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DEVELOPING PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN WORKING WITH DISABLED AND TRAUMATISED CHILDREN

Written By

Jenny Cousins

Learning Outcomes

To achieve this unit a learner must:

1. Evaluate the effects on practice of the social model of disability
2. Analyse the needs of disabled and traumatised children in relation to communication and child protection
3. Plan to provide appropriate support to a key person in the support network around a disabled and traumatised child or young person
4. Review a service provided for disabled and traumatised children

Content and Structure

MODULE 1

The effects on practice of the social model of disability

Introduction

• The world of the disabled child
• Inclusion and exclusion: the need to think about disabled children as a group in order to include them in strategic thinking
• Invisibility and marginalisation of disabled people and their needs

The social model of disability

• Clarification of terms
• The medical model of disability explored; the social model of disability compared and affirmed
• Beginning awareness of the barriers which prevent inclusion

The research and legal basis

• Defining disabled children: an ongoing dilemma; the place of autism and other emotional/behavioural difficulties; differential experiences of 'need'; what exactly is disability?
• The legal framework: relevant primary legislation, standards and guidance
• The research context: disabled children 'in need' and 'looked after'

Tuning in: language, images and the representation of disabled children

• Representations of disability in popular culture
• Negativity and stereotypes in language and images
• Describing and profiling children for reviews, reports or family-finding
• Developing awareness of the barriers which prevent inclusion

MODULE 2

The needs of disabled and traumatised children: communication and child protection

Introduction

• Why good communication with disabled children is vital

Trauma, attachment and disability: assessment issues

• The complexities of the relationship between trauma injuries and functional limitations due to impairment
• Attachment and disability
• The impact of disability upon traumatic separation and loss: issues of powerlessness and cognition
• Assessment: the possibility of multiple explanations; the added complexities where there are multiple impairments; the need to avoid over- focus upon 'causation'; gathering information; creating a whole picture; involving children and young people in assessment

Child protection for disabled and traumatised children

• The relationship between abuse and disability: increased vulnerability of disabled children
• 'Thinking the unthinkable': organisational barriers to protection of disabled children
• Protective strategies

Communicating with disabled children

• The responsibility for effective communication
• The range of communication difficulties and options
• The importance of 'good listening', sensitive questioning and access to a wide range of communication 'tools': twenty ideas to help communication
• An introduction to non-verbal systems: attunement and communication

MODULE 3

Appropriate support: the network around a disabled and traumatised child or young person

Supporting the birth family

• The parents and family network of disabled children who are looked after
• The social conditions in which childhood disability is located
• Common grief reactions to diagnosis of impairment
• How parents of disabled children might feel and behave
• The needs of parents and siblings of disabled children

Contact and continuity

• What we mean by contact
• The value of contact and continuity for all children
• The extra dimension for disabled children
• Helping learning disabled children to understand continuity

Identity, self-esteem and resilience

• Self image as a disabled child; as a disabled looked after child; as a disabled child who is also 'different' in other ways
• The importance of 'life-story' work for disabled children: information and explanations
• Enhancing the disabled child's identity: role models and supports
• Resilience and disabled children: social inclusion and access to leisure; empowerment and involvement

Supporting carers

• Living with a disabled looked after child: the implications for the whole foster family
• Listening to carers: requirements, needs and services
• Training and support
• The organisational dimension

This material provides a notional 30 hours of learning.

Level: 4

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