Communication and Child

Maria Pearce EYMP5-1. 1, EYMP5-1. 2, EYMP5-1. 3, EYMP5-2. 1, EYMP5-2. 2, EYMP5-2. 3 EYMP5-1. 1 Explain each of the terms: * speech * language * communication * Speech, language and communication needs. English dictionary meanings. * Speech – something that is spoken; an utterance, remark, or declaration: * Language – communication by voice in the distinctively human manner, using arbitrary sounds in conventional ways with conventional meanings; speech. * Communication – the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs. Speech, Language and Communication begins from birth simply engaging in eye contact and smiling is communication. Speech is started with noise and sounds. Language starts by a child listening so even from very young ages children learn and communicate with us. EYMP5-1. 2 Explain how speech, language and communication skills support each of the following areas in children's development: EYMP5-1. 3 Describe the potential impact of speech, language and communication difficulties on the overall development of a child, both currently and in the longer term. Speech, language and communication needs in children vary with each individual child. As practitioners we must constantly asses and contribute in all aspects of communication, speech and language. We must listen to the child and try to understand the things the child is trying to communicate to us. Helping children improve things like language can be fairly simple. By having patience we repeat the words often and praise the attempts and successes a child has. Asking the child to point something out or encourage saying words or sounds. By taking our hand and leading us to something the child needs or wants is a good way of helping communication and means we can say the thing they need encouragement is essential we do not want the child to feel silly or ashamed if they struggle with the correct word. Splitting some words into parts more easily said is a great way for children to make sounds into words. In my setting we had a child who said â€Å"basanya† for lasagne and although cute if encouraged to split the word â€Å"la† san† ya† in no time the child used the proper word. Another child would say pusion for cushion. We also found with younger children by using flash cards and books blocks or anything played with to say colours, numbers, and shapes or when out walking pointing out things around us and encouraging the child to repeat was a productive way to help with speech. However speech wasn’t always possible one of the children we had was deaf. He made loud sounds but couldn’t hear us speak the words. By using sign language we managed to communicate though we had little experience in that area and the child was very young so did not have a huge amount of sign himself. We would mine a lot of things like â€Å"drink† â€Å"food† â€Å"hello† many of the children caught on quickly and also mimed signs to him. It was a fantastic way to allow communication as each child interacted only with us but with all of the children. Enabling better communication between the children and taught them that it was normal to accept a child with a â€Å"disability†. By encouraging not only speech but other methods of communication we helped them socially to interact with each other in different ways, a simple wave hello allowed the child with hearing difficulties to feel part of the group and welcome. Emotional by showing praise and enjoyment. Behaviour teaching children how to act in many settings. As practioners we spend time with children getting to know them and communicate with them we can pick up on things we may be able to help with or advise parents of. Many parents work very long hours and have little time to converse with children. By chatting with children and speaking in a correct manner we help language skills every day. We do not use baby language we repeat words and encourage talking not only to ourselves but to each other. One child we had in our setting was very happy to chat with grownups and older children, however she refused to play with or listen to the younger ones. Even when being spoken to directly. The child would completely ignore the younger children. We spoke with her and helped her understand we must not ignore anyone when we are spoke to or communicated with. We encouraged her to converse with younger children we gave her responsibility helping them in small ways. This resulted in child playing and interacting with younger ones. This was fantastic for their social skills and behaviour. It taught the child who seemed to dislike younger children that ignoring anyone in life is not an option. We also seen her enjoy the responsibility and praise she was very proud of herself. If we feel that a child maybe finding speech or language more difficult than usual we would speak to parents and encourage them to try certain games and fun tasks in everyday life at home. We would communicate regularly with parents to see if things improve. Teaching parents little things that they maybe don’t do at home or haven’t tried at home can be great at rectifying any difficulties. Working with them to improve things we may have picked up on but parents haven’t wanted to see can sometime make the world of difference. If these things don’t help we can suggest referral to speech and language specialists or hearing specialist. We must work with other settings as well as parents to compare thoughts, information and experience. One of the best things we would attend was a library story time. It was fantastic it encouraged children to sit quietly and listen to stories. Then they would have a sing along to rhymes and songs with actions. Which encouraged language skills? If a child was new to this it took a few weeks to get involved but we always had parents asking where the child had learned a song they were singing at home. We would have sing along in the setting and encourage the words and actions so children knew some of the songs and gave them confidence to join in. If a child is having difficulties making themselves