• 6 Months Volunteering Programme 22^nd August 2015 –

Client:  Catherine A parent/mother of Theodora

Start Date: Friday 21^st August 2015.

Mentor:  Meeting with mentor Vesna Glavas www.resourcesforautism.org.uk at the client’s home at 2.00pm for an assessment of Theodora’s needs.  

Brief Description of Child:

Theodora is a four (4) years old female child who is living with her parents and 3 older siblings at Roffo Court, Boundary Lane, SE17 2FP. Theodora is said to have reasonably good language and play skills. She likes going out and being in the playground. If she can’t get what she wants, she gets frustrated and can lash out. Her mother Catherine is her main carer and she struggles with giving enough attention to all the children. (This information was supplied to me via email from Resources for Autism).

Initial Visit:

From our initial visit – my mentor Vesna & I, Mervelee Myers the volunteer, it has been established that Theodora possessed many learning and developmental skills that has been stated from the above-mentioned statements. Throughout the assessments on Friday, Theodora showed interests in and participated in the activities that Vesna provided to stimulate her as part of the assessment.

Resources Introduced: Vesna introduced (1.) A coloured, sorting and matching shape set. Theodora immediately showed interests, she focused on engaging with Vesna in doing the activity and used a variety of communication skills as she initiated her own development and learning. (2.) The same level of focused attention was witnessed when Vesna introduced the sorting and matching puzzle pieces. (3.) The sensory book was also another source of interests for Theodora. (4.) Vesna introduced the microphone and Theodora shared her communication skills by using it to interact with Vesna. It turned out Theodora has her own microphone, which she plays with. However, she showed more interest in the new microphone and seems to want to keep it instead. She handed hers to me when I tried to exchange with her.

Catherine shared her concerns and some of her expectations from having the support from Resources for Autism. Mum is thankful for the support that has been provided by the practitioners at the nursery that Theodora attends.

Exchange of Information:  The client and I exchanged information before Vesna and I left the premises.

Day 1: Saturday 22^nd August 2015

Arrived: 1.50 – 5.20

Programme of Activity:

1. Getting to know Theodora and her family
2. Where is Theodora in her development and learning
3. How can I support and contribute to Theodora’s development and learning and her overall progress to reach her individual potentials
4. Working in partnership with the family.

Initial Assessments – Consultations & Observations:

Theodora seems to be very attached to her mother and pays attention to her most of the time. She shows affection, kissing and cuddling up to her whenever mum initiates personal contacts. Theodora is observed carrying out instructions given to her by her mum. Although she seems capable of manipulating the iPad she was given, she tends to expect her sister Treasure to do it for her whenever she intervenes. She uses Treasure’s hands to put on hers as she manipulates the iPad. She makes sounds along with whatever she is listening to. Some of the sounds are audible and intelligible to understand. When I question her, she responds sometimes. She tries to sing “Row-Row-Row Your Boat” when mum prompted her. When I join in and introduce different animals in a sing-a-long example “lion and asks what sound the lion makes she roars”. Whenever she does anything special mum encourages her to praise herself and she applauds by clapping her hands.

Theodora carries out instructions and goes to get the TV remote control when mum asks her to. She uses the toilet independently. Eats independently, but seems to have a preference for certain foods. If mum doesn’t encourage her she will only eat those food that she likes. Mum shows that she is aware and knows how to provide for Theodora’s diverse and complex needs. Mum tries to get Theodora to engage with her siblings in a social situation when they are eating. She encourages her to sit at the table and do not wonder about as she seems to want to do. Theodora seems to thrive on praises and encouragements and mum supports her every effort.

Notices that when Theodora doesn’t get her own way, she shows some amount of frustrations and puts her hands over her ears. Other than that she seems to be very calm and seems clued into her mum who gives her lots of attention. Theodora does initiate her own learning some of the times, humming traditional nursery rhymes and songs. She seems to like when the adults join in…? She uses lots of repetitive languages most of the time and mum says she retains what she has heard for ages. She was given an icicle and kept saying “mum says no icicle” whilst eating. Mum explained that is as a result of her sister telling her no icicle when she keeps taking icicles out of the freezer. She does make an effort to talk, however, the language is not always clear for me to understand yet.

