Medical Conditions: A Guide for the Early Years Book

Introduction     1
Access to Early Years Education and Care for Children with Medical Conditions     4
Learning outcomes     5
Needs arising from medical conditions     5
Short-term illness or injury     6
Medical conditions with associated SEN and/or disability     7
Medical conditions with associated disability     9
Needs continuum     10
Admission to early years settings     12
Full-time inclusive educational provision for children with medical conditions     14
Formal education outside school     22
Supporting inclusion in pre-school settings     24
Useful contacts     25
Growing Up with a Medical Condition     26
Learning outcomes     26
Long-term medical conditions     27
Medical conditions and child development     32
Impact according to developmental stage     34
Infancy (0-12 months)     34
Toddlerhood (12-36 months)     37
Pre-school age children (3-5 years)     38
School-age children     40
Stressors     41
Useful contacts     46
Medical Conditions with Associated SEN     48
Learningoutcomes     48
Specific difficulties     52
Recognizing SEN in children with medical conditions     53
Responding to the SEN of children with medical conditions     55
Assessments for children over two but under compulsory school age     57
Assessments for children attending full-time compulsory education in school     59
Assessments for children under two     66
Support Systems     69
Discussion/reflection exercise     70
What should parents do if they suspect their child has SEN?     71
Other sources of support for parents of children with SEN     73
Appealing LA decisions     73
Useful contacts     74
Legislation and Policy     75
Learning outcomes     75
The Children Act 1989     76
SEN and the Education Act     77
Disability legislation     77
Health and safety legislation     78
Other relevant legislation     80
Policy     81
Every Child Matters     81
The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (NSF)     82
Managing Medicines (DfES 2005)     90
Access to Education for Children and Young People with Medical Needs (DfES and DH 2001b)     91
The SEN Code of Practice (DfES 2001b)     95
Policy relevant specifically to children with disabilities     95
Useful resources     98
Supporting Children with Medical Conditions and their Families     99
Learning outcomes     99
Supporting children     100
Multi-agency partnerships     105
Multi-disciplinary partnership working     107
Working in partnership with parents and children     108
Clear policies and procedures     110
Individual Health Care Plans (IHCPs)     111
Generic policies and procedures     117
The need for confident, knowledgeable and suitably trained practitioners     120
Self-assessment exercise     123
Another useful resource     127
Conclusion     129
References     131