Tag: early childhood

Categories
1.3 Motor Development: Development in Early Elementary

Development in Early Elementary

Motor Development: How Development in the Early Childhood Years Affects Development in the Elementary School Years1

The development of more complex skills is not possible without the development of earlier, less complex skills. For example:

  • For children, fine motor skills include holding pencils and crayons, eating with utensils properly, tying shoe laces and playing the piano.
  • Activities that require gross/ large motor skills and that impact on other skills and activities  include the following:
    • Moving around the school, up and downstairs
    • Participating in PE (Physical education class) and in school sports
    • Play and socializing at recess and lunch hours
  • For grown-ups, fine motor skills include being able sign one’s name, pour coffee, shell a hard-boiled egg and unwrap and eat a burger.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

As an adult think of what the eye/hand coordination you need in order to get a simple cup of coffee from a coffee shop:

  • you have to reach into your pocket, get your wallet and pay either with cash or a card
  • you have to put your change in your wallet, punch in a debit card code, or sign your credit card receipt
  • you have to pick up your cup of coffee from a counter
  • you may have to pick up a milk carafe and pour the milk into your cup
  • you may have to open up a small sugar container and pour it into your coffee
  • you have to lift your cup into your mouth to enjoy your
  • You also need to know what you are doing―none of that would have been possible without your eye/hand coordination: moving your hands towards what you see!
1 see References
Categories
1.3 Adaptive: Development in Early Elementary

Development in Early Elementary

Adaptive (Self-Help) Development: How Development in the Early Years Affects Development in the Elementary School Years1

Adaptive skills relate to daily habits and routines. The adaptive or self-help skills that children develop in the early years are essential in their overall development during the elementary and high-school years. Developing these skills is important for children because they may influence a person’s quality of life. Here are a few examples:

  • Sleeping: Children whose sleeping needs were met in the early years have a better chance of having a good sleeping routine every night (e.g., bedtime story, bath) by the time they begin elementary school. Unless they are dealing with a health or developmental condition that makes it hard for them to self-regulate at night, children generally learn to self-soothe or require of less one-to-one time with their parents if and when they become restless during the night.
  • Toilet-training: Children who were toilet trained when they were ready generally become independent bathroom users who can usually use the school bathrooms without unnecessary fears.
  • Feeding: Young children who were given some freedom in terms of their eating habits (for example, tasting different foods and eating a full meal if and when hungry) are generally ready to try new food as they grow older.
1 see References
Categories
1.3 Communication: Development in Early Elementary

How Development in the Early Childhood Years Affects Development in the Elementary School

Communication Development: How Development in the Early Childhood Years Affects Development in the Elementary School1

Children will need to use oral language and make themselves understood by others by the time they start elementary school. They will need language in order to communicate their needs and wants with others―both peers and adults. They also need to understand what others want or expect from them. This also refers to non-verbal language, like understanding gestures. These are known as  non-verbal communication cues because communication happens without any words. Developing these skills will help children to be effective communicators, and will give them the tools to learn how to read and write. It’s important to note that language skills are needed for all areas of the elementary curriculum, not just reading and writing.

Children need language skills that are well-developed so that they can learn the subjects taught at school, for example, math, science, language arts, home economics and even physical education. This is because children will need to follow the directions of their teachers in all areas of the curriculum. The need to develop language and communication skills extends beyond the early childhood years. In fact, as children grow older, the communication and language demands that are placed on them will be higher. A solid language and communication foundation in the early years will provide children with the tools they need to understand and be understood by others.

1 see References
Categories
1.3 Social and Emotional Development: Development in Early Elementary

How Development in the Early Childhood Years Affects Development in the Elementary School Years

How a child is treated during their early years1 has a clear and direct impact on how well they do in their later childhood, adolescent and adult years. A child who lives in a tolerant home may learn to be tolerant. A child who lives with firm but flexible rules may grow to be firm, flexible and capable of understanding and following everyday rules. A child who understands early on that things “may not always go their way” will probably become an adult who accepts other people’s opinions and decisions without feeling rejected or belittled.

