’s need but best plan can be developed with collaboration and inputs from
everybody who are working with the child .
A good place to start is with my children’s service and your local community. The existing strengths
and wealth of knowledge and expertise available through my colleagues, families and community
services should not be underestimated.
There may be times when you determine you will require additional and/or external resources to
include a child with additional needs. The role of the Inclusion Support Facilitator (ISF) is to help you
feel more capable and confident to be responsive to all children and their families.
Working in partnership with you, your ISF will talk to you about what is currently happening in your
service and what you would like to see happening, i.e. your goals or vision for the future.
Additionally, your local ISF will assist you identify what you are already doing to identify and achieve
your goals and determine any additional information, resources and supports that might help. This is
then written into a plan – generally referred to as a Service Support Plan (SSP), which identifies the
practical steps or actions you will take in order to achieve your goals. Contact your local Inclusion
Support Agency (ISA) and talk to an ISF about what they do and how they can assist you to meet
your goals. To find the ISA for your region contact Community Child Care on 1800 177 017 or visit
their website at www.cccvic.org.au.
A number of other resources and support are also available through your state Professional Support
Coordinator (PSC), the Community Child Care Resource and Development Unit. The Community Child
Care Resource and Development Unit provide a range of professional support services to eligible
children’s programs to increase their capacity to provide high quality programs for all children. This
includes training, bicultural support, specialist equipment, general resource library, phone support,
web based and on-line resources and supports, fact sheets and newsletters. Together with
assistance provided from your ISF, this range of complimentary services provides you with
responsive and relevant support to address your professional learning needs, including those that
relate more specifically to inclusive practice.
Medical practitioner who is working on Lucy’s case. His/her input can be important . With help of
Lucy’s family, I can touch base with Medical practitioner could be via phone call or ask for his/her
professional advice at the centre. There could be the outcome which can help us to setup
equipment which could be helpful for the child (example: Magnifying glass, lights and colours etc.).
If required child psychologist’s help on social skills for Lucy can be planned.

.
• the parent’s goals/ expectations for their child are identified and used when developing a
plan of inclusion
Not only with the child of special needs but with each child we ask a generic question and document
it in child’s portfolio
“What I would like my child to learn at childcare/preschool this year “ and ask parents to write their
expectations
Usually the expectations are
- Poems and stories
- Basic Numeracy
- Should be able to express
- Listen carefully and perform accordingly
- Sentence making
- Friends making and socializing with other kids
Definitely for parents they have certain expectations and expectations can be adjusted in case of
child with any sort of disability. Expectations are documented and also discussed with parents and it
helps us to plan their child’s learning.
While developing the plan of inclusion these documented expectations are helpful but at the same
time we should be Open for feedback and adjustment on expectations .
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The parent’s experience and practices are sought as a resource
Always parents experience with child is helpful resource for us as an educator as parents are first
teacher for the child. they might have already tried a lot of strategies for kids learning and few of
them might have worked very effectively.
This is kind of ground rule to use some of best learning experience observed and suggested by
parents.
For Particular child suggestion was to use audio learning , braille books reading also let her learn
through touch and use the sense of smell to identify some object .

• the service is adapted to meet the child’s needs within resource limitations
With best intent our childcare service tries to meet every child’s needs although there could be
some resource limitations specially for children like Lucy’s special needs . Based on medical
professional’s advice and parents suggestion and contributions some of the adaptations we put in
place
1. Use of round shape furniture’s to avoid sharp edges ( useful for all children but
definitely useful for children with vision issues )
Check walkways are not obstructed.
2. Seat or encourage Lucy to come to the front of the classroom to sit to make certain that
she hears all instruction/explanation correctly.
3. Not only for the child in special need but other children should also be made aware of
about Lucy so acceptability is increased .
Other children need honest answers to questions about diversity and difference. Children are
naturally curious, and are generally satisfied with a simple and honest response
 Offer children explanations about what the child’s behaviours might mean. This can help them
to understand that something they interpret as ‘naughty’ is the child’s way of communicating a
basic need or desire
 Help other children to see and understand what they have in common with children with
additional needs, rather than differences
 Avoid encouraging children to ‘help’ children with additional needs when it is not required.
Instead, suggest that they ask if help is required and acknowledge that all children need
opportunities to do things in their own way and time
 Ensure all children have opportunities to see positive images of themselves in their
environment, for example through photographs, posters and picture books and so on
 Challenge stereotyped ideas and discriminatory behaviours where they occur and talk to
children about the extent to which this is fair or unfair. Offer alternative ways of thinking about
ability and diversity grounded in social justice
 Don’t underestimate your influence as a role model to children in demonstrating respectful
relationships and communication with others

• if a child cannot be included immediately the reasons are communicated clearly.
Honesty is always the best policy. Usually parents agree for some wait time after enrolment and it
gives us time to adjust the environment for specific child’s needs. There are no reasons for denial or
delay in this case, a mutually agreed and reasonable enrolment date can be confirmed with parents
with honest and open conversation. All special care needs to be identified and expectations should
be managed, and also medical advice can be taken as initial input. All these are standard procedures.
• a time to review the plan is decided
As per centre’s standard inclusion plan review policy, inclusion plan can be
reviewed in every six months for pre-Schoolers.
• additional resources are sought, as necessary
There are many ways learning can be supported
1. Audio visual learning aid
2. Braille Books
3. Vision related learning equipment
4. Etc.
If Medical advice is to use certain devices like Magnifying glass , colour perception devices etc. that
can be provisioned .
Another resource could be periodic visit of therapist , child psychologist , Special educator that need
need to be identified and discussed with parents and with their consent additional help can be
provided in child care setup .
Some of the high end resources some funding could be sought from Government and NGO like
Vision Australia etc.
• the child’s entry in the service is supported
Environment adjustment: Clear Pathway, Bigger font Non Verbal Notations to support the child

. Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Learning Plan has been put into place as a way of prioritising the
adjustments needed for the Lucy to access the curriculum.
Included in this is the following:
1. Organise additional time, if necessary.
2. Plan for audio visual Learnings
3. Reduce the quantity of work required, if necessary.
4. Provide the appropriate format e.g. large print, Braille
5. Omit some components and/or provide alternative questions (e.g. highly visual
tasks).
6. Provide a scribe.
7. Organise for the student to produce an activity in an alternative format (e.g. audio
taped).
8. Record answers on a computer, Braille machine or specialised equipment.
9. the level of support is adjusted over time according to the child’s needs
worker encourages others to adopt inclusive attitudes and practices
For Other Families to adopt inclusive practice , I usually follow below strategies
 Ensure you have clear policies and procedures about inclusion and that relevant information is
shared with families prior to enrolment. This gives you the opportunity to answer questions and
respond to fears or concerns before they enrol in the service
 Explain the benefits of inclusion for all children including their own
 Consider and utilise a range of ways to address concerns and answer questions. This should be
done with consideration and respect to the child with additional needs and their family
• impact of the child’s disability on the family
It’s important to maintain a sense of hope with their child, and to never give up.
Each child for their parents is most valuable but sometimes they need also moral support which can
be provided by optimistic, pragmatic expectations with the child and open communication. My
Approach is and will be to support parents to deal with child’s disability and make the impact as
normal as possible. Just learning expectations has changed for the child and hope should never be
compromised .