Materials to promote and support inclusive education.
During my career I have worked with children who have additional educational needs, such as learning delays and Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as children with special needs such as Cerebral Palsy and Downs Syndrome; working with these children often requires extra time, thought and resources. Additional consideration needs to be put into program planning to ensure spacing of the furniture and the positioning of and access to materials/equipment is sufficient for these children to actively participate in the environment.
The children in my care with Cerebral Palsy had no cognitive deficits but each had specially made limb splints which needed to be removed and put back on at various stages during the day by staff. One child used a walking frame that I was required to encourage her to use and physically assist her move with if needed. When planning programs I had to remain mindful of their need to practice fine motor movements to build muscle control and hand-eye co-ordination and provide plenty of space for ease of movement for the walking frame. Outside play needed to consist of opportunities to practice large motor control and abilities such as balance, stepping and stretching. These movements were also required to be combined in activities such as climbing ladders and swinging to improve general physical wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem.
I have been fortunate to work in educational services with buildings already set up for the physical needs of such children with ramp access, widened doorways and appropriate toileting facilities. Some of these centres and schools have had resource equipment libraries for staff working with these children. On occasion however, I have had to research and prepare my own resources, with the help of co-workers and support services like Noah's Ark and sometimes alone.
The resources I have made to support children coping with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the long day care environment to gain an inclusive education are
Gathering Boardmaker images - accessing, printing and preparing appropriate images of the activities and routines used in the long day care day setting.
An order board - An A4 piece of card with a velcro strip down the middle where staff placed Boardmaker image cards in the order of the day. For example Puzzle play / Mat time / Toilet / Wash hands / Morning tea. These were then changed to reflect the next part of the day.
Finished box - A box (painted small ice cream tub) with a slit in the top to be used in conjunction with the order board. When an activity or experience was completed or the time limit was reached the child is encouraged to post the Boardmaker card in the finished box.
Boardmaker keyring cards - Laminated Boardmaker images were placed onto a keyring to help staff to better communicate with children with not only Autism but also communication difficulties. These keyrings were especially useful for relief staff that did not know MAKATON Keyword Gesturing.
MAKATON Keyword Gesturing - In one child care centre a young boy was learning MAKATON with his mother and Early Intervention staff. I asked to learn some gestures so I could support his learning, facilitate social interactions and encourage his active participation within the group. With familial consent I arranged training sessions for the centre staff to learn Makaton Keyword Gesturing through his speech therapist. Centre staff were then able to effectively use this in the room, teaching the whole group words and songs.
These resources were made by me but approved by the families and their Early Intervention team.
The children in my care with Cerebral Palsy had no cognitive deficits but each had specially made limb splints which needed to be removed and put back on at various stages during the day by staff. One child used a walking frame that I was required to encourage her to use and physically assist her move with if needed. When planning programs I had to remain mindful of their need to practice fine motor movements to build muscle control and hand-eye co-ordination and provide plenty of space for ease of movement for the walking frame. Outside play needed to consist of opportunities to practice large motor control and abilities such as balance, stepping and stretching. These movements were also required to be combined in activities such as climbing ladders and swinging to improve general physical wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem.
I have been fortunate to work in educational services with buildings already set up for the physical needs of such children with ramp access, widened doorways and appropriate toileting facilities. Some of these centres and schools have had resource equipment libraries for staff working with these children. On occasion however, I have had to research and prepare my own resources, with the help of co-workers and support services like Noah's Ark and sometimes alone.
The resources I have made to support children coping with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the long day care environment to gain an inclusive education are
Gathering Boardmaker images - accessing, printing and preparing appropriate images of the activities and routines used in the long day care day setting.
An order board - An A4 piece of card with a velcro strip down the middle where staff placed Boardmaker image cards in the order of the day. For example Puzzle play / Mat time / Toilet / Wash hands / Morning tea. These were then changed to reflect the next part of the day.
Finished box - A box (painted small ice cream tub) with a slit in the top to be used in conjunction with the order board. When an activity or experience was completed or the time limit was reached the child is encouraged to post the Boardmaker card in the finished box.
Boardmaker keyring cards - Laminated Boardmaker images were placed onto a keyring to help staff to better communicate with children with not only Autism but also communication difficulties. These keyrings were especially useful for relief staff that did not know MAKATON Keyword Gesturing.
MAKATON Keyword Gesturing - In one child care centre a young boy was learning MAKATON with his mother and Early Intervention staff. I asked to learn some gestures so I could support his learning, facilitate social interactions and encourage his active participation within the group. With familial consent I arranged training sessions for the centre staff to learn Makaton Keyword Gesturing through his speech therapist. Centre staff were then able to effectively use this in the room, teaching the whole group words and songs.
These resources were made by me but approved by the families and their Early Intervention team.
