Children with special needs: One by one

All early years settings will need to consider how they can integrate children with disabilites, and it's essential to take a positive approach to behaviour based on individual needs, says Jennie Lindon

Some nurseries and pre-schools already have children with special needs who attend the group. Their early years teams have considered the issues that can arise and have adjusted to include a disabled child or one with a continuing health condition. But with the planned changes in the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice, all early years settings will need to consider how they can become more inclusive and perhaps rethink some of their 'Ah, but...' reservations. (See Collette Drifte, 'Taking action', Nursery World, 14 June 2001).

The term 'special needs' covers a wide range of disabilities and conditions. Children may have:

• Physical disabilities affecting mobility or the senses of hearing or vision
  
  
• Learning disabilities that can range from mild through to severe
  
  
• Disabilities that particularly affect communication
  
  
• Disabilities that affect emotional state, behaviour and ability to cope with everyday situations
  
  
• Chronic ill health, meaning that children feel sick or very fragile. Their early years experiences and friendships may be regularly interrupted by time spent ill at home or in hospital
  
  
• Some children have special needs that are observable and identifiable but there is no clear-cut diagnosis; nobody knows why. All that can be said is that the child's understanding or behaviour is significantly outside the normal range for his or her age.

With this incredible variety, an early years team cannot have one set of guidelines about 'what we do for children with special needs'. In the same way as with any child, the approach has to be 'what shall we do for and with this child?': for Jasmin who has cerebral palsy or Harry who is autistic. You will consider play and learning for an individual child but your approach to their behaviour is just as important.

Parents as partners

You need to establish a friendly working relationship with children's parents. Partnership is part of good practice for all children and this approach will stand you in good stead to become a more inclusive setting:

• Parents can tell you more about a child and how a disability affects him or her. Such information will be valuable and supports the key worker. But you can also gain an insight into this child's interests, ways of communicating, her likely sources of delight and frustration.
  
  
• How do you sign or otherwise communicate 'No' to Anna, whose spoken language is currently very limited? How do you best communicate 'Well done' or 'Thank you for waiting' and what will be an incentive for Anna?
  
  
• Perhaps Jasmin currently has limited mobility, but her mother explains that her daughter can be rather imperious about having play materials brought to her. Her mother is hoping that greater contact with her peers will motivate Jasmin to move more. Her mother does not wish you to rush around just because Jasmin gets cross.
  
  
• Part of Harry's autism may be an interest, bordering on obsession, with circles and wheels. He can get very angry and distressed if his focus is disturbed. You want to understand what absorbs Harry but also need to get a sense of any way to encourage him to tolerate or be part of some of the setting's routines. You do not want to 'fight battles you cannot win'.

Personality counts

A positive approach toward the behaviour of children with disabilities is to focus just as much attention on the 'children' part of the phrase as on 'disabled'. Your task and that of your colleagues is to get to know this child as an individual. The same disability or health condition will affect each child in a slightly different way.

• Disabled children still have their own temperament. Perhaps Katie who has Down's syndrome is a lively, argumentative child who constantly pushes out the boundaries. On the other hand Duncan, who also has Down's, is a peaceable child and keen to co-operate. Katie may need a firm approach, so that she can learn how far is 'far enough'. Yet you might want to encourage Duncan to stand up for himself or understand that he does not have to be super-helpful for you to like him.
  
  
• You need to be realistic about Darren who has very limited vision and consider carefully how he will negotiate your setting. You cannot assume the same grasp of risk as you could for his peers, because he is gaining his information in different ways. But apart from a sensible adjustment to Darren's visual disability, you then want him to have an enjoyable play experience. If he has a good time and makes friends, he will make mistakes and messes and get a few bumps in the normal course of play. Darren cannot learn if he is overprotected and he will probably get irritated.
  
  
• Children who have a serious health condition, even one which means they may not survive into adulthood, will have a better childhood if they are treated as a child and given appropriate boundaries. It will not help Tammy who is chronically ill to be over-indulged or allowed to be rude to other children, because staff feel pity - 'Poor little love, she's so sick, how can we tell her off?' The other children will not want to make friends and Tammy will lose out on vital happy experiences.

Children who are already in your group can be prepared in a courteous and practical way for a new child, who on this occasion has special needs:

• Let children know that Darren is coming next week and that he cannot see the world in the same way as the other children.
  
  
• Explain how you would like to rearrange some parts of your setting and invite suggestions from the children on 'how we can make Darren welcome'. Once Darren is part of your group, the children will want to feel reassured that, apart from flexibility, which they understand is necessary, he will not be permitted to get away with behaviour that would have clear consequences for anyone else.

Keep communicating

Partnership with parents continues, of course, and is as much part of good practice with parents of children with disabilities as with any parents:

• Show encouragement of the child in front of their parents and communicate positives about their progress.
  
  
• If there are problems, then be specific about the child's behaviour: share your observations of what has happened, any ideas about how the situation arose and explain how you have handled matters so far.
  
  
• Speak to parents sooner rather than later if a child's behaviour is seriously hard to handle and does not seem to respond to your usual strategies.
  
  
• If a child's behaviour and strong emotional reactions persist, then arrange a meeting with the parents that will involve the key worker and your setting's

Special Educational Needs

Co-ordinator (SENCO). You will all need to emerge with a workable plan, written up as an individual play plan (IPP) that will enable the child to cope.

• Always consult with parents before you seek outside advice as it will be up to parents to agree to any referral. If you are working in partnership, then this process will be a joint consultation.
  
  
• Gather local information about supportive professionals and any guidance on working well with children with disabilities. Contact your Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership. The partnership officer will be able to help you fill in the details of a local network.