understood by language, speech or actions it can affect confidence and emotions. We want each child to be happy confident and understood. Eye to eye contact is a simple way to let the child know that you are listening or that you are taking the time to understand what they need from you. They learn that in our setting what they have to say is as important as any adult or other child. Each and every child is important and should feel that way. By communicating with carers we can have a much better and more positive effect on children’s development and learning. Knowing that a good relationship is essential and helps us as practitioners to see what areas we can help in and work on with children or what things carers ould continue and manage at home. This leads to a more productive learning journey for the child. A good relationship can also mean we are all comfortable communicating worries or problems. There are several development charts we can use for reference and information giving us a guide to where a child should be at certain ages. We use these to give us an idea of development if we fell a child is behind of ahead we can look at the information which helps us decide if a child may need some extra support. However we must only use these as a guide. We all know children develop as individuals and at varying rates. These charts can help us if we feel a little unsure and also if we need to have information to give parents. Also taken into account must be periods of settling in, or transition in home life. These can affect a child making them quiet or withdrawn and shy. We must make any decision to advise extra support once we get to know the child and observe activities we plan. EYMP5-3. 1 Demonstrate methods of providing support taking into account the: * age * specific needs * abilities * home language where this is different to that of setting * interests Of the children in own setting. By providing age related toys, activities and language we support individual children with specific support. The ability of a child also determines how we plan any activities. We must make the activity inclusive of all children. Being a small setting we find planning an activity to suit all children fairly easy and can adjust as we interact. For example a painting activity is explained and â€Å"signed† or mimed at same time so that every child is included and not taken to the side as though something is different or treat as an oddity. Some activities are avoided if we feel any child will be singled out. However we praise and encourage all children making them feel included and important. We ask parents what their child or children enjoy at home. If possible we try to bring a little of this into the setting to make children feel at home with us. It also gets children chatting and showing what they like. For instance one child adored snakes of all things. So we allowed him to bring along one of his pets as a sort of show and tell. Most of the children had never held a snake. We got him telling us all about snakes and what they eat. It gave this child so much confidence feeling he could teach us all something new. As we are a small setting and speak English it isn’t possible to teach and speak another language however we are happy to encourage a child with a different language to â€Å"help† teach us all words in their native language and do planned activities for other countries celebrations and festivals. Chinese new year Eid-ul-Fitr are just two of the festivals we incorporate into planning and learning. Communication and Child Introduction: The aim of this report is to identify the reasons why people communicate and the ways in which this can affect relationships. I will identify what we need to remember when we are trying to promote communication with others and the barriers that we may come across when doing this. I will endeavour to explain the extra support available for individual's who may have problems communicating and how coming from different backgrounds/cultures can affect how an individual communicates. I will also describe the ways in which we must treat confidential disclosures and how confidential information should be treated. 1. 1 IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT REASONS PEOPLE COMMUNICATE People communicate to: Build relationships When a new child/parent enters our setting the first thing that will happen is some form of communication such as a smile or greeting the child/parent with hello. This is the foundation on which a child’s trust is based. If a child sees a good relationship between us and their parents this will make the transition period smoother. Share thoughts and ideas When children share thoughts and ideas they are being given the chance to express themselves freely. Children will have ideas and thoughts that they need to share by doing this they are able to grow in confidence and self-esteem, we should always listen to a child's ideas even if they are incorrect as this will encourage a child to share further ideas and thoughts. feedback and reflection encourages mental stim Gain and share information track development, diagnose problems early Express needs and feelings Gain reassurance and acknowledgement 1. EXPLAIN HOW COMMUNICATION AFFECTS RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WORK SETTING Communication affects relationships in the work setting in the following ways: – Sharing and Gaining Information By sharing and gaining information from parents/colleagues such as how the child is feeling, their likes and dislikes, what play interests the child has, we are much better equipped to bring the best out of the child. Effective commu nication is extremely important if the child has a medical condition or perhaps is attending a speech therapist. Knowing these things can help us with the child's development. Settling In It is important that we communicate well when a child is settling into a new environment as the child may feel anxious or nervous about the new setting as this may be the first time the child has left the parents. Good