Tips for when you hit bumps in the road

There are times when working together for inclusion may not go smoothly. Pinpointing where things have gone wrong will help you to find a starting point to get back on track.

Working together is not always easy, but it is possible, it is best practice, and it is worth it.

On this page you will find ideas and strategies to support you to respond to the following challenges:

• "Everyone has a different idea on what should happen."
• "What's happening isn't inclusive."
• "Educators don't think they have the right qualifications, skills or experience."
• "Our communication seems to have broken down."
• "It's hard to find the time."
• "We don't seem to be making progress."
• "Things keep changing."
• "The ECI professional is not available to travel to our region."
• "I need some more help."

Scroll down the page to find the topic most relevant to you.

Navigating different perspectives and expectations can be challenging but it can also increase opportunities for understanding and learning.

Each inclusion team member brings their own unique perspective and context to the team. This can lead to differing expectations and, occasionally, even misunderstandings.

Understanding the perspectives of each team member will help you to find common ground to focus on together. Different perspectives will also add to the team's pool of knowledge, skills, experience and ideas that can be applied to your shared priority. Some points to consider include:

The child brings their own disposition, strengths and interests. It is important to think about what decisions will mean both for and to the child. A child's peers and siblings also play a key role in their belonging and learning. The child is part of the team when their voice and perspective is recognised and responded to. This is different to adults making all the decisions on behalf of a child. All children need opportunities to try new things and make choices for themselves.

Families and carers know their child best. A child's home is the main, natural, everyday environment for children to learn and grow. Families are often juggling work and home commitments as well as caregiving responsibilities for other siblings. Families and carers will have differing knowledge and understanding about inclusion and about what happens in early childhood education and care services. Families and carers from different cultural backgrounds may also have different expectations about what should happen for their child.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services operate under the Education and Care Service National Law and Regulations. They provide a unique opportunity for children to learn and develop as they provide a play-based, social context that is different to home and very different to a clinical setting. ECEC services are an important natural, everyday environment for children. Early childhood educators specialise in supporting all children to learn through play and to develop friendships. ECEC services may be having multiple inclusion team meetings as they often include many children with disability and developmental differences.

Early childhood intervention (ECI) professionals and partners have specialised perspectives and expertise and adapt their practices between clinical and natural, everyday settings. They are usually juggling a busy caseload and support multiple children and families each day. ECI professionals align their support with the hopes, goals and ideas that families and carers have for their child. They may have access to some specific resources to support this.

To share perspectives and get the inclusion team journey back on track:

• Recognise the value that different perspectives bring to the team.
• Be curious, ask questions, clarify understanding and strive for Inclusion Together best practice, together.
• Take extra time for shared conversations when starting together as a team. This will set things up for a smoother journey together, as you will have greater understanding for each other's perspectives and expectations.
• Re-set the team journey with another conversation whenever there is a bump in the road. This will help to address issues quickly.

• Work towards finding common ground for the team to focus on, together. No matter how small, a shared priority provides a focus to build upon.
• Consider if a shared priority that is not possible in the ECEC setting can be implemented at home or in another community setting such as playgroup. Also, think about whether there is another way that ideas and strategies could be implemented.
• Agree on the path forward, so each team member knows the next steps and who is doing what.
• Continue to use the Inclusion Together map.

Click here to download HELP: “Everyone has a different idea on what should happen.”

Inclusion in an early childhood education and care setting is about every child actively and meaningfully participating in all aspects of the service's program.

Inclusion team members need a shared understanding of inclusion to be able to work as a team together. When this understanding differs, exclusionary practices can happen that impact on a child's participation, play opportunities with peers, and their sense of belonging.

Examples of exclusionary practices may include: a child being separated from their everyday play and social environment to have one-on-one therapy; a child being 'shadowed' by an adult; or a child's hours of attendance being limited.

To have a shared understanding of inclusion in an ECEC setting and get the inclusion team journey back on track:

• Re-set the team journey through a shared conversation whenever there is a bump in the road. This will help to address issues quickly.
• Work through this Best Practice Quick Check:
  • Does the activity support the child's participation in the ECEC program?
  • Is the role of the child's same-aged peers planned for?
  • Can the planned activities happen in the natural, everyday environment of the ECEC service alongside peers?
  • Are planned activities play-based and fun?
  • Have the child's interests, preferences and choices informed your decision making?
  • Do agreed actions represent the shared priorities of the team?

Refer to Inclusion Together Best Practice for more detailed information.

• Visit the Understanding Inclusion section of the NSW/ACT Inclusion Agency website to review the resources and discuss concepts and ideas with the team.
• Watch the Benefits of Inclusion Vimeo and share your reflections with the team.
• Watch What is Inclusion? and discuss whether current practices are inclusive.
• Review and discuss ECA's Statement on Inclusion of every child in early education and care.
• Read Quality Area 2 of the Best Practice in Early Intervention National Guidelines and share how this could guide what you do as a team. These guidelines include research that found it is more effective to learn new skills in a natural environment rather than in an isolated setting.
  
