Support a child with disabilities or special educational needs
Overview
Who is this unit for?
This unit is for those who support a disabled child or young person, or a child or young person with special educational needs or additional support needs, to participate in activities and experiences offered by the setting in which you work.
What is this unit about?
This unit is about providing care and encouragement to the child or young person, supporting them to participate in activities, and supporting the family according to your role and the procedures of the setting.
This unit contains three elements:
1. Support a child with disabilities or special educational needs by providing care and encouragement
2. Provide support to help the child to participate in activities and experiences
3. Support the child and family according to the procedures of the setting
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Support a child with disabilities or special educational needs by
providing care and encouragement
P1 seek information about the child or young person's individual needs from colleagues
P2 follow the child or young person's individual plan as a basis for their care and participation
P3 promptly refer to others any concerns about the child or young person, according to the procedures of your setting
P4 communicate effectively with the child or young person, seeking advice and support to overcome any communication difficulties
P5 give praise and reward for the child or young person's efforts and achievements
P6 sensitively support and care for the child or young person, making sure that what you do is suitable for his/her age, needs and abilities
Provide support to help the child to participate in activities and experiences
P7 sensitively observe the child or young person in everyday activities, identifying any barriers to participation in activities and experiences
P8 offer alternative activities if required
P9 in consultation with others adapt activities and experiences to enable the child or young person to take part
P10 use any specialist aids and equipment as required
P11 adapt the environment, including layout of furniture and accessibility of equipment
P12 encourage children or young people's positive behaviour
Support the child and family according to the procedures of the setting
P13 seek help from others when you require information or support
P14 support family members to participate in activities with children and young people, as required by your setting
P15 give feedback about a child or young person's progress to the child or young person and other adults as required
P16 record children or young people's progress according to agreed methods
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 laws and codes of practice affecting provision for disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs within your home country
K2 specialist local and national support and information that is available for disabilities and special educational needs
K3 partnerships with parents and families are at the heart of provision as they know most about their child and how partnerships can be encouraged
K4 the importance of not labelling children and young people and having realistic expectations
K5 how integration/inclusion works in your setting and local area and the reasons for its benefits or otherwise
K6 details about particular disabilities or special educational needs affecting the children or young people in your care
K7 how to use Alternative and Augmentative Communication and assist children/young people through use of all their available senses
K8 planning for each child or young person's individual requirements in partnership with other colleagues
K9 what barriers may exist preventing children or young people's participation and how to remove these barriers
K10 how to make sure what you do is suitable for all the children/young people you work with, according to their age, needs and abilities
K11 what specialist aids and equipment are available for the children/young people you work with and how to use these safely
K12 the possible impact of having a child or young person with a disability or special educational need within a family
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
this refers to any device, system or special method of communication that helps individuals with communication difficulties to communicate more easily and effectively: e.g. symbols, communication boards, voice output communication aids, sign language or facial expressions and gestures
Barriers to communication anything that prevents the child or young person communicating with others or making relationships, e.g. hearing, speech or visual loss, lack of support services, mental health issues, learning disabilities
Barriers to participation
anything that prevents the child or young person participating fully in activities and experiences offered by the setting or service
Children
the children or young people you work with, except where otherwise indicated
Disability a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the child or young person's ability to carry out normal dayto-day activities
Integration
inclusion of children and young people with disabilities, special educational needs, or additional support needs in mainstream settings
Others
people who your setting’s procedures say need to be informed about your concerns, such as other colleagues, supervisor, manager, SENCO, teacher
Social and medical models of disability
the medical model reflects the traditional view of disability, that it is something to be ‘cured’, treating the individual as a sick patient. The social model considers that it is society that needs to change and that disabled people have rights and choices
Special educational needs (SEN) children and young people with special educational or additional support needs learn differently from most children or young people of the same age. These children and young people may need extra or different help from that given to other children and young people
Links To Other NOS
TDASTL38 Support children with disabilities or special educational needs and their families
TDASTL39 Support pupils with communication and interaction needs
TDASTL40 Support pupils with cognition and learning needs
TDASTL41 Support pupils with behaviour, emotional and social development needs
TDASTL42 Support pupils with sensory and/or physical needs
Origin of this unit
This unit is taken from the National Occupational Standards in Children’s Care, Learning and Development where it appears as CCLD 209.
This unit is underpinned by the principles and values for the National Occupational Standards in Children’s Care Learning and Development.