EY Downloadable Resources: Activities

The National Strategies Early Years

Inclusion Development Programme

Tasks for the reflective journal

Module 1

Pause for thought: Have you observed any behaviours in a child with autism that indicate to you that the child might find sounds overwhelming or that the world might feel confusing and frightening? In your reflective journal make a note of your thoughts about how a child with autism might experience the world. Draw on your own experience of children with autism where appropriate.

Time to talk: If you know a child with autism, try to think about whether that child might have sensory processing difficulties. Do you know a child who finds touch difficult, or a child who hears sounds that are far away but finds it difficult to listen to the keyworker? Do you know a child who is distracted by fluorescent lighting? Talk to a colleague about your observations and share your experiences with one another. Make a note in your reflective journal of the sensory processing difficulties that a child in your care might experience and what actions you might take to protect the child from these difficulties.

Time to work in groups: Working in a small group of colleagues, first discuss why autism is often described as a ‘hidden’ condition and then work together to list some of the key issues that are useful to know when caring for or working with a child with autism. File this list in your reflective journal.

Module 2

Pause for thought: Causes for concern can be lack of responsiveness, difficulties in engaging with a child and delayed language. Do you have any similar concerns about a child you work with? If you already work with a child with autism, how did the parents initially become concerned about that child? What were the possible early signs? Make a note of your thoughts in your reflective journal.

Time to talk: If you have a child you are concerned about, work with a colleague to each independentlyobserve the child and attempt to answer the list of questions provided. Following the observation compare your answers to the questions and discuss the ‘causes for concern’ that have alerted each of you to suspect that the child may have autism. Keep a record of the outcomes of this activity in your reflective journal.

Time to work in groups: Working in a small group of colleagues draw up some guidelines about the referral processes in your area. List the key agencies and people to contact if staff have concerns that a child might have autism. Ensure that this document is readily available to other staff. File this document in your reflective journal.

Module 3

Pause for thought: How does your setting develop good professional relationships with parents and how do you raise any concerns with them? Think about how you would answer these questions and write your answers in your reflective journal.

Time to talk: With a colleague, discuss how you ensure good communications and positive relationships with all those caring for or working with a child with autism. Together list the different people/groups you need to communicate with and record any examples of good practice. File this record in your reflective journal.

Time to work in groups: In a small group first discuss why good communication between all concerned with the welfare of a child with autism is so important. Then draw up a brief list of good practice guidelines for your setting, which would encourage good communication and positive relationships between all concerned with the child and between the child and his/her peers.

Module 4

Pause for thought: How do you adapt your day for children with autism and how do you assess what adaptations might be needed for the child? Think about how you would answer these two questions and record your thoughts in your reflective journal.

Time to talk: What are the sensory issues you might have to address in your setting? How would you modify your environment to take account of these issues when working with a child with autism in your care? Think about these questions and ask a colleague to do the same. Then discuss the changes you would need to make to ensure that your setting takes account of children with sensory sensitivities and their need for appropriate structure. Keep a record of the outcomes of your discussion in your reflective journal.

Time to work in groups: Is your environment autism friendly? Working together with a small group of colleagues, discuss what it means to create an enabling environment for a child on the autism spectrum considering each item on the checklist. Together, talk about how your environment is adapted for a child with autism and why you have made these modifications.

Module 5

Pause for thought: You have now been introduced to some of the ways in which a child with autism can be supported to learn through play. How does what you have seen in the last two video clips compare with your current practice? Do you use similar or alternative strategies? Critically reflect on your own practice. Does it need to change in any way? Make a note of your thoughts in your reflective journal.

Time to talk: For this activity you will work with a colleague, but before talking to them, first write a planning document that covers each of the Areas of Learning and Development for a child with autism in your care. Then ask your colleague to provide you with feedback on your plan by answering the following questions:

Does the plan take account of the child’s special interests and individual needs?
Will the plan enable the child to learn through play?
Does the plan include activities which will help the child learn how to play with others?
Does the plan overcome barriers to learning for the child?

Time to work in groups: If you have a child with autism in your setting, discuss the strategies that you currently use to prepare that child for transition to another setting with a small group of colleagues. Does your current practice need to change in any way? Drawing on what you have learned in this module, together write a brief set of guidelines for ensuring the smooth transition of a child with autism to a different setting.