Elements and Performance Criteria
- Elements define the essential outcomes.
- Promote inclusion
- Ensure curriculum decisions are made with a view to promoting inclusion and participation of all children
- Demonstrate a belief in children’s capacity to succeed in all interactions with families and children
- Reflect upon practices to find equitable and effective ways to ensure all children have opportunities to achieve learning outcomes
- Develop own professional knowledge and work in partnership with families, communities and other services and agencies
- Support all children regardless of background, gender, age or ability to fully participate as valued members of the group
- Assist, support and encourage each child’s efforts to participate
- Identify areas of the service’s philosophy and policies that relate to inclusion, equity and diversity and reflect on related practice
- Respect diversity
- Value different capacities and abilities, and respect differences in families’ home lives
- Recognise that diversity contributes to the richness of society and provide children with opportunities to explore this richness
- Uphold all children’s rights to have their cultures, identities, abilities and strengths acknowledged and valued in curriculum decisions
- Draw children’s attention to issues of fairness relevant to them
- Provide children with opportunities to learn about similarities and differences, interdependence and how we can learn to live together.
- Engage children in discussions about respectful and equal relations
- Identify children with barriers to learning
- Develop a plan for support and inclusion
- Consider the child’s abilities, goals, interests, expectations and health status in the context of their cultural values, needs and requirements when making curriculum decisions for the child
- Develop the plan in consultation with other professionals and the family
- Adapt the environment and routines to ensure inclusion of all children with additional needs
- Constantly reflect on the effectiveness of the plan and its impact on the child
- Implement strategies to meet the child’s additional needs
- Support child’s entry into the service
- Reflect on the level of support provided on a regular basis and adjust accordingly if necessary
- Encourage others to adopt inclusive attitudes and practices
- Communicate with and provide support to others to implement strategies
- Investigate and trial strategies that may address barriers
- Implement strategies designed or suggested by family or other professionals
- Respond to the daily needs of children with additional needs and seek assistance as required
- Monitor and review strategies
- Share information about progress among all concerned
- Identify and discuss issues of concern
- Establish and maintain constant information exchange with family and appropriate community members about the child’s needs and care strategies
- Seek and gain family permission prior to consulting with others regarding the child
- Ensure communication occurs within a culturally and linguistically responsive framework
- Closely monitor new strategies and the impact of these on the child
- Identify and respond to any barriers to the strategies being implemented
- Implement strategies to meet the child’s additional needs
- Support child’s entry into the service
- Reflect on the level of support provided on a regular basis and adjust accordingly if necessary
- Encourage others to adopt inclusive attitudes and practices
- Communicate with and provide support to others to implement strategies
- Investigate and trial strategies that may address barriers
- Implement strategies designed or suggested by family or other professionals
- Respond to the daily needs of children with additional needs and seek assistance as required