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Development and Learning Support in early childhood education

From a child's point of view, it is important to recognize the need for support early and provide the child with a learning environment that supports her/his development and learning, and any other needs.

Introduction

Day care Families with children
From a child's point of view, it is important to recognize the need for support early and provide the child with a learning environment that supports her/his development and learning, and any other needs. If the need for support is recognized early, it is easier to prevent further difficulties. The early childhood education pays special attention to early recognition of learning and developmental difficulties.

Consultant Special Teachers together with the day care personnel are responsible for …the issues regarding children in need for learning support.

Early childhood education special-needs teachers will guide you in issues related to the child’s support

Early childhood education consultant special teachers together with the early childhood education special-needs teachers (KVEO) coordinate issues regarding support for the child. They are responsible for instructing the employees and guardians in issues related to the child’s support. Coordinating early childhood education special-needs teachers give guidance and counseling about early childhood education support for development, learning, and wellbeing.  When required, they will participate in assessing the child’s need for support, referring the child to examinations, as well as planning and monitoring the support measures in cooperation with guardians.

If the parents already know that their child needs support when they are applying for early childhood education, they are encouraged to contact the early childhood education special-needs teacher of their district. It is advisable to mention the child's need for support in the early childhood education application. Potential expert reports shall be attached to the application, because they will inform early childhood education about the issues to be accounted for when planning support for the child. In any case, a child can always get support in early childhood education without a separate statement.

All-round early childhood education special-needs teachers (LVEO) work at some daycare centers. They instruct the employees and guardians about issues related to support in their own service units. When required, additional staff may be hired for a group of children, for example, a childminder, an art pedagogue, or an assistant.

Some daycare centers have reduced groups where some of the early childhood education places are reserved for children needing support. Early childhood education special-needs teachers work at some of these reduced groups. Vantaa also has one special group where all the early childhood education places in the group are reserved for children needing special support.

Coordinating early childhood education special-needs teachers in 2022-2023

E-mail addresses: firstname.lastname(at)vantaa.fi

Children are supported in all early childhood education groups

The aim is that early childhood education support takes place at the daycare center or family daycare near to the child's home, to the extent possible. Early childhood education employees apply myriad methods and tools in versatile ways that support children’s learning. The learning environment is adjusted to support the child’s individual needs and strengths. The forms of support with which the child’s needs could be met in the group will be discussed with the guardians.

Early childhood education has a three-tier support model where support is divided into general support, enhanced support, or special support, depending on the needs of the child in question. A general-support group uses individual support forms to meet with the child’s need for support. An enhanced-support group uses several forms of support as part of group activities. Finally, special support uses myriad forms of support throughout the early childhood education day. Early childhood education teachers and special-needs teachers are responsible for assessing the kind of support the child needs. In some cases, a separate decision will be made on the support given to the child. The early childhood education special-needs teacher will always provide the child’s guardians with addition information on the decision.

Daycare center Child's development Learning Learning support

Units

Service has 154 units in total