When you first find out that your child is diagnosed with special needs, a series of roller coaster emotions and worries can be expected. Panic might set in. How will I cope with this? Am I prepared to support my child’s development?

Similarly for educators who are unequipped with the tools and knowledge, they might be unprepared when tasked to manage special needs students.

“Parents and educators are critical advocates for the child, and even more particularly so when there are special needs.”

Both parents and educators have the most significant role to play on the child’s development and shape their perspective of life. Here are 3 qualities needed caring for special needs children:

• Have patience
  When a child has special needs, patience is a must. At a young age, the child will look to you for emotional guidance and support and also learn how to express their emotions based on their observation and interactions with you. Even when you’re stressed out, it’s important to make sure they feel that they have your emotional support and that you won’t give up on them.
• Intuitive and calming nature
  Special needs children find it difficult to communicate and express their feelings when they are in a stressful environment. Often, they will react negatively when they are confused or overwhelmed with their struggles. It is vital to provide a calm environment for them to feel safe.  Our skill in intuition will be essential to uncover the underlying reasons for their behaviour and reduce their anxiety.
• Keen adaptability
  Each child with special needs will come with their own sets of behaviours, interests and aversions, as well as strengths and weaknesses. It is up to the people closest to them to explore what these may be and work what is best suited for their needs and emotions. Knowing the child’s learning preferences will be crucial for their development, making their learning effective and helping to improve the child’s quality of life.

The first step towards a child’s positive development is based on how well prepared we are. Some children have different physical, emotional or cognitive needs that create barriers to learning or achievement. Once there is a clear support path for children with special needs, both the parents and educators will be able to make informed decisions and plan for the long term of the child’s life goals and targets.

Contact us to see how you can develop an understanding of the different types of exceptional children, their needs, and the different special needs programmes and specialties that are available.

CAE’s 12-months Advanced Diploma in Special Education course trains educators and parents in the identification, diagnosis and treatment of these needs and the basic principles and practices of effective teaching and learning. The programme is highly practice-oriented to ensure that what you learn in class can be applied to children with special needs under your charge.

For a FREE COURSE PREVIEW

CALL US at 6533-0031
EMAIL your enquiry to ENQUIRY@ICAE.EDU.SG

or Register for your free preview below:

Each of us have different handwriting styles. Some are neat while others are sloppy and misaligned, yet still remain legible. It is when the handwriting is illegible that you must take special note. Children who have trouble expressing themselves in writing may have a condition known as ‘Dysgraphia’. The term comes from the Greek words dys, which means “impaired”, and graphia, meaning “writing letter by hand”.

If you are unsure about how your child’s speech and language is developing because they may appear to be unresponsive to vocal cues, or seem to be taking longer than their peers to speak in full sentences, the natural reaction may be to think the child might have speech and language delay. This may not always be the case.

Here are some things you need to know

In most instances, children develop along a progressive schedule with generally predictable milestones.

0-5 months:

• Responds to sources of sound or voices
• Makes cooing noises or displays sounds associated with emotions like laughter.

6-11 months:

• Uses gestures
• Attempts to repeat words of adults
• starts babbling

12-17 months:

• Is able to follow simple directions
• Attempts to imitate full words
• Starts to understand and answer basic questions non-verbally

18-23 months:

• Has a vocabulary of up to a dozen words
• Can ask for common things by name
• Can pronounce vowels properly and starts using other sounds

2-3 years:

• Understands and uses “you,” “I,” “me,” and other pronouns
• Starts forming multiple words into a phrase or short sentence
• Has ability to verbally reply to simply questions

3-4 years:

• Speak at a level that strangers should be able to understand
• Can express their feelings and thoughts
• Able to repeat and convey whole sentences

Contact us to see how you can develop an understanding of the different types of exceptional children, their needs, and the different special needs programmes and specialties that are available to you, for them.

CAE’s 12-months Advanced Diploma in Special Education course trains educators and parents in the identification, diagnosis and treatment of these needs and the basic principles and practices of effective teaching and learning. The programme is highly practice-oriented to ensure that what you learn in class can be applied to children with special needs under your charge.

CAE’s Diploma in Learning Disorders Management & Child Psychology programme is designed specifically to train potential teachers, parents and caregivers to identify, detect and support children with special needs, such as Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyspraxia, and Dyslexia.

For a FREE COURSE PREVIEW

CALL US at 6533-0031
EMAIL your enquiry to ENQUIRY@ICAE.EDU.SG

or Register for your free preview below:

Join our July intake for CAE’s Special Education programmes.