Securely vs. insecurely attached children. Many people believe that if we respond to a baby or toddler’s every emotional need (if we pick up an infant every time he or she cries, for example), we will end up with children who are clingy and who won’t let go of their parents. In fact, research strongly indicates that the opposite is true. Children who have had their needs met most of the time and in a timely manner tend to be securely attached to their primary caregivers and they will not cling to their parents when they are older. They may not like it when Mom leaves, but they will be ok, because they know that Mom will be back. On the other hand, children whose needs were not met on a regular basis and in a timely manner may end up feeling that they cannot always trust that their parent will come back, because earlier experiences have taught them that. These are the children who will cling to their parents. They do so because their experiences with their parents leaving were inconsistent. They were not picked up consistently when they cried so they may not be confident that their parents will be there when they need them. So, an emotionally secure child, who grows up in a loving, consistent, firm but kind environment has better chances of learning how to listen to their teacher during their school years. The benefits of emotional security may also be seen later on, as adults who can work well with their employer, who can stand up for themselves, and who value diverse and different opinions from their own.

Key Point. Parents and caregivers should understand that a child’s early environments have long-lasting effects. It’s necessary and important to provide safe, loving and secure environments, especially during the early years, when children are extremely dependent on their caregivers.

1. see References

 

Categories
1.2 What is EI: Short and Long Term Benefits

Short Term and Long Term Benefits of Early Intervention

Current research on early childhood intervention has documented the many short- and long-term effects and benefits of early intervention for both children and families.

Short term benefits usually refer to immediate benefits of early intervention, or those seen within a few years of receiving intervention services.

Example: At age 18 months, Joey had very limited vocabulary. His parents worked with an early intervention consultant who recommended the Hanen Language Program. This program worked for Joey’s parents, with the early intervention consultant because it showed them how to follow Joey’s lead and to help him imitate sounds and words. When Joey’s parents learned that Joey had a severe delay in his language, they found out about the possible benefits of signing or using American Sign Language.

Long term benefits usually refer to benefits that may not be seen until the child is an adolescent or even an adult.

Example: Kelly received early intervention services since she was one year old because her parents were concerned that she was not meeting the developmental milestones at the time (for example, standing, crawling, or talking her first words). Kelly’s program included physiotherapy to help her walk, speech therapy to help her with language development, and placement in a preschool where she received one to one attention for pre-reading and writing skills. By age 15, Kelly could go from one place to another in her community as her peers did. For example, she learned how to take a bus, by herself, from one location to another, thanks to learning to rely on herself,  to read bus and street signs, as well as to communicate with adults when needed.

Immediate benefits:

  • a family learns to cope with having a child with special needs;
  • children learn the skills they will need in order to succeed in preschool;
  • children learn the skills they need in order to interact in socially acceptable ways with their peers;
  • interventionists may be able to prevent certain conditions or disorders from getting worse.

Long-term benefits:

  • children learn the skills they will need in order to succeed in school;
  • children may need less intervention services, once in school;
  • some children may not need any intervention services, once in school;
  • older children are more likely to stay in school and less likely to drop out;
  • older children are less likely to get in trouble with the law.
Categories
1.1. RATIONALE, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Rationale, Goals and Objectives for the Course

Rationale for the Course

Parents and service providers need all the tools they can get to learn about supporting a child with a developmental condition. A free online learning modules in early childhood intervention is useful because the more information is available, the more empowered and able parents and caregivers will be to advocate for children and support their needs. A course such as the one you will find here also provides a starting point for other, more comprehensive early childhood intervention programs in the future.

Goals and Objectives of the Course

You will learn about:

  • biological/genetic factors
  • social factors
  • environmental factors
  • the continuum of special needs, from mild conditions to severe and multiple disorders;
  • what are programs and resources that support the child in having a successful entry into early childhood group programs and elementary school;
    • methods of intervention that are geared toward improving the development of the child;
    • the professionals involved in early childhood intervention
  • reference to reliable online information, in order to help parents and service providers to  tell the difference between reliable and unreliable information on the web;
    • how to access the wide range of online and print resources available; and,
  • description of proved traditional therapeutic techniques and mention of other techniques that require additional study because they may be controversial in terms of their therapeutic value.
  • These online learning resources will help parents and professionals understand, especially in the areas of social/emotional and mental health, but also in the areas of physical, cognitive and speech and  language development:
  • that all aspects of childhood development relate to one another. For example, a child with language delays may also experience cognitive and social delays, which in turn may impact their emotional development;
  • how changes in the child’s environment can help lessen the impact of a condition for both the child and parents;
  • that finding out about the child’s developmental concerns early helps parents better understand their child. This, in turn, may help parents to:
  • learn how to avoid negative interactions between themselves and their child
  • enjoy their child, and,
  • manage their child’s condition.
  • how intervention can improve some areas of development, especially in the areas of social, emotional and mental health;
  • that successful intervention aims at helping the child reach their own maximum potential, as opposed to fixing or curing a condition or disorder;
  • Points to keep in mind through the course include the following:
  1. Understand that the child is a whole person, and not just the sum of different developmental categories;
  2. Child development does not occur in a vacuum. The combination of both environmental and genetic factors has an impact on the development of each child.

