Summary of Week 1

We have now reached the end of Week 1. By now you should have a clearer understanding of developmental disabilities and their impact on children and their families.

Throughout this week, we have learned about the interaction between child development and developmental disability, and importantly, the need for developmental support for children with developmental disabilities, so they can reach their full potential. In addition, we have started to understand the relationship between impairment and the contextual factors that impact disability.

Next week we will learn about the healthcare needs of children with developmental disabilities and the importance of early intervention. We will hear from parents, persons with disabilities and healthcare professionals, and will think about different barriers to healthcare access and identify possible solutions. We will finish the week by exploring effective communication with children and their families.

We will be pulling together common points and key themes from learner discussions, and a summary document will be made available under the ‘Downloads’ section at the bottom of this page over the coming days. If there are topics from Week 1 that you are not confident on, please do return to the previous steps. If you haven’t already done so, you may find it helpful to read the resources in the ‘See Also’ section.

The activities for Week 2 are available now, and if you decide to look at them early, you may want to return to the ‘Comments’ section of each step, in order to speak to other learners and offer your thoughts and opinions about the content.

We look forward to joining you in Week 2!

Self-reflection

• What have been the most important learning points for you this week?
• Have you had any new ideas to apply to your setting?
• Have you made new contacts?