communication helps in building relationships, making it easier for the child to feel happy and secure in a new environment. Communicating and building a relationship with the parents allows them to trust and feel happy with us as practitioners enabling them to confidently leave the child in our care. – Supporting children's Play and Learning If we have good communication with a child they are able to benefit more from play and learning activities. It enables them to take part and understand activities. It also encourages better speech and vocabulary and gives them the confidence to express their thoughts and ideas, making them feel more relaxed and comfortable within the setting. – Transitions It is important to have good communication in periods of transition such as moving schools or childminders, as this makes it easier for the child to adjust and feel happy and comfortable in the new setting. For example having good communication and building relationships with each other allows information to be passed on effectively and efficiently making the transition easier for the child, parents and practitioner. 2. 2 DESCRIBE THE FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PROMOTING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION The factors to consider when promoting effective communication are: – Environment It is important that we think about the environment we are in when communicating with others. When we are communicating with adults or young children we may need to find somewhere quiet, a busy or noisy environment may be distracting, preventing information being passed / received accurately. A young child will be able to understand instructions, learn better and feel relaxed if the environment is quieter and calmer. With toddlers and younger children we may need to find an area which is familiar to their home setting, e. g. if the child likes playing with play dough we could arrange to sit with the child at this table. – Proximity, Orientation and Posture We should always consider distance when we are communicating with others. If we have a strong relationship with a child they will allow us to get closer as the child knows and trusts us and should not find this behaviour intimidating. We should also consider cultural differences when communicating with others as some sayings/gestures in our culture may differ to that of a person from a different culture. Our body's position is also important as if we stand in front of someone they may find this overpowering. But if we were to stand beside them and turn our body towards them this sends out a warm and friendly signal. Having good posture when communicating with others is also important as this gives out a clear message that you are listening and interested in what they are saying. – Listening Skills When we are communicating we should always show that we are ‘Actively Listening'. To Actively Listen we must think about what is being said and be aware of the body language. We should always give our full attention to the person speaking and listen to the tone of what they are saying. This is important when communicating with children as it promotes children's speech and helps when dealing with difficult situations. Time When we are communicating we need to give the person we are communicating with time to think about what we are saying. This is very important with young children so they understand what we are saying, or understand the instruction that has been given. Parents may also need time to understand or digest the information that has been past onto them. 3. 1 EXPLAIN HOW PEOPLE F ROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS MAY USE AND/OR INTERPRET COMMUNICATION METHODS IN DIFFERENT WAYS. People from different backgrounds may use and/or interpret communication methods in the following ways: – Family Background Family background is important in communication as all families have different styles of communication. For example some children may come from a family that has more than one language, while other children may come from a family that is outgoing and noisy. Others may come from a family that is shy in nature. All of these will affect the way in which the child later communicates as an adult. – Personality Personalities can affect the way in which a child/adult communicates. With young children we can often see if their personality is outgoing even before their speech / language has developed. For example a child of a shyer nature will have a quieter personality, they may seem unenthusiastic in group discussions or with people they don't know as they find this uncomfortable. – Confidence and Self-esteem Confidence and self-esteem plays an important part in the way people communicate. For example a child who has been mocked when they have been reading in class may find public speaking as an adult difficult. Whereas a child who was praised for their reading is more likely to grow into an adult with more confidence in this area. – Literacy Literacy skills are acquired throughout life. Some people will have a higher level of literacy skills than others. For example some people may have learning difficulties or may have had to immigrate and have had to learn a completely new language. – ICT Knowledge Most people will have acquired some form of ICT Knowledge whether it be using internet, internet phones, emails, accessing photos, phone conversations, but we will not all have the same level of ICT knowledge. For example a person may not be able to read emails or follow written instructions well, so they are not as comfortable in this area as others. 3. 