Transcript Chapter Thirteen: Special Topics in Safety, Health, and

Chapter Thirteen:
Special Topics in Safety, Nutrition,
and Health
Policies for Special Topics
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Inclusion of Children with Special Needs
Children with Chronic Illnesses
Children with Stress
Children from Drug-Abusing Families
Inclusion of Children with Special
Needs into Child Care
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990)
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Federal legislation to protect people with
physical or mental disabilities
Disability defined—“a physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits a major life
activity”
Applies to all child care except nanny and
ecumenical care
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Carefully look at Figure 13-1
Review ADA Goal Figure 13-2
Benefits of Inclusion
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Encourages acceptance
Lessens discrimination
For child with special needs, offers
opportunity to play and grow
Better developmental progress in
mainstreamed child care
 Better interaction skills
 More advanced play
 Become more self-reliant
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For the other children, being around
children with disabilities can help them
Learn empathy
 See that diversity is not so scary
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Allows all to see that they are more alike
than different
Caregivers benefit by learning to be
More patient
 More self-confident
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The Team Approach
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Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)
Provides for an organized goal and delivery
of services
 One person designated coordinator
 Contact person designated coordination of
child care with plan
 Team effort should continue at site
 All people in plan should share information
 Needed training should be provided
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Supporting the Child with Special
Needs
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Environment
Adjusting the physical environment
 Adjusting the environment for emotional
needs
 Toys should be safe and durable
 Toys should provide opportunity for learning,
interaction, exploration, and engagement
 Toys should be adapted if necessary
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Intervention
Caregiver intervention may be necessary if
child is
 Exhibiting lack of success
 Exhibiting frustration
 Caregiver intervention may include
 Helping child learn how to use or play with
toys
 Encouraging other children to assist child
 Teaching specific skills such as eye
contact or appropriate language
 Modeling acceptance and understanding
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Caregiver intervention should be activity based
and include
 Functional skills
 Generalizable skills
Children with Chronic Illnesses
Chronic illnesses or conditions
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Affect more than 30% of population
under age of 18 years
May range from mild to severe
May require continued treatment
Chronic illnesses include
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Allergies
Asthma
Diabetes Mellitus
HIV/AIDS
Seizure Disorders
Sickle Cell Anemia
General guidelines for the caregivers
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Understand the major chronic illnesses
Recognize the symptoms, reactions, and
triggers
Have identifiers of reactions for chronic
illnesses of children in care posted
prominently
Understand what actions to take in a
crisis situation
Remain calm
Children with Stress
Examples of stressors in a child’s life
(see Table 13-2)
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Divorce/single parent/stepfamily
adjustments
Birth of a sibling
Separation anxiety
New care situation
Cultural considerations, including
language
Poverty
Children’s reaction to stress may be
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Physical
Emotional
Behavioral
Physical reactions include
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Headaches
Stomachaches
Bouts of diarrhea
Language difficulties
Appetite fluctuations from norm
Emotional reactions include
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Regressive to aggressive behavior
Withdrawal
Clinginess and dependency
Inability to make decisions
Escaping into fantasy
Being fearful or nervous
Behavioral reactions include
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Acting out = temper tantrum  violent
behavior
Vandalizing toys
Biting or hitting
Difficulty with social interactions
Frustrated easily
Use of colorful language to express
anger
Caregivers need to
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Be alert to stress as a factor in
children’s behavior
Structure environment to support child
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Protective
Give child
Security
 Sense of control
 Feeling of self-worth
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Provide predictable routines
Provide quiet place to retreat from
world
Help children transition from one
activity to another
Help children identify their emotions
and feelings
Role modeling
 Dramatic play
 Books
 Discussions
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Redirect anger, frustration, and
aggression
Reinforce positive behaviors
Use team approach
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Caregiver + parent
Be predictable and consistent with
children and parents
Working with Children From
Drug-Abusing Families
Prenatal exposure to drugs can cause the
following developmental difficulties
Inability to organize play
 Sporadic mastery
 Learning problems/Strategies
 Difficulty with motor skills
 Impaired ability for language development or
communication
 Lack of sense of self
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The Recovering Family
The Actively Abusing Family
The Foster Family
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Establishing a relationship with the Family
Working with the Children
Implications for Caregivers
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Education
Cultural Competence
Supervision
Reality Check:
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (AD/HD)
Two basic symptoms
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Inattention
Combination of hyperactivity and
impulsive behaviors
Begins between ages of 2 and 6 years
More likely to be a boy
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Symptoms include difficulty in focusing
attention, transitioning, and easily
distractible (see page 425 for list of
symptoms)
Cause is unknown but there are links
Several areas checked during diagnosis
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Physical exam
Family medical history
Parent/teacher interview
Observation
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Caregivers can control and monitor
environment to help child be more
successful
See list on page 426