Module 8: Part B, C
Basic Specialized Services
Objectives 7, 1, & 4 / CDA subject area 3, 5, 6 Positive ways to support children’s social and emotional development; Effective program operation; Commitment to professionalism
Northern Lights Core Knowledge Areas (code SOV): - Basic Specialized Care
Child Development: A. How Children Develop, B. Influences on Child Development, C. Individual Variance
Families and Communities: A. Relationships, B. Communication
Professionalism and Program Organization A. Professionalism, B. Working with Staff and Colleagues, C Program Organization and Administration / Reflection/writing
This session (6 hours total) is an introduction for early childhood providers who plan to support children and families who require additional support (as identified by the state of Vermont). It is required for all programs wishing to attain the "Basic Specialized Child Care Provider" status. Basic Specialized Services training is essential for serving children who have been victims of abuse or neglect. Topics covered include: typical child development, the impact of stress and abuse on development, red flags, working with families and the system, as well as mandated reporting responsibilities.Working with children with special needs is also touched upon.

Basic specialized care (6 hours) covers:

  • Typical child development, the impact of stress and abuse on development, red flags.
  • Working with families.
  • Working with the system, including mandated reporter training.

Suggested learning activity:

Developmental tasks cards group activity: Divide participants into groups. Give each group a set of cards as described below. The groups decide where the developmental skill/task usually occurs within an age range. Use poster paper for the age ranges and let groups tape their cards on the posters. Then discuss this and talk about why participants put cards in different age ranges. Talk about how abuse and neglect impacts the flow of development, and address the value systems (the “lens”) we use to evaluate children and how we think they are or should be developing.

Write one phrase on each card to make sets for the groups:

Cues are clear, discriminatory to need.

Increasing socialization/finding place in the world.

Develops intentional, purposeful communication.

Increased intentional planning, exploration, experimentation, and sequencing.

Anger is protection against anxiety/loss and as drive for move from dependency.

Increased awareness of what is socially acceptable.

Resistance to authority; wanting/fearing increased responsibility.

Fluid ego: regression in defenses; high degree of denial; poor anticipation; poor impulse control; distorted self-esteem.

Same object perceived in a different perspective will be perceived as a different object.

Increased identification of sexual roles.

Elaboration of cognitive skills.

Perceptual constancy of size, working on object permanence.

Able to think about what s/he is feeling/doing.

Increased verbal communication/use of complex sentences.

Learning to wait/tolerate frustration.

Able to identify uniqueness.

Reworking separation issues.

Increased interest in how things work.

Practices cause/effect/beginning recognition of external causality.

Use this information to guide the discussion:

6 weeks to 5 months

Same object perceived in a different perspective will be perceived as a different object.

Cues are clear, discriminatory to need.

5 – 14 months

Anger as protection against anxiety/loss and as drive for move from dependency.

Perceptual constancy of size, working on object permanence.

Develops intentional, purposeful communication.

11 – 18 months

Practices cause/effect/beginning recognition of

external causality.

Increased interest in how things work.

15 months to 3 years

Learning to wait/tolerate frustration.

Increased intentional planning, exploration,

experimentation and sequencing.

24 months to 3.5 years

Able to think about what s/he is feeling/doing.

Increased verbal communication/use of complex sentences.

Increased awareness of what is socially

acceptable.

3 – 5 years

Able to identify uniqueness.

Increased identification of sexual roles.

5 – 10 years

Elaboration of cognitive skills.

Increasing socialization/finding place in place in large world.

10 – 18 years of age

Reworking separation issues.

Fluid ego: regression in defenses; high degree of denial; poor anticipation; poor impulse control;

distorted self-esteem.

Resistance to authority; wanting/fearing increased responsibility.

Suggested resources:

Books

Titles by Stanley Greenspan

Neurons to Neighborhoods (Access the entire book on-line)

Websites



Agencies

Department of Children and Families:

Prevent Child Abuse Vermont:

Children’s Upstream Services Program (CUPS)

Child Welfare League:

Others, depending on region

Videos

“Multiple Transitions” (

Other tools

The Specialized Care core curriculum and names of possible instructors are available through the Child Development Division.