Child development, attachment, trauma-sensitive pedagogy, neurodiversity, child protection and supervision duties in German day-care centres.
People are different – including in the way their brain processes perceptions and information. The term neurodiversity describes this neurological diversity as part of human diversity. Some children are ‘neurodivergent’ – they perceive the world differently and process it differently, for example children with ADHD, on the autism spectrum or with FASD. These children have particular needs, but also strengths – and they have a right to participation, appreciation and suitable support (inclusion). This course conveys an appreciative, strengths-based basic stance towards neurodiversity, a basic understanding of ADHD, autism and FASD, the clear role of the day-care centre (Kita) (observing and supporting, not diagnosing), practical ways of providing inclusive support (structure, protection from sensory overload, communication), cooperation with parents and specialist services, and the importance of participation and self-care.
Course objectives:
- Understand the term neurodiversity and an appreciative stance
- Gain a basic understanding of ADHD, autism and FASD
- Clarify the role of the day-care centre: observing and supporting, not diagnosing
- Support neurodivergent children in a strengths-based and inclusive way
- Adapt everyday life (structure, protection from sensory overload, communication)
- Work together with parents and specialist services; enable participation
- Deal with challenges and take care of yourself
Scope: 12 modules of about 45 minutes each (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each, about 9 hours).
E-learning flat rate · Self-study library
This course is part of the self-study library
With one access you can use all the self-study courses included – flexibly, at your own pace, with interactive self-reflection and confirmation of participation. Already a member? Then simply log in.
Become a member now →Self-study without supervision, assignments or assessment of learning progress by instructors; the voluntary self-reflection is for your own orientation only. Your confirmation of participation becomes available once you have marked all modules as done yourself.
The duty of supervision (Aufsichtspflicht) is one of the central responsibilities of every practitioner – and at the same time one of the greatest sources of uncertainty: how much supervision is enough? When am I liable? May a child climb the tree? This course (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each) provides well-founded, practical answers in 12 modules. You will learn the legal foundations, the right level of supervision (according to age, situation and danger), the features of good supervision and how to put them into practice throughout the daily routine of a day-care centre (Kita) – from free play to nappy changing and sleeping to outings. You will understand what a breach of the duty of supervision is, how liability (Haftung) under civil and criminal law and statutory accident insurance (gesetzliche Unfallversicherung, SGB VII) work, how to delegate tasks to trainees and interns, and how to handle the tension between supervision and children’s independence with confidence. Each module offers an in-depth section, a case study and a transfer-to-practice exercise. At the end: self-reflection, checklists and your confirmation of participation.
Course objectives:
- Know the legal foundations of the duty of supervision with confidence
- Determine the right level of supervision to suit the situation
- Organise supervision in a legally sound way throughout the daily routine and on outings
- Understand liability and insurance and avoid mistakes
- Delegate tasks in a legally sound way
- Balance supervision and children’s independence
Scope: 12 modules of about 45 minutes each (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each, about 9 hours).
E-learning flat rate · Self-study library
This course is part of the self-study library
With one access you can use all the self-study courses included – flexibly, at your own pace, with interactive self-reflection and confirmation of participation. Already a member? Then simply log in.
Become a member now →Self-study without supervision, assignments or assessment of learning progress by instructors; the voluntary self-reflection is for your own orientation only. Your confirmation of participation becomes available once you have marked all modules as done yourself.
Every practitioner knows situations involving ‘challenging behaviour’: a child hits, rages, refuses, withdraws, pushes boundaries. Such situations are exhausting and can be overwhelming. The key lies in an understanding, appreciative stance: challenging behaviour is not ‘naughty’ or ‘disturbed’ behaviour, but always the expression of a need or of distress on the child's part – a message that needs to be understood. If you understand the behaviour, you can accompany the child better, de-escalate and help them. This course shows how to understand challenging behaviour (the needs and causes behind it), what role your own stance and the relationship play, how to work preventively, how to de-escalate in acute situations, how to deal with aggression and with withdrawal, how to set boundaries respectfully, and when specialist services and child protection should be involved.
Course objectives:
- Make sense of challenging behaviour with understanding and appreciation
- Recognise the needs and causes behind the behaviour
- Understand the importance of your own stance and of the relationship
- Work preventively and de-escalate acute situations
- Deal appropriately with aggression and with withdrawal
- Set boundaries respectfully and give support
- Involve the team, parents and specialist services; safeguard the child's wellbeing
Scope: 12 modules of about 45 minutes each (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each, about 9 hours).
E-learning flat rate · Self-study library
This course is part of the self-study library
With one access you can use all the self-study courses included – flexibly, at your own pace, with interactive self-reflection and confirmation of participation. Already a member? Then simply log in.
Become a member now →Self-study without supervision, assignments or assessment of learning progress by instructors; the voluntary self-reflection is for your own orientation only. Your confirmation of participation becomes available once you have marked all modules as done yourself.
If you want to support children well, you need to understand how they develop. This comprehensive course (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each) provides, in 12 modules, well-founded knowledge of child development from birth to school entry: the basic principles of development, the key developmental milestones in the first six years of life, the various developmental domains (motor skills, language, cognition, social-emotional development), the importance of attachment and play as engines of development, as well as observation, recognising developmental concerns and development-fostering support. Each module offers learning objectives, well-founded learning text with visualisations, an in-depth section, a case study and a transfer-to-practice exercise. Note: a training offer for developing pedagogical competence; no individual medical or developmental-diagnostic advice.