• Consider if a shared priority that is not possible in the ECEC setting can be implemented at home or in another community setting such as playgroup. Also think about whether there is another way that ideas and strategies could be implemented.
• Continue to use the Inclusion Together map.

Click here to download HELP: “What's happening isn't inclusive.”

Sometimes educators feel that they don't have the necessary qualifications, skills or experience to include all children. This can impact educator confidence and what they think is possible in the ECEC environment. Educators often underestimate their expertise about how each child can be supported to learn and participate in the social setting of an ECEC service.

The inclusion team has a role to play in building the confidence and skills of educators. The service representative/s on the inclusion team can share the perspectives of educators and ask questions that clarify strategies, roles and expectations. Information shared by and on behalf of educators is valuable and builds the pool of knowledge for the whole team. Other inclusion team members can also share their experiences and strategies to build the skills of educators.

To build educator skills and confidence and get the inclusion team journey back on track:

• Begin by educators focusing on the key early childhood practices of building relationships with each child, developing an understanding of their interests, strengths and learning preferences. Use this information when setting up the environment, establishing routines, and planning other curriculum activities.
• Educators to work as a team to support each other by sharing information about children's strengths and interests as well as strategies that are being used to support children's participation and sense of belonging. Use agreed strategies consistently across the service, and mentor less confident educators to implement them.
• Other inclusion team members could highlight educator strengths and what is working well so far. They could share their knowledge, skills and understanding and help educators to try new things and develop new skills.
• Learn about how children's behaviour is one way they communicate about the things that are not going well for them. As an inclusion team, discuss what the role of an educator could be in supporting children through this.
• Read the principle of Equity, Inclusion and High Expectations in the Early Years Learning Framework and think about what this might look like in practice for children.
• Link educators with the Inclusion Agency or Preschool Capacity Building Support teams to talk and think about barriers to inclusion and strategies to help address them.
• Continue to use the Inclusion Together map.

Click here to download HELP: “ Educators don’t think they have the right qualifications, skills and experience.”

Getting communication back on track will help you work better together.

Communication is the foundation for a respectful, productive and positive team environment. Communication will be impacted by when, where, and how the inclusion team talks, listens, meets, problem-solves and makes decisions.

To get communication working well and the inclusion team back on track:

• Listen to understand rather than simply listening to reply. This is known as active listening. It involves being fully present, paying attention to verbal and non-verbal cues, and clarifying, reflecting and summarising. It helps team members feel valued and heard and builds meaningful, shared understanding.
• Ensure all team members can regularly communicate with each other. This might be in person, online, by phone, email or text.
• Find out the preferred communication method for each team member so that communication is easier for everyone.
• Ensure timeframes and expectations for responding to communication are agreed and manageable (e.g. weekly, monthly etc.).
• Continue to use the Inclusion Together map.

Click here to download HELP: “Our communication seems to have broken down.”

Working together does take time, but it's worth it.

Working together for inclusion is about forming relationships. Like any relationship, it takes time to establish. Be patient. Together, you can work towards a shared inclusion purpose or outcome for a child or resolve a barrier to inclusion in an early childhood education and care service. Different people are coming together to achieve this, and it is not always straightforward. There can be many ways to achieve the same purpose. Navigating this takes time.

To work as a team and get the inclusion team journey back on track:

• Talk about timeframes and what is possible for everyone. This might include the amount of time spent in ECEC services and when this happens, the length of team meetings, how often the inclusion team will meet, and time efficient ways to communicate in between meetings.
• Re-set the team journey with a shared conversation whenever there is a bump in the road. This will help to address issues quickly. If just getting started as a team, taking extra time at the beginning will set things up for a smoother journey together.
• Work towards finding common ground for the team to focus on, together. No matter how small, a shared priority provides a focus to build upon.
• Agree on the path forward, so each team member knows the next steps and who is doing what.

• When the team needs to make decisions, organising a more formal conversation or meeting can help. (See also 'We don't seem to be making progress')

Making time to work together will be better for the child, better for the family, better for the service and better for early childhood intervention professionals. It will make a real difference both now and for the future.

• When meeting together, always consider privacy and timing to accommodate the different needs of each team member where possible. If meeting in person, choose a physical space that is welcoming, accessible, comfortable and enables information sharing and discussion with minimal interruption.
• Use regular and open communication. Seek clarity if you do not feel that you fully understand what is being shared. Share positive feedback with your team members when possible.
• Plan and be well prepared for meetings.
• Keep calm and use "I" and not "you" statements. Focus on the shared inclusion purpose that you are working on as a team.
• Continue to use the Inclusion Together map.

Click here to download HELP: “It's hard to find the time.”