Away from the home environment:

Mum seems to be very protective of all the children, but more so Theodora. She decided to show me a shorter way to her home and accompanied me. She took Theodora and Treasure with her and gave her as much freedom on the back streets. However mum held her hand whenever we are crossing the road. Theodora seems to accept being out in the outdoors environment with her mum and sister and myself as the additional outsider. I am yet to find out how she would react if mum is not around her. On the way, Theodora is humming a rhyme I’d not heard for a long time 1, 2 buckle my shoe. She started saying “1, 2…” and paused seeming to be waiting for a response. When I joined in to supply the words “buckle my shoe” she carried on with the counting part as I supplied the words up to… “a big fat hen”.

Evaluation: Although this is my first day and I decided to get to know Theodora and her family as best as I can. I could identify the potential that Theodora has for progressing in her overall development and learning. Instinctively I started introducing the limited Makaton that I know. Although she did not respond, so I am not sure if Makaton is used in her nursery, she looked at me. I am looking forward to applying the knowledge and expertise I have gained via studies acc-gen@open.ac.uk after the www.open.ac.uk/ceremonies graduation in May 2009. I have done trainings and my own personal experiences to support, enhance and extend Theodora’s development and learning over the next 6 months.

The fact that Catherine is open and honest about her situation will enable and empower me to give of my best to provide Theodora with the support she needs to reach her individual potentials. She shows that she knows a lot and with the support and encouragement she will accomplish so much more.

Prepared by: Mervelee Myers FD (Open) & WTC (Open)

Status: Early Years Practitioner & Volunteer.

  Mental Health & SEND Advocate  October 2015 to

Student of the Year Lambeth College – 1998-1999 

 CEO Long Service Award 2014 – LEYF

EYFS Coordinator, SENCO & Multigenerational Working Approach Facilitator – 2009 – 2015 

Basic School Teacher – Jamaica 

 Teaching Assistant – National Youth Service

 Group Supervisor & Room Leader

 Preschool Leader

 Mentor

 Writer & Photographer

 Community Worker

Day 2:  Monday 24^th August 2015

Start: 2.45 – 5.30

Parents Partnership:

Consulted with mum on Saturday about her needs and how I can support the family beyond the call of volunteering duties adhering to ethical guidelines and safeguarding procedures of the volunteering facilitator’s Resources for Autism. Arranged with mum about making up time for Saturday that is already booked re: work and other personal commitments.

Day’s Actions:

On arrival Theodora and her sister are asleep on the sofa and mum explained they had a day out for an appointment. The children are tired and needed to rest. Mum shared some discussions between her and her husband about Theodora. Mum said she’d allow Theodora to sleep until 4.00 o’clock then wake her. At one stage Theodora opened her eyes, looked out, pulls the cover over her head and went back to sleep. At 4.00 o’clock Theodora opens her eyes, pulls the cover back over her head and is looking around without mum waking her up. Mum encourages her to stand up and she does, repeating “stand up”. I tried saying hello to her once she is fully awake, but she did not respond.

Mum encourages her to go to the toilet, but she does not seem to be interested and seems to be getting frustrated. She is making sounds and covering her ears with her hands. (Covering her ears and make sounds seems to be her way of showing her frustrations when she doesn’t wish to do something she is asked to).  Theodora is standing in the passage, before walking off to go upstairs. Mum asks her not to go up because she wants her to come to eat rice. I went and tried encouraging her to go use the bathroom. She stands in there then comes back out without using it, so I gave her, her privacy.

She comes back into the living room and mum asks if she wants to eat rice. Theodora says “yes”, and I ask if she wants to eat chicken and she responds “yes”. Mum allows her to sit with her on the sofa and is trying to get her to eat. Mum starts off feeding her before putting the rice on the spoon and encouraging her to feed herself. However she takes mum’s hand and holding it puts the rice in her mouth (Can identify hand over hand strategies used in Picture Exchange Communication Skills – PECS). Mum perseveres with putting rice on the spoon, leaving it on the side until she starts feeding herself independent of mum’s support.

Theodora eats most of her rice and all of her chicken but gets up dropping the chicken bone on the carpet. Mum encourages her to pick it up and put it in the bin and she did. I encourage her to go wash her hands (using Makaton) and her sister helped her in the bathroom. Mum tells me about how her sister Treasure supports her all the time in and out of the home environment. When they were traveling on the bus and passing the River Thames, the sister talks with her about the water and swimming. As Theodora sits watching the TV, she mentions “water and swimming” and her mum says see she remembers from her sister telling her.

