Session Information
04 SES 07 A, Early Childhood and Family
Paper Session
Contribution
Child find is the first step to early intervention (Pavri, 2001) and, as such, is critical. It involves identifying children who might have additional needs and who are likely to benefit from early intervention services. Achieving this is complicated both by the diverse range of professionals involved with young children and by their frequent lack of a sufficient knowledge of child development and of how best to communicate with families. A further constraint in the initial training of early childhood educators is the time available to teach such skills in a packed curriculum with limited time for face-to-face teaching and learning. The development of a self-paced learning module based on the “Does This Child Need Help?” Identification and Early Childhood Intervention package provides a possible solution. The package covers topics related to growth and development in the early years, determining when a delay is cause for concern, how to raise concerns with families, ethical issues and referral.
This paper reports on an evaluation of the module based on the experiences of some 200 undergraduate early childhood education students enrolled in a unit on working in inclusive settings with young children with additional needs and their families. The module comprised a series of self-paced learning experiences supported by a dedicated text, DVD material and on-line discussion with peers and teaching staff.
Specific research questions addressed were:
1. Did students believe that their skills have been enhanced by their working through the module?
2. Did student knowledge of child development and issues around identification improve as a result of undertaking the package?
3. How did students use the package?
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Pavri, S. (2001). Developmental delay or cultural difference? Developing effective child find practices for young children from culturally and linguistically diverse families. Young Exceptional Children,4, 4, 2-9. Salter, G., Johnston, C. & Lunn, H. (2005). Does this child need help? Early childhood intervention and identification. Sydney: Early Childhood Intervention Australia (NSW Chapter).
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