Well-being in the Early Years by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Social Work, Education, Higher, Family & Relationships, General
ISBN: 9781909330689
Google: sh8nDAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Critical Publishing
Published: 2013-09-30T03:14:08+00:00

Brown et al. (1995) define chronic conditions as those that last for more than three months and are incurable; the effects can have a significant impact on the lives of children and can interfere with normal childhood activity. Children who have a chronic health condition are very likely to have symptoms that require intervention in order to maintain or promote good health, and how well this is achieved is a significant factor in their level of well-being.

Children with chronic health conditions will require medical intervention from their GP or hospital consultant; advice on how to give medication or treatment may be given by specialist nurses. Therefore, it is likely that several health professionals are involved in passing on information to the parents of children with chronic conditions. In turn, relevant information needs to be passed on to those who care for and educate young children in day-care settings. Professionals need to understand how symptoms of chronic health conditions can be provoked (or triggered) and, conversely, they need to know what can be done to adapt the environment for children to minimise the effect of the symptoms. These points will be examined in more detail in sections below.

Further information on how to manage these conditions can be found in the guidance Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings (DfES and DH, 2005), which includes information about anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes and epilepsy. However, the guidance does not include information about eczema, which is thought to affect 20 per cent of children in the UK. The National Eczema Society has produced an activity pack for schools; the details of how to locate this are given in the reference list. The pack is aimed at encouraging discussion about eczema, and the age range it addresses is from four to 11. This leaves a gap in the information that is available for children from birth to the age of three. Because there are so many children affected by eczema and there is a lack of information available, there is a section below that focuses on some of the issues relating to young children with eczema.

Critical question

How can you work effectively with parents to ensure that the health needs of children with chronic health conditions are incorporated into their routines?

Chronic health conditions and inclusion

The signs and symptoms of some chronic conditions can mean that not all activities are suitable for the children who have them, and they may therefore be excluded from aspects of the curriculum. This section examines how chronic health symptoms, inclusion and well-being are linked together.

The philosophy of inclusion is embedded in UK education policy, and the revised EYFS states its aim for professionals to provide equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported (DfE, 2012b, p 2). This statement reflects Nutbrown and Clough’s view of what inclusion is, which they summarise as maximal participation, minimal exclusion from early years, schools and society (Nutbrown and Clough, 2006, p 3). However, there are challenges to inclusive practice

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