Moving and Handling using Positive Reinforcement.

We will be doing a series of examples over the coming weeks illustrating a six-month journey by Paul (not the child's real name) and his achievements. Paul was a child six months ago who was not accessing the education system at the age of 9 years old. At the beginning, he would not allow anyone to touch him at all without having an emotional and physical outburst. He does not independently transfer, so this was indeed a challenge for him as his first hurdle was getting out of his wheelchair and getting back into his wheelchair. Other necessities such as joining his peers in outside play and using the changing areas were also an impossibility. He was a clever young man who had difficulty communicating his needs and dislikes.

As the assessor and advisor for the school, it was apparent that a child centred approach was required.

Praise and encouragement are the building blocks of emotional and social development for all children, regardless of their special need or disability. If we want to encourage and enable the child to achieve moving and handling targets, positive reinforcement is a great way to achieve this.

A child with special needs might exhibit signs of intentional behaviour or a disrespectful attitude, or have a physical setback that prevents them from learning in a traditional manner. These attributes can lead to frustration, anger, tension and emotional outbursts from the child, which is why it’s of utmost importance to remember that the child did not ask for these educational roadblocks; they are the product of unforeseen circumstance and not the problem of the child themselves.

This can lead to a child not being able to access their curriculum and reach their full potential, as their ability and willingness to be transferred from the floor to a wheelchair may not be achievable by the staff, as they have adopted a negative approach to the transfer.

“You always catch more flies with honey” is an old adage that aptly describes how positive reinforcement works for all individuals, especially children. An uplifting attitude and positive encouragement go a lot further in building a child’s confidence and self-esteem than does negative imposition and hurtful expressions.

It’s vital to a child’s well-being to have a system of praise and rewards in place for each step on the path to moving and handling and educational success. Positive reinforcement has a proven record of improved results towards an end goal, so finding the right combination is essential to your child’s education. This must be centred around each child, as each child has individual, differing needs and motivators.

At the age of nine years old Paul was accessing the school for two hours a day. He was solely playing on the floor with dolls and would not engage in the activities of the school.

He was unable to access the bathroom area. The school was no more than a child sitting service for two hours a day

Deborah Harrison

A1 Risk Solutions for training, assessments and online technologies extending learning beyond the classroom

Train the trainer Moving and Handling, Single-Handed Care and bespoke courses to meet your organisational and educational needs.

Email us [email protected]

0161 327 2195 Contact us for more information