If we understand these basic tenets of child development, we can then gain true insight into a child’s world.

Categories
1.2 What is EI: Definition of Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)

Early childhood intervention is a broad term that describes a wide range of services that are offered to children who are at risk (see full Glossary) for developmental delays or who have a developmental disability, and for their families. When children have special needs, both parents and their children may benefit from early childhood intervention services. These services do not replace the parent. They offer support, information and guidance to help a child’s development. One goal of early childhood intervention is to help infants and young children reach their full potential. Another goal is to minimize the effects of a disability or condition on the infant and young child. Early childhood intervention contains educational, therapeutic, and preventive components.

Early childhood intervention (ECI) services are provided by a wide variety of well-trained professionals (see full Glossary) and who work following the parents’ leads, based on their needs–that is, using a family-centred approach (see full Glossary). The ways ECI services are delivered vary. They may be provided at home or at a centre. In contrast to family-centred programs, some early childhood programs provide direct therapy-based services for children. These are offered in a play situation, where the child and interventionist interact together through toys and other therapeutic materials.

Decades of research indicate that early childhood intervention will make a lifelong difference in the lives of many children. It’s crucial for children who may not be developing typically or who may be at risk for developmental delays. Early childhood intervention may help children who are at risk for developmental delays:

  • Learn more efficiently and/or effectively;
  • Remember what they have learned;
  • Apply what they have learned to new situations;
  • Perform better in school;
  • Stay in and graduate from school;
  • Form good friendships;
  • Be in successful and happy relationships;
  • Get and maintain a satisfying job.

Families of children who receive early childhood intervention services are usually better able to:

  • Live successful family lives;
  • Manage their lives;
  • Be active and welcome members of their communities;
  • Navigate the system in order to get the best services possible for their children ;
  • Have wishes and dreams for children and achieve these wishes and dreams.
Categories
1.2 WHAT IS EARLY INTERVENTION AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Frames of Reference in Special Education and Early Childhood Education

Father and sonThe “Special Education Policy Framework” also served as the foundation for the resource Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines. This manual describes the policy’s foundation , outlines the roles and responsibilities of the ministry, the school boards, district and school-based staff, parents and students in the development and delivery of special education services. It also describes the process of identifying and planning for children with special needs and outlines the services that will be made available to the student as well as school and school districts.

In 2008, a plan coordinated across the three Ministries, Children and Family Development, Health and Education was developed. This is referred to as the Children and Youth with Special Needs and their Families Framework for Action.

This is a strategy to foster collaborative action among the health, education and social services sectors to help better support families.

Prior to 2008, early childhood education programs for children, typically pre-kindergarten programs, were not legally mandated by any ministry. In 2007, Bill 20, The School Amendment Act, gave authority to Boards of Education. (see full Glossary) to provide services to children under school age. The Bill defines these “Early Learning Programs” (see full Glossary) as programs for children who are under school age entry (e.g., 3-5 years old). An example of this type of program is the Strong Start Early Learning Centers that operate in local schools.

Legislation is regulated by the Child Care BC Act. Additional funding and support for children attending child care settings is available and is regulated by this act.

Child care center buildings and spaces are regulated by the Community Care and Assisted Living Act which provides guidelines to such things as the number of children per staff member, the number of hours a child can be in care, etc. All these programs and acts are monitored and maintained under the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

This complex system1 of child care and special needs programs under three Ministries and sets of laws can be a maze for parents and professionals.

It’s important to have accurate information, and to ask for assistance in order to get the appropriate services for your child and family.

1. More information on this system in this report.

Spam prevention powered by Akismet