Self-Concept Needs and Activities for Special Needs Children Unit 2
Nov 20, 2014
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