Additional Needs In Child Care

In quality child care settings child care professionals ensure that the daily program and experiences cater to the needs and interests of all children, including those who have additional needs. The term ‘additional needs’ is used to identify a range of conditions that require and qualify for special support, and it may include children who have behaviour, learning or speech difficulties, giftedness, physical disability or health issues such as allergies or chronic illness. Children with additional needs also frequently receive support or therapy from other professionals such as social workers, psychologists, occupational or speech therapists or health care professionals. It is important that whenever possible, child care professionals work

Working together leads to developing solutions based on collective insight, wisdom and creativity.

-Mindfulness- This means taking responsibility for our words and actions. Those who are mindful are careful and attend to what they say, and they don 't let their own negative emotions impact the people around them.

-Welcoming Diversity- People with good relationships not only accept diverse people and opinions, but they welcome them. For instance, when our friends and colleagues offer different opinions from ours, we take the time to consider what they have to say, and factor their insights into our decision-making.

-Open Communication- We communicate all day, whether we 're sending emails or meeting face-to-face. The better and more effectively we communicate with those around us, the richer our relationships will be. All good relationships depend on open, honest communication. -Understanding how to build good relationships:

-Developing people skills- Good relationships start with good people skills that will include collaboration, communication and conflict

When discussing a child’s needs or issues with other professionals, teaching assistant needs to maintain a respectful and sensitive approach. It is important to remember that the child’s family will often be experiencing concern and anxiety about their child’s additional needs, and while honest communication is important, this must be approached thoughtfully.

-Helping other professionals to access the communication and interaction with a child’s family. In some instance,s child care professionals may be the first to identify concerns about an aspect of a child’s health, development or wellbeing. When this occurs, teaching assistant should help child care professionals who should communicate honestly and sensitively with the child’s family about their concerns or observations and, if appropriate, provide the family with practical guidance about how they might contact other professionals for further support or