Special Educational

Needs and
Disability
Early
Identification
 Activity
Given the popular categories of Special Needs below, identify
some signs a teacher from a nursery school might notice in a
child who has:
1. Dyslexia
2. Dyscalculia
3. Autism
4. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
 Focus Points of Activity
1. Dyslexia- learning disability which alters the way the brain processes
written words. The child has difficulty reading, writing, and spelling.
2. Dyscalculia- learning disability which alters the way the child
understands math, mathematical concepts, number related concepts,
perform accurate math calculations, reason, problem solve and
perform other math skills.
3. Autism- development disorder which affects verbal and non-verbal
communication, educational performance and social interaction.
4. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder- mental health disorder that
affects the child’s ability to focus on a single task or sit for long
periods of time.
 What is Early Identification?
 Identification
is the process used to decide if a
child has a disability.
 Asstipulated by Reynolds, Rolnick and Temple
(2014), early identification and intervention usually
refer to finding emotional, intellectual, behavioural
and mental health concerns at the earliest age they
appear.
 What is Early Identification?
 Is
the term used to describe services and support that help
babies and toddlers (from birth to 3 years of age) with
developmental delays or disabilities.
 It
may include speech therapy, physical therapy, and other
types of services based on the needs of the child and
family.
 It
can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn
new skills and increase their success in school and life.
 Early Identification
 The National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (2007)
stated, it is not in the best interest to wait and see, or hope that the
child will ‘grow out of’ his or her problems (p. 65).
 Early identification and intervention services for children have long
been realized as being critical to the prevention of later disabilities
or academic failure.(Lyon, 1998)
 Early identification and intervention is considered to be the most
important factors influencing long-term outcome in these children.
Along with paediatricians and parents, it is the teachers and other
educators, who can and must play a role in early identification.
Why should we identify early?
 Earlyintervention helps children improve
their abilities and learn new skills.
 Interventionis likely to be more
effective when it is provided earlier in life
rather than later.
 The connections in a baby’s brain are most
adaptable in the first three years of life.
These connections, also called neural
circuits, are the foundation for learning,
behavior, and health. Over time, these
 Why should we identify early?
 Familiesbenefit from early intervention by being
able to better meet their children’s needs from
an early age and throughout their lives.
 Earlyintervention services can change a child’s
developmental path and improve outcomes for
children, families, and communities.
 Prerequisites for Early Identification
It is vital therefore that when working with young children and their families we
have the following:
 A sound knowledge of typical child development;
 An acknowledgement that all children develop differently;
 An acknowledgement that there are various ways of knowing and
understanding children other than through a developmental lens.
 Skills in knowing how to observe children and record their observations;
 An ability to interpret and make sense of the information gained;
 A commitment to building meaningful relationships and positive
partnerships with families;
 And, Skills in sharing information and raising concerns with families.
 How Teachers can Identify SEND Early
The primary role of teachers is “to identify” and “to refer” rather than
to diagnose / confirm which developmental disorder the children
face. Being able to identify the problems and encourage parents to
accept referral for professional assessment, teachers have taken the
very first step in helping the children. To find out more about the
child and how he or she learns, a teacher may look at the following
areas:
 social or behavioural skills
 communication skills
 cognitive/learning skills
 physical or sensory skills
 How Teachers Can Identify SEND Early
Therefore, when children exhibit a particular learning, emotional or behavioural
problem, apart from being aware of the severity, duration and frequency of this
problem, teachers should also gather information from different sources to
understand every possible factor that may attribute to the children’s behaviour.
Teachers can
 talk with the child
• observe the child during classroom activities, at play, during interactions with
their friends.
• analyze the child’s class work
• assess your child’s abilities in areas such as mathematics, reading, and so on.
 How Parents Can Identify SEND Early
As a parent, you can also gather information that may be useful
in the assessment process. This information could include:
 medical reports e.g. clinic card, doctor checkups/ reports.
 observations you have made about your child’s learning needs
at home
 Any behavioural changes outside of the school environment.
Observation Sheet
 Conclusion
Every child is unique. Children have their own strengths and
weaknesses. Their development progresses according to certain
sequences, but the pace may vary. It is natural that some children
may excel in certain areas but have deficiencies in other areas.
However, if children display marked problems or difficulties in one
(or more) developmental area(s), and their performance shows
significant discrepancies compared with other children of the same
age, it is advisable to refer the children for professional
assessment. Children progress rapidly in their early years and lots
of changes are expected in a year or even a month’s time. Because
of this, even experts may find it difficult to make a firm diagnosis
based on a young child’s conditions.
Thanks for Participating

Presented By:
Miss Hulda Fraser