I waited for them to finish, then asks (Theodora if she knows any songs about water and swimming). I introduce 5 Little Ducks and as before Theodora joins in at the intervals. Mum is surprised that she knows the song and can join in. She relates some stories about what happens at nursery and the practitioner’s response. Although Theodora does not always participate actively at nursery, she comes home and shares her learning with her mum most of the times. Theodora goes to the kitchen and comes back with 3 coloured cups. She is holding the cups to her ear and making sounds. I am trying to engage, socialise and interact with her, showing interests in what she is doing.

When she continues holding the cups to her ear, I ask what you are doing with the cups, Theodora…? Pausing and giving her time to respond, before saying is it your telephone? Mum demonstrated telling and showing me that she knows her colours. Theodora only started to focus once she lost interests in what she is looking at on the TV and join in the activity with her mum. Mum added another cup to the 3 Theodora brings from the kitchen to prove her argument to me about her knowing her colours.

Early Intervention Strategies:

Once Theodora and her mum finished and she was otherwise engaged, I applied knowledge and expertise from studies and training giving mum tips. I advised mum about some of the strategies she can use to support, enhance and extend Theodora’s development and learning across the EYFS areas.

1. Common Household Objects:
2. Theodora’s Interests
3. Repetitions
4. Other Communities of Practice

Common Household Objects: Prime and Specific areas of the EYFS:

Mathematics: – counting, stacking, sorting, matching, add/subtract, compare, size, shapes.

Knowledge of the World: – iPad, water play – full/empty, pour, measure.

Expressive Arts & Designs: Recycling Resources for modeling – playdough, drawing, writing – crayons, pencils.

Literature: Scraps of paper, pencils, crayons. Use of language to describe what we are doing. Naming the objects.

Personal Social Emotional: Taking turns.

Physical: Encourage doing things for herself.

Communication and Language: Lots of repetition, singing, increasing Vocabulary/Language adding 1-word example red + cup + is big, Theodora uses repetition to make sense of her world in how she is processing information of language.

Recommendations: Waiting to get the resources from Resources for Autism and other resources from the school to be able to work in partnership with the parents, Resource for Autism and other Team around the Child – (TAC) for the next 6 months.

Time to Leave – Theodora’s Response: As I am about to leave I am trying to get Theodora to say bye. Instead, she says to her mum “shoes) and is trying to get her mum to get up from the sofa. She puts her arms around mum trying to lift her and when mum gets up heads towards the door. Mum helps her to get her slippers and both of them accompany me to the door. Although Theodora did not say bye, she “waves her hands” as I left and waited for me to go through the gate. She seems to accept me being in her home and did not seem worried that I was invading her space.

Continuing Personal Professional Development Plan – (CPPDP):

Informed mum, I might not have time to do a detailed report once I am back at work. But I will try depending on my workload.

Prepared by: Mervelee Myers FD (Open)

Status: Early Years Practitioner & Volunteer

Day 3

Saturday 29^th August 2015 Time: 2.15 – 6.30

Establishing Boundaries & Set Rules for Theodora: On arrival Theodora just eaten, but seems upset and mum explains she wants to eat bread but she wants her to stick to a routine. Mum takes the bread from her again and reassures her.

PSE: I ask her to give mum a kiss and she does.

Mum & Son goes shopping:   Mum asks me to stay with the other children whilst she takes one child with her to do the shopping.

Identified Fears: After mum leaves Theodora is running around in the living room so I ask her to stop and encourages her to sit on the sofa. She obeys sitting then saying “sorry” and when I ask ‘are you ok,” she says “yeah”. Theodora is visibly upset covering her eyes and making sounds whilst looking at the TV, moving from the living room to the kitchen area. Her sister explains that she is upset about the new programme on TV.

Early Intervention Strategies: I explain to Treasure that I will take Theodora in the kitchen and find an activity for her to do. I got the coloured cups out and puts them on the table. I allow Theodora to initiate her own development and learning with the cups. She puts them in order, holds 4 cups between her fingers in 1 hand and lifts them up, she gets more cups, picks a little object from the floor and is throwing it from 1 cup to the other. I put 2 bigger cups on the table and is encouraging her to count. But she is not showing much interests.