Consider team leadership.

The inclusion team will need someone to lead and keep things on track. Leadership can be shared amongst the team and can change over time. It can depend on who has the time and the resources to lead. Whether leadership involves one person, is shared by a few, or changed every six months, the leadership style should be collaborative; inclusive; and involve shared power.

Ensure everyone knows 'who is doing what'.

The inclusion team can go in different directions and go off track, if it isn't clear 'who is doing what'. After identifying a shared priority, it's important for the inclusion team to take the time to agree on next steps, what needs to be done and who is going to do it . This helps to break down a bigger task into bite-sized, achievable actions that can be allocated to team members. This ensures teamwork is coordinated and that no task is forgotten.

Ideally, the 'who' and the 'what' are clearly described. Providing detailed information on how, when and where a task is to be undertaken will help.

For example:

• WHAT?: (Strategy) for (child) will be trialled.
• WHO?: Educator A and Educator B will trial (strategy).
• HOW?: (Strategy) will involve the educator...
• WHEN? and WHERE?: (Strategy) will be trialled at lunch time at the child's group table, every day.

This provides much clearer information than "We will trial it at the service."

Useful records will keep the inclusion team moving forward.

Documenting decisions, plans and progress can keep the team journey on track. It helps each team member to know what they are doing, identify any challenges and check progress made.

To get the momentum back on track:

• Agree on the best way to document your work together for meeting agendas, meeting notes, agreed actions, 'who is doing what' and progress notes.
• Use these documents to record and guide your work together.
• Share copies of any relevant reports (with parent consent and respecting any privacy issues), policies and procedures and support each other to understand the information they provide. Clarify your understanding and how the information will support your work together. Just providing information is not a guarantee it is understood or can be acted upon.
• Continue to use the Inclusion Together map.

Click here to download HELP: “We don't seem to be making progress.”

Expect change.

A child's growth and development, family environments, settings and communities do not stand still or stay the same. ECEC services and early childhood intervention supports also change and evolve over time. New team members may join the inclusion team and/or the ECEC service may experience staffing and program changes.

To support the inclusion team during these periods of change:

• Re-set the team journey with a shared conversation whenever there is a bump in the road. This will address issues promptly and affirm the way forward.
• Strive to embrace change with a positive mindset. New perspectives and new situations will add to the team's pool of knowledge, skills, experience and ideas that can be applied to your shared priority.
• Revisit information shared and decisions made to make sure all team members understand and agree on the path forward. Are any changes needed?
• Keep the destination front of mind and continue to work with your team, together, one step at a time.
• Continue to use the Inclusion Together map.

Click here to download HELP: "Things keep changing"

In some regions, telehealth therapy sessions are the main way for Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) professionals to work with children and families.

When planning telehealth therapy sessions, it is important to think about how the sessions can align with best practice. We know from research that all children learn through play and through relationships. Focusing on how telehealth therapy sessions can happen in the child’s natural, everyday environments will maximise opportunities for learning, connecting with peers and practising skills. To achieve this, telehealth therapy sessions can occur in the child’s home with parents and siblings involved and in the child’s early childhood education and care service with educators and peers.

An inclusion team that works well together will help to guide the way telehealth therapy sessions and activities are planned so that better outcomes are achieved for children, families and ECEC services.

Online meetings can allow all inclusion team members to actively contribute. The process of sharing information, listening to each other’s perspectives, finding common ground and planning the next steps is all possible in an online meeting. Emails, phone calls and texts can also be useful ways to check in with each other.

The following questions can help you to decide when, where and how telehealth therapy sessions can happen:

• Can the focus of the telehealth therapy sessions be delivered in the social context of the ECEC setting with peers, so the child is not removed and isolated from the program?
• How can educators be involved in these sessions and how can they share their knowledge about the child in the setting with the therapist?
• Are some telehealth therapy session better delivered in the home setting with siblings and parents/carers involved?

Continue to use the Inclusion Together map.

Click here to download HELP: “The ECI professional is not available to travel to our region.”

If the inclusion team needs further help, access these inclusion support organisations and resources:

• Family Advocacy
• Kindred
• Reimagine Australia
• Thrivary

• PRECI: Professionals and Researchers in Early Childhood Intervention
• Reimagine Australia
• Thrivary

• Disability Discrimination ACT (1992) resources
• Inclusion Agencies provide free tailored support to educators in Commonwealth funded centre-based day care, family day care and out of school hours care services across Australia
• Reimagine Australia

• State funded programs provide inclusion support to community-based kindergartens and preschools. The structure and focus of these programs vary from state to state. For example:
  • New South Wales - Sector Capacity Building Program
  • Queensland - Kindergarten Inclusion Support Scheme
  • Victoria - Kindergarten Inclusion Support (KIS) contacts

Contact your relevant state or territory Department of Education for information and contact details.