Notice signs of health issues
At Cybertots, we want our staff to notice non-normal behaviour that might indicate a health issue.
We want to eliminate health reasons for non-normal behaviour before we consider general behaviour management. In other words, if you know that a health problem is causing non-normal behaviour, you won't try to use normal behaviour management techniques.
Take notice of any behaviours that somehow aren’t normal and might indicate health problems. The cause could be a disability, a learning difficulty, or a mental health issue. However, you don’t have to diagnose these things--they are very complex and most need specialist attention.
If you do notice something that isn't normal, refer it to your supervisor; approaching a parent yourself may cause undue concern and tension.
To notice anything non-normal, you need to have a good idea of "normal", which you learn by observing children over a period of time. For example, some children are naturally very active and noisy, so it would be a mistake to identify them all as hyperactive.
Look out for these behaviours:
The child has a short concentration span, which may lead to disruptive behaviour.
The child doesn’t react to stimuli.
The child over-reacts to stimuli.
The child has not developed a normal control of bodily functions.
The child has unduly violent reactions to certain stimuli.
The child is needs extra effort needed to participate, resulting in tiredness that can precipitate outbursts.
The child can’t pronounce words intelligibly. (They might need speech therapy.)
The child gets frustrated by:
- their limited ability for sensory intake
- easily confused, doesn’t understand things that most children of the same age normally think is easy (delayed cognitive development)
- limited communication skills (could be a sign of deafness or some other disability)
- limited social skills
The next step is to give positive support . . .
As a childcare worker, you are in an excellent position to notice a health issue early. And early intervention often results in more effective treatment.
How would you feel if your teacher always pushed you to do things that you just couldn't do? And then later you found out that it was because you had some kind of disability?