2 IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Some of the barriers we may face to effectively communicate are: Information – Sender may have language difficulties and find it hard to express themselves in oral or written forms. Encoding – Sender may have difficulty in choosing appropriate words/language or use an inappropriate style or tone. Transfer – Emails may not be received. Reception – Visual impairment may prevent a recipient from picking up facial expressions, gestures or anything that has been written down. Decoding – Recipient's relationship with the sender will influence the way that messages are decoded e. message from someone who is liked may be received differently than from a stranger. Feedback – Sender may not see feedback and realise that there are any difficulties with the way that they have communicated. Response – Sender may respond negatively as meaning of communication is not clear or style of communication is inappropriate. 3. 5 EXPLAIN HOW TO ACCESS EXTRA S UPPORT OR SERVICES TO ENABLE INDIVIDUALS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY The ways in which we can access extra support or services to communicate effectively are: Transition and Interpreting Services We may need to use a Translator from time to time if a person cannot read/understand our language. For example this is useful if a parent wants to show us a letter that has been written in a different language. An Interpreter may also be used if someone has hearing or speech impairment this assists communication to be made with them. – Speech and Language Services Children's speech develops at different times and stages, every child is different. For example some young children may need the service of a Speech Therapist. We may need to seek support of these services to help us communicate effectively with the child by using visual aids such as pictures. This helps us to meet the child's individual needs. – Advocacy Children or young people who are in care may have had an advocate service such as Social Services. These services are used so the child can express their personal views, opinions and how they are feeling. It also ensures the best interests of the child are met and that their rights under the United Nations Convention are met. We have a duty to ensure this for each and every child. 4. 1 EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF THE TERM CONFIDENTIALITY The term Confidentiality means that we must not share or disclose personal information gained through work that we would not publicly know with others. As practitioner's we will receive confidential information on a daily basis, information we receive should be treated confidential unless there is a duty to pass the information on eg, in cases of child abuse or danger to a child's welfare. Confidential information that we may receive is personal details on a child's live such as address, phone number, date of birth ; health and development issues. Individual's have the right to keep this type of information private. P Tassoni et al (2010:15) states, â€Å"Confidentiality is about respecting other people's rights to privacy and keeping safe the information that they have provided. † A parent may pass on something they want kept confidential to protect their child from embarrassment. For example, a parent may disclose that their child has suddenly started wetting his/her pants and may ask you to keep an eye on the child and discretely change pants if necessary. This type of information should only be shared with others on a need to know basis. Breach of policies surrounding confidentiality are usually disciplinary offences which are treated seriously. . 2DESCRIBE WAYS TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY IN DAY TO DAY COMMUNICATION A setting should have an office where parents can speak to members of staff about confidential matters. This information will be passed to staff on a need to know basis. Staff are told to think about what they are saying in front of â€Å"young ears† and other pare nts. Gossip should be avoided. All written paperwork/computer records kept on the children within the setting should be in an office area and kept under lock and key/passworded and the setting will have policies on who has access to this information. Should a child make a serious disclosure to a member of staff, about possible abuse/neglect, all staff will be fully trained in the settings Child Protection procedures and staff will know the reporting procedure in these circumstances. As part of their training, staff will know that any breach of confidentiality within the setting could result in a disciplinary action being taken against them and in serious cases may even result in dismissal. 4. 3DESCRIBE THE POTENTIAL TENSION BETWEEN MAINTAINING AN INDIVIDUAL’S CONFIDENTIALITY AND DISCLOSING CONCERNS There will be occasions that we need to disclose confidential information such as if we feel a child's welfare is at risk or if we think abuse is suspected or a crime has been committed. We are obliged to pass our concerns quickly, discretely and directly to our manager or an appropriate agency such as Social Services. By doing this we can still retain confidentiality within a setting as other members of staff or parents will not know the issues that have been raised. This also ensures that the rights of the child are met under the UNCRC (online www. unicef. org. k) Article 19 states â€Å"Children's rights to be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation including sexual abuse by those looking after them. † All settings must be on the Data Protection Register and be registered with the Data Protection Commission. If confidentiality has been breached this can have serious consequences a nd can lead to dismissal, most settings will have their own polices and procedures. Conclusion: As we can see from the above, communication is a vital part of everyday life. Good communication skills assist us in nearly every situation we can find ourselves in. When communication is well managed, conflict can be avoided and respect and well-being of all parties improved. It is vital that we understand how to treat confidential information, when such information should be kept confidential and when and how it should be reported if we feel it necessary to safeguard and protect children. Bibliography: Tassoni P et al (2010), CHILDREN ; YOUNG PEOPLE'S WORKFORCE, Heineman, London, UK. UNCRC (Online), UN CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD, www. unicef. org. uk