Additional Activities: EYFS –

Physical: I ask for plain paper and got scissors from the cupboard and is cutting. Theodora says “paper and scissors” so I reinforce her communication skills by asking ‘do you want to do cutting”? Her sister says ‘maybe she is not allowed scissors, so I tell her I’ll supervise her’. Theodora holds the scissors between her thumb and pointer finger and cuts the paper the long way down the middle. She spends a long period cutting the paper into tiny pieces.

Outcomes: Theodora handles tools competently focusing on the activity she is interested in doing. She continues talking to herself. When I use the camera to take the photos (Ethical & Safeguarding Guidelines EYFS Welfare Requirements – children are not included in photographs and I explained to Treasure)

Theodora says “cheese” on hearing the click of the camera. Theodora chooses another sheet of paper and is cutting it, but because it’s wet the scissors not cutting through. I tell her the paper is wet, she feels it with her hand, tries to cut and gives up after a while and pushes the paper away when she reaches the wet area. I give her the bits I’d gathered up from the floor and she cuts until she tears off the edge and carries on cutting.

Time: 3.00 pm Focused Activity:

I decided to set Theodora an activity so started drawing shapes on a piece of paper. Theodora names the shapes as I draw them. I ask if she would like to cut around the shapes. She says “yes” and is trying as she cuts the triangle and rectangle but not around the circle. Instead, it came out like a square. I draw more shapes and asks if she wants to cut, and she carries on cutting out each shape naming them. She, however, did not seem able to cut around the bigger circle either. Realising she is losing focus I ask her to give me the scissors. She once more wonders off again to the living room.  

Time: 3.15 Theodora stops showing interests and wonders back to the living room to watch TV. I share the cutouts with Theodora’s siblings and Treasure is surprised that she could cut out the shapes. Treasure asks to keep the shapes.

PSE: Treasure is putting lip gloss on when Theodora comes back to the table and her sister shares with her. Theodora puts the lip gloss on and says “lipstick on”. She goes to get the packet with the lip gloss and her sister takes it away and she cries. The sister gives it back to her but asks if she wants bread. I encourage her to say ‘thank you, using Makaton’ and she says “thank you”. Treasure says children should not eat butter bread in the living room and Theodora goes to sit at the table in the kitchen.

Mentor & Role Model: Theodora has her sister Treasure to model learning and mentors her in reaching her potentials when she is in the home environment.

Extending Activity:

CL & Maths: I folded the scraps of paper and is encouraging Theodora to count. Treasure writes 1 – 18 on a strip of paper and says to me ‘let me show you, then says Theodora count’. Theodora identifies 1 -12 before “saying 3 when she reaches 13”. I tried matching numbers to objects.

PSE: Theodora goes to use the toilet and her sister says she will go with her and I reminds her to wash her hands.

Time 3.55: and Theodora goes back to the living room.

Time 4.00 pm: Theodora comes over to the kitchen and says “time to go home” so I explain I have to wait until her mum comes back.  Her sister says ‘the lady has to wait until mama comes’. She has been wanting to go upstairs and I keep telling her mum says she is to stay with us.

Time 4.10 pm: Trying to keep her occupied to stop her going upstairs.

& L & EAD: Get more paper and writes her name on it and gives her to scribble on. She draws a line down the paper and cross it at the top, made a big circle and a little circle before making marks all over the paper, transferring the pencil from hand to hand. Sister gives her cup to draw around and she still transfers pencil from hand to hand to draw around the cup, but the right seems to be her preferred hand for managing the pencil. She holds the pencil in a pincer grasp.

Time 4.25 pm: She goes back to watching TV. She is repeating some of what she hears. She is looking at the pictures on the book, so I start singing ABC song and she joins in. I point at the letters on the pocket of sweets and her names each letter.

Emergent & Established Knowledge Identified: After 3 visits I realised Theodora has accomplished to the end of the EYFS curriculum across Prime and Specific areas. There are some communication delays, however, they are embedded and she will join in when others support, enhance and extend her development and learning. She shows interests, can maintain focus for long periods and will persevere with an activity of interests until she achieves an outcome.

Prepared by: Mervelee Myers FD (Open)

Status: Early Years Practitioner & Volunteer.