2.1 Explain How To Adapt Communication With Children And Young People.

Communication and behaviour need to be adapted depending on the age of the child or young person. The level of attention a child will need will depend on their age: younger children will need more attention as they require higher levels of reassurance especially when adapting to a new environment such as starting school or moving into a new class. Providing reassurance when doing a new task helps to improve a child’s independence and confidence: children are more likely to try something new as they will realise it is okay to make mistakes as it helps them make improvements making success more likely in the future. As a teaching assistant I use praise and encouragement to help children establish relationships with positive role models in the
Younger children will need simple instructions broken down into manageable steps. They should be given one instruction at a time enabling them to process the information easily. In yellow 2 we use simple instructions such as good sitting, good-looking, good listening and finished: this helps make the children aware of the expectations we have in the classroom. As I am working with children with special educational needs I reinforce these instructions with signing, pictures or symbols. Praise and encouragement are still important when communicating with older children as it helps improve their self-esteem and self-confidence. As children get older they are able to process more complex instructions they can maintain more information so can be given multiple instructions: for example a teaching assistant may ask a young person to hang their coat up and then complete their signing in. In order to build good relationships with young people it is important to respect their views which may sometimes be different to our own they should be given adequate time to communicate with adults and should also be given additional responsibilities to enhance their independence