self concept needs and activities for special needs children unit 2

Self-Concept Needs and Activities for Special Needs Children

Unit 2

Terms and Definitions

The composite image children have about themselves, this includes both physical and psychological self-images

Self-Concept

Children’s thoughts and feelings about their appearance, this includes sex appropriateness or inappropriateness, body parts, body movements, and use of body

Physical self image

Thoughts, feelings, and emotions of children Note: In special needs children this is a

particularly high risk area.

Psychological Self-Image

Saying the same words or making the same sound at the same time

Unison

Standards of conduct and moral judgmentnote: caregiver should us good ethics when dealing with information concerning the children he or she works with.

Ethics

Private or secret information note: many times caregivers have access to

information that should be kept confidential.

Confidential

General teaching guidelines when working

with special needs children

Note: Many people are nervous and worried about working with special needs children for the first time. First efforts are not always successful and this can cause frustrations. Keep this in mind when working with the children the next time.

Understand your own feeling

Note: the aide and volunteer should be included in planning activities for special needs children. Emphasize to volunteers the importance of proper ethics in keeping information about the children confidential.

Involve aides and volunteers

Note: Behavioral limits should be consistent. If the behavior of the special needs children does not disturb the other children, perhaps it should be ignored.

Set Behavioral limits for the children

Note: Break down activities into sub-skills that can be learned at the special needs children’s currents skill level.

Break down activities

Note: Start with simple activities and gradually increase the level of difficulty as the special needs children learn.

Sequence Activities

Note: Special needs children often learn best when they are “moved through” an activity until independent participation is possible. The success that the caregiver helps the children have makes them willing to try again.

Provide physical contact and guidance

Note: It is often easy to assume that special needs children are more helpless than they really are.

Avoid over-dependence by the special needs children on the caregiver or other children

Ways to help special needs children develop a good

self-concept

Structure activities so children feel successfulnote: break the activities into many small steps

Praise progress, no matter how small Be positive about failures

◦ Example: “ You tried very hard. With such good practice, I’m sure you’ll learn how to do that soon.”

Be patient when it is necessary to show children how to do something several times

Be tender, accepting, and loving Do not talk about the children’s problems in

front of them or other children Concentrate on children’s strengths, not

weaknesses◦ Note: use the strengths to the children’s best

advantage.

Fit activity to the children so that it is challenging but not overwhelming

Be consistent about what you are expecting from the children

Make the children responsible for a part of the classroom routine, and praise their reliability.◦ Example: Watering the plants

Never allow the other children to make fun of a child

Display the children’s work

Note: most of these activities teach self-help skills that enable children to take care of themselves in areas such as dressing, eating, and personal hygiene. Success in these areas can help to form a foundation for a positive self-concept

Activities which promote a positive self-concept

Housekeeping corner activities Dress up play, dressing dolls Snack, including preparation and cleanup Buttoning, snapping, and lacing clothes Body image activities

◦ Note: this book could contain pictures drawn by the children of items such as family members, pets, and the family’s house.

Suggestions to keep in mind when presenting activities to special needs children

Make any modifications in materials and equipmentnote: raise the height of the water table so children in wheelchairs can participate.

Make directions as simple as possible

Keep activities shortnote: most special needs children are easily distracted and have a short attention span.

Keep activities organizednote: this will help the children organize their world by providing structure for them.

Demonstrate techniques to be used in the activitiesnote: most special needs children may need additional help to learn things that most children earn by observation.

Give children warning when it is time to change activitiesexample: Flash lights on and off, ring a bell, play music

Ways to aid special needs children during

activities

Provide extra-large paper for painting or drawingnote: Some special needs children have problems keeping the paint on average-sized paper.

Provide children with weighted doll carriages to pushnote: This helps the child develop balance while using the same equipment that the other children are using. Large books can be used for the weights.

Provide children with a wedge or bolsterNote: this allows children who have difficulty sitting or standing to lie on their stomachs with their arms and chest free to participate in certain activities.

Be sure to include special needs children frequently during circle time

Provide guidance in selecting activities for free-directed playnote: to many special needs children free-directed play is a time of confusion because it is a less structured environment.

May need to seat special needs children next to the caregiver during meal-time

Suggested activities and examples for special needs

children

Visual

Motor

Sensory

Circle games

Allow children to play with feely box,

texture Lotto games

Have children do finger play and sing

songs

Have children roll ball, walk on low balance

beam

Language and Speech

Listening Skills

Communication

Have children

play “Simon Say”,

imitation games, and

acting games, have

caregiver present puppet plays.

Have children listen to

story, sing songs, and do finger

plays

Hearing

Speaking to children

Helping children talk

If children say incomplete sentences

caregiver should simply state

them correctly, let children know if their voices are

too loud or too soft.

Caregiver should gain child’s attention before

speaking, caregiver should get down to children’s eye level, don’t exaggerate lip movement, in group situation seat child

close to caregiver or in front

Emotional Disturbance

Arrival and Departure transitional activities

Rest time

Caregiver should darken room but leave enough light to keep fearful children calm,

my need to allow some children to engage in quiet activities, wake

children very gently and allow them plenty

of time to regain alertness.

Have some caregiver greet

and aid in preparing children to leave, remind children of next day’s activities.

Health Impaired

Have children go through

obstacle course

Have children play eye/hand coordination games and sequencing

games

Motor

Manipulative

Mentally Handicapped

Caregiver should break the task down

into small parts,

teaching one step at a time,

praise each effort and

each accomplishme

nt

Have children play adjective

concept games,

matching, sorting, and

selecting games, puzzles

Children dressing

themselves

Cognitive

Physically Handicapped (orthopedic)

Caregiver should position children to

permit maximum use of their hands, make

sure children with uncontrollable

movements do not interfere with other

children

Caregiver should be sure material used is pliable, demonstrate

movement to children by putting their hands over the caregiver to

feel a particular motion

Finger painting

Play dough or clay

Activities and equipment which promote motor

skillsNote: The following activities and equipment stimulate trunk growth, balance, coordination, and promoter muscle tone. The more automatic children’s gross motor skills are, the greater will be their capacity for developing higher levels of fine motor skills, self-care skills, speech skills, and social an cognitive skills.

Carpeted barrel activities Scooter board activities Sit and spin activities Spring horse activities Air mattress activities