Course objectives:
- Understand the basic principles of child development
- Know the developmental milestones from 0 to 6 years
- Grasp the developmental domains and how they interact
- Understand attachment and play as foundations of development
- Observe and document development
- Recognise developmental concerns and support development in a beneficial way
Scope: 12 modules of about 45 minutes each (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each, about 9 hours).
E-learning flat rate · Self-study library
This course is part of the self-study library
With one access you can use all the self-study courses included – flexibly, at your own pace, with interactive self-reflection and confirmation of participation. Already a member? Then simply log in.
Become a member now →Self-study without supervision, assignments or assessment of learning progress by instructors; the voluntary self-reflection is for your own orientation only. Your confirmation of participation becomes available once you have marked all modules as done yourself.
Child protection & the child protection mandate under section 8a SGB VIII – recognise, document, act
No topic is as important – or as sensitive – as protecting children. Practitioners in day-care centres (Kitas) have a statutory child protection mandate (section 8a of Social Code Book VIII, SGB VIII). This comprehensive course (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each) guides you through the entire field in 12 modules: from the child’s wellbeing, forms of risk and their causes, through the complete legal framework – Article 6 of the Basic Law (Art. 6 GG), sections 8a and 8b SGB VIII, section 4 of the Act on Cooperation and Information in Child Protection (KKG), section 1666 of the German Civil Code (BGB) and section 42 SGB VIII – and reliably recognising warning signs, to the staged procedure, conversations with parents and children, legally sound documentation, referral to the youth welfare office (Jugendamt) and the institutional child protection policy. Each module offers learning objectives, a well-founded learning text with visualisations, an In depth section, a Case study and a Transfer-to-practice exercise. At the end: a comprehensive self-reflection, checklists for everyday practice and your confirmation of participation.
Course aims:
- Gain a sound understanding of the child’s wellbeing, forms of risk and their causes
- Apply the entire legal framework of child protection with confidence
- Recognise warning signs and avoid errors of perception
- Carry out the staged procedure under section 8a SGB VIII in a legally sound way
- Conduct conversations with parents and children professionally
- Document and refer in a legally sound way and help uphold a child protection policy
Scope: 12 modules of about 45 minutes each (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each, about 9 hours).
E-learning flat rate · Self-study library
This course is part of the self-study library
With one membership you can use all the self-study courses included – flexibly, at your own pace, with an interactive self-reflection and confirmation of participation. Already a member? Then simply log in.
Become a member now →Self-study without supervision, assignments or assessment of learning progress by instructors; the voluntary self-reflection is for your own orientation only. Your confirmation of participation becomes available once you have marked all modules as done yourself.
Some children have had stressful or traumatic experiences – violence, neglect, loss, flight from their home country, severe hardship. These experiences can leave deep marks and show in how children behave and feel. Trauma-sensitive pedagogy helps you understand these children and give them what they need most in the day-care centre (Kita): safety, stability and a dependable relationship. The day-care centre is not a therapeutic institution – but it can be a safe, healing place where children under strain find safety, reliable relationships and positive experiences. This course provides a basic understanding of trauma and its consequences, the trauma-sensitive attitude, ways of providing safety and stability, the healing power of relationships, dealing with triggers, promoting self-regulation, cooperation with specialist services and child protection, as well as self-care for practitioners.
Course objectives:
- gain a basic understanding of trauma and its consequences
- understand and make sense of the effects of trauma in behaviour
- understand the trauma-sensitive attitude and the importance of safety
- give children under strain safety, stability and relationship
- deal appropriately with triggers and hyperarousal; promote self-regulation
- shape the day-care centre as a safe place; cooperate with specialist services and child protection
- avoid secondary traumatisation and take care of yourself
Scope: 12 modules of about 45 minutes each (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each, about 9 hours).
E-learning flat rate · Self-study library
This course is part of the self-study library
With one access you can use all the self-study courses included – flexibly, at your own pace, with an interactive self-reflection and confirmation of participation. Already a member? Simply log in.
Become a member now →Self-study without supervision, assignments or assessment of learning progress by instructors; the voluntary self-reflection is for your own orientation only. Your confirmation of participation becomes available once you have marked all modules as done yourself.
Relationships come before education – no sentence sums up modern pedagogy better. In 12 modules, this comprehensive course (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each) explores in depth the foundation of all early childhood education: attachment. You will learn the fundamentals of attachment theory and understand how attachment develops through sensitivity, which attachment patterns exist and how attachment and exploration interact. You will find out what role the key person (Bezugserzieherin) plays, how relationship-based care succeeds, how to accompany children with stressful attachment experiences, how relationships and emotion regulation are connected, and how to maintain relationships even in conflict and in collaboration with parents. Each module offers learning objectives, a well-founded learning text with visualisations, an in-depth section, a case study and a transfer-to-practice exercise. Note: professional development course for developing educational competence; not therapeutic counselling.
Course aims:
- Understand the fundamentals of attachment theory
- Grasp sensitivity as the key to attachment
- Recognise attachment patterns and respond appropriately
- Fulfil the role of the key person
- Maintain relationships in care, in conflict and under strain too
- Support attachment through collaboration with parents
Scope: 12 modules of about 45 minutes each (approx. 12 teaching units of 45 minutes each, about 9 hours).
E-learning flat rate · Self-study library
This course is part of the self-study library
With a single access, you can use all the self-study courses included – flexibly, at your own pace, with an interactive self-reflection and a confirmation of participation. Already a member? Then simply log in.
Become a member now →Self-study without supervision, assignments or assessment of learning progress by instructors; the voluntary self-reflection is for your own orientation only. Your confirmation of participation becomes available once you have marked all modules as done yourself.