1. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator CACHE LEVEL 3 CHILDCARE & EDUCATION Unit 6 Understanding children’s additional needs © Hodder & Stoughton Limited

2. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator LO3 Understand how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the role of the early years practitioner when meeting children’s additional needs. AC 3.1 Analyse how personal experience, values and beliefs impact on the professional practice of the early years practitioner. LO5 Understand the early years practitioner’s need for professional and personal support when working with children with additional needs. AC 5.1: Reflect on the early years practitioner’s need for professional and personal support when working with children with additional needs. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited

3. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Starter activity LO3 Understand how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the role of the early years practitioner when meeting children’s additional needs [AC 3.1] Time: 15 mins Discuss your views on the following scenarios. You have a broken arm. You can still get out and about and you are in no pain, but your family suggest you stay off school/college/work until it is fully healed. A very close family member has died but you carry on with school/college/work and only have one day off. You have a long-term health condition but you do not want anyone to know because you do not want people to feel sorry for you. Your parents have separated and you want everyone to know so that they understand what you are going through. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited

4. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator H ow personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the professional practice of the early years practitioner The practitioner’s own background and experiences may provide a useful resource to draw upon. The practitioner may have the same or a similar condition to that of the child with which she is working, e.g. the practitioner may have dyslexia. This will provide a deeper understanding of how the child may be feeling and the best way to support him. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO3 Understand how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the role of the early years practitioner when meeting children’s additional needs [AC 3.1]

5. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator How personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the professional practice of the early years practitioner The practitioner may have worked with children previously with a similar condition. It is important, however, to see each child individually and not stereotype or compare, for example, Lisa had the same condition and she was able to do that activity. It is important, however, not to burden the child with values and beliefs that the practitioner holds but that may not be helpful to the child, or acceptable to his parents. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO3 Understand how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the role of the early years practitioner when meeting children’s additional needs [AC 3.1]

6. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Classroom discussion activity Time: 15 mins Discuss the three case studies on the following slide. How would you react in case study 1 based on your previous experience? In case study 2, how might you feel if you were Jenny, and what might you say or do? How might you react to the parents in case study 3 when you next see them at the setting? © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO3 Understand how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the role of the early years practitioner when meeting children’s additional needs [AC 3.1]

7. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Classroom discussion activity Case study 1 A practitioner has taught a child from one family with ADHD, she found him very difficult to manage. She is now told that in her new class next term she has another child from the same family who has ADD. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO3 Understand how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the role of the early years practitioner when meeting children’s additional needs [AC 3.1] Case study 2 Jenny is a practitioner who has a mild form of cerebral palsy, not all the staff in the setting are aware of this. A child with cerebral palsy joins the setting and Jenny hears some of the staff discussing the child, moaning about all the extra things that they will have to do to support her. Case study 3 A child at the setting has leukaemia and would benefit from a bone marrow transplant. A suitable donor has been found but her parents are Jehovah’s witnesses and do not want her to have the transplant as it will involve a blood transfusion and that is against their beliefs.

8. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Reflection activity Time: 15 mins Supporting children with additional needs can be a demanding and emotionally draining role. What personal experiences could you draw upon to support you in working with children with additional needs? How would you ensure that your practice is not affected by your own values and beliefs? © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO3 Understand how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the role of the early years practitioner when meeting children’s additional needs [AC 3.1]

9. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator LO5 Understand the early years practitioner’s need for professional and personal support when working with children with additional needs [AC 5.1] Professional and personal support for the early years practitioner Supporting children with additional needs can be a demanding and emotionally-draining role. The practitioner will need the following skills: Patience Listening to the child Liaising with the parents Reflective practice Recognise when support is needed and seek it Be able to ask for advice and follow it Ability to work with other professionals. It is important for the practitioner to ensure that they care for themselves. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited

10. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Pairs activity Time: 15 mins Discuss when you feel you may need support to work with children with additional needs. Consider: Support with communicating with a child who cannot speak Dealing with a child with extreme behavioural difficulties Coping with your own emotions when working with a terminally ill child Understanding how to look after yourself when lifting and carrying children. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO5 Understand the early years practitioner’s need for professional and personal support when working with children with additional needs [AC 5.1]

11. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Professional and personal support for the early years practitioner Working with children with additional needs can be a very rewarding job. Practitioners need to be aware of their own limits and ask for support if needed. A practitioner may need professional support when understanding how to meet the needs of individual children. They may need moral support from colleagues if they have had a particularly hard day. Colleagues will understand what the practitioner is going through. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO5 Understand the early years practitioner’s need for professional and personal support when working with children with additional needs [AC 5.1]

12. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Professional and personal support for the early years practitioner Support could be offered from within the setting such as team meetings or peer observations. This may give the practitioner the ability to discuss and observe how others deal with similar situations. It is important that practitioners develop coping strategies when working with children with additional needs this could include; letting others know when they are struggling, only working with certain individuals for short periods of time or having time to discuss specific situations with a supervisor. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO5 Understand the early years practitioner’s need for professional and personal support when working with children with additional needs [AC 5.1]

13. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Group activity Time: 15 mins Discuss the importance of professional and personal support for practitioners who work with children with additional needs. Consider: Day-to-day support Support following a difficult situation such as a child having a serious seizure in the classroom Access to professional support outside of the setting What might be the consequence of this support not being available? © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO5 Understand the early years practitioner’s need for professional and personal support when working with children with additional needs [AC 5.1]

14. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator Extension activity Time: 15 mins Consider the following case study: Lyndsay is a practitioner who has always wanted to work with children with additional needs. As a student, she volunteered at Guideposts and did practices at two local special schools. She babysat for two young boys who both had a debilitating, life-threatening condition. Their life expectancy was 8 years old. The older boy died and Lyndsay carried on looking after the younger boy. Lyndsay is now a practitioner at a special school. How might Lyndsay’s experiences affect her? What impact could they have on her future career? © Hodder & Stoughton Limited LO3 Understand how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the role of the early years practitioner when meeting children’s additional needs [AC 3.1]

15. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator In this lesson we: Have considered how personal experiences, values and beliefs impact on the professional practice of the early years practitioner. Have reflected on our own practice. Have discussed case studies. Have discussed the types of support available to practitioners who work with children with additional needs. Have reflected on the consequences if this support were not available. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited

16. CACHE Level 3 Early Years Educator 1.Name two things or two people who have shaped your current values and beliefs. 2.Describe one experience in your life that has changed your attitude to certain people or situations. 3.Reflect on one situation when you feel you may need support to work with children with additional needs. © Hodder & Stoughton Limited