REASONS FOR DIVERSE NEEDS IN CHILDREN

“Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies, and practices that support the right of every infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities and society.” Early Childhood Inclusion Position Statement, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Division for Early Childhood (DEC)

Learning Intention: We will be able to identify reasons for children having diverse needs.

Success Criteria:

• Identify a wide variety of children’s needs.

• Identify the reasons/causes of these needs

Activity 1

Using Lucid-chart or other application, create a mindmap to record your brainstorm of the different developmental and learning needs that exist in our society.

• • The Lucid Chart help after sign in may guide you in completing the Lucid chart or the YouTube video

  • As a class, discuss, share and then add your mindmap.

Activity 2

Working in your cooperative learning group, one student should download, save a copy and share with your group the Children with Diverse Needs Worksheet.

• • Each student will select one need from each of the different categories listed and work in their group of four to complete the table.

  • For your allotted need you will find out and complete the table for the:

    • • Specific need

      • Features or characteristics of the need/difficulty

      • Reasons this need has arisen

      • Possible positive developmental/learning outcomes

      • Possible negative developmental/learning outcomes

developmental delay in pre-school children

Learning Intention: We will be able to identify signs of developmental delay in pre-school children

Success Criteria:

• Identify developmental milestones

• Identify signs of developmental delay

Developmental delay is the term used when a young child is slower to develop. About developmental delay physical, emotional, social and communication skills than is expected in children of that age.

Developmental delay can show up in the way a child moves, communicates, thinks and learns, or behaves with others. When more than one of these things is affected, the term ‘global developmental delay’ might be used.

Developmental delay might happen just in the short term or it might be long term or permanent. Lots of different things can cause children to develop more slowly than their peers.

Usually health professionals use the term ‘developmental delay’ only until they can work out what’s causing the delay. If and when they find the cause, they’ll use a name that better explains the child’s condition.

Activity 1

Explore and investigate development milestones and developmental delay in children by viewing the relevant YouTube videos.

SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH VISION OR HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Learning Intention: We will be able to outline resources that may support hearing or vision impaired children

Success Criteria:

• Outline the characteristics and function of Braille for vision impaired children

• Explore the different types of hearing loss people experience

• Outline the characteristics and function of Auslan for hearing impaired children

• Research assistive technologies and resources available for children with special needs

Activity 1

• Click on theBraille Bug to explore the Braille Bug Site to learn about and practice using Braille

  • • • Try some of the interactive activities and quizzes

Activity 2

• • Working in pairs or small groups and using Braille, create a secret message that will be decoded by another group.

    • • • To access the Braille alphabet click the Hello button

Activity 3

• Investigate the use of Auslan (sign language) by hearing impaired children by navigating around the Auslan website and the Sign Planet website

• Using the Auslan Signbank, practice your finger spelling of words

• Check your finger spelling with randomly generated words.

Activity 4

• View the NICDC video - The Journey of Sound to the Brain, that explains the journey of sound.

Activity 5

According to Hear Smart (2019), it’s estimated that one in six Australians have a hearing loss and this is expected to rise to one in four by the year 2050. Some causes include an ageing population and increased sound exposure.

• Listen to Dr Karl’s Great Moment in Science story “Why do you ‘hear the ocean’ in a seashell?” You may need your earphones.

  • • • Each audio file simulates a different type of hearing loss or tinnitus.

Being around too much loud noise, like at concerts or fireworks shows, can make you lose your hearing — and once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

Use your earphones for the next activities

Activity 6

• Click on the button at the left, to explore the NICDC Noisemeter and Interactive Infographic

Activity 7

• Test your hearing using one of the online hearing tests

Activity 8

• As a class, discuss the findings from each of the above activities and consider how might a child at pre-school or school be affected by hearing loss or impairment.

Activity 9

• • Download, save a copy and complete the 3-Level Reading Guide Technology for Hearing Impaired Children to investigate the hearing assistance products available for hearing impaired children:

    • • • Types of hearing aids

        • Active listening devices for telephone, television, music, alert systems, public venues

        • FM systems

        • Cochlear implants - structure and function

Activity 10

• Explore and investigate assistive technology for vision impaired children, by viewing the YouTube video - Assistive Technology - Meet Mason

• As a class, discuss the benefits of technology for Mason

Activity 11

• Using the Blind Citizens Australia and Vision Australia websites and working in cooperative learning groups, the leader creates and shares with the other group members, a Google Doc or Slides presentation:

  • • Each student researches and outlines one of the assistive technologies available to support visually impaired children.

