Communication and Professional Relationships with Children, Young People and Adults TDA 3.1
1.1
Effective communication is vital when dealing with children and young people, in particular within the working environment, as it helps establish and maintain clear boundaries for the adolescents who are being dealt with. For example; if a young person is corrected on a behaviour that is negative, such as swearing, they need to see that staff follow the same rule, and that staff lead by example. Otherwise, they will see this as a contradiction of rules and will therefore lead to resentment and double standards.
On the same note, effective communication is necessary when dealing with adults in the work environment, as it ensures consistency
You will be dealing with children and young people in a variety of contexts and so will have to adapt your verbal communication to suit, when in a social setting such as break time you can should use this time to build relationships and have some fun while at the same time remembering to speak to them as a professional to a young person. It is important not to divulge information about your private life or any personal contact details. Try to deal with this in a light hearted manner as a refusal can sometimes be misunderstood.
When in a class situation make sure all the students are focused on the task and distractions are dealt with so as not to interrupt others learning.
Young people with communication difficulties need to be handled with care and sensitivity; give them time and be calm and relaxed. Do not try to fill