    • If using Google Docs, create a table using the following headings for reporting on the research OR if using Google Slides, create a slide for each technology:

      • • Name of technology

        • Function or type of assistance

        • Accessibility/Cost

        • Insert and image

PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

Goalball

• Play a game of Goal Ball, using blind folds and the ball with a bell inside

• Discuss the modifications that enable students to participate in physical activities and the many sports now offering inclusive competitions eg wheelchair sports, cricket, AFL, walking basketball etc

Learning Intention: We will be able to identify the roles of support networks and professionals who help children with special needs

Success Criteria:

• Identify the relevant role for each support professional who help children with special needs

• Research various support agencies for children with special needs and their families

Activity 1

• Investigate the roles of various professional specialists related to supporting children with special needs by:

  • • Completing the Professionals - Matching Activity to link the specialist title with the correct definition and role

    • Using website resources for assistance

Activity 2

• Working in groups or pairs, one student should download, save a copy and share with their group the Quick Fact Trading Card - Support Groups

• Working in cooperative learning groups or pairs and for each of the following conditions, complete a quick fact trading card to research community support groups, in Australia, that support children with special needs and their families in NSW:

  • • • • • Autism

          • Down Syndrome

          • Cerebral Palsy

          • Intellectual Disability

• As a class, discuss the group responses about support groups

Activity 1

• View the All about early intervention video clip at home. As a class, you can also view the video altogether.

Activity 2

• Download, save a copy and complete the Early Intervention Worksheet which includes:

  • • Reading the articles, Early Intervention for Disability on Raising Children Network website and/or Early Childhood Intervention Australia website

    • Completing the PMI about early intervention to brainstorm the positives, negatives and interesting things about early intervention

Activity 3

• Continuing in the Early Intervention Worksheet and using the Evaluation Scaffold and PALS Prompts as guides, write an evaluation of the effectiveness of early intervention strategies in supporting children with disability and their families

Learning Intention: We will be able to evaluate the importance of enrichment activities for preschool children

Success Criteria:

• Record notes about enrichment activities for preschool children

• Provide examples of enrichment activities for preschool children

• State the benefits of enrichment activities for preschool children

• Discuss ways of implementing enrichment activities for preschool children

• Evaluate the importance of enrichment activities for preschool children

Activity 1

• Download, save a copy into your 9CS Google Folder and complete the Enrichment Activities Google Slides to take notes to investigate enrichment activities for preschool children, including:

  • • Defining enrichment activities

    • Describing various enrichment activities

    • Identifying and examining factors influencing access to enrichment activities

    • Making a judgement about the importance and/or benefits of enrichment activities

    • Suggesting and outlining how a preschool could implement some enrichment activities

Activity 2

• • Your teacher will lead you in exploring and participating in a variety of enrichment activities for preschool children

    • Arts and crafts

    • Music

    • Dance

    • Health and Wellness

    • Science/technology/maths

    • Reading

Activity 3

• Working in groups of four, Brainstorm, Research, Organise and Write an enrichment activity to present to the class.

  • • Brainstorm: Brainstorm a variety of enrichment activities

    • Read: Research the game and/or activity that your group will present.

    • Organise: Collect images and or equipment needed for your activity. Outline how you will organise the activity when presenting.

    • Write: Design and present your enrichment activity.

Activity 4 Numeracy

Complete the Problem Solving Sharing Worksheet and Problem Solving Grouping Worksheet to calculate fair division/distribution of resources and materials between students

Activity 1

• Working in your cooperative learning group, one student should download, save a copy and share with the group members the Comparing Educational Philosophies Worksheet:

  • • Each student should:

      • • Research one of the following philosophies and/or approaches to learning in the early years

          • • • • Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf)

                • Montessori

                • Reggio Emelia

                • Soka Education

        • Complete the Comparing Educational Philosophies worksheet table for the educational philosophy investigated

        • Share their findings with the other group members to learn about different educational philosophies

Activity 2

• Working in the same cooperative learning groups, Brainstorm, Research, Organise and Write an Educational Philosophy or approach to present to the class.

  • • Brainstorm: Brainstorm a variety of ideas related to learning philosophy

    • Read: and review other ideas or solutions, discuss as a group and add to their own.

    • Organise: the information, pictures and or words. Collect images needed for your activity. Outline how you will organise the activity when presenting.

    • Write: create final product. Design and present your educational philosophy on a Google Slides presentation, poster, fact sheet or other electronic media:

      • • Decide on with an original name for your school

        • Outline your philosophy/approach to learning

        • Identify the main goal and have a logo or preschool crest.

        • What’s the role of the teacher in the learning of the student?

        • Provide examples of learning activities. (one practical and one theory)

        • How will students be assessed? (informal, formal, both, parent interviews)

        • What’s the environment of the school? (student centred, teacher centred, parent/community centred)

        • What’s the involvement of parents or community in your school?

• Each group will present their learning philosophy to the class

• Using the Star Star Wish method the class can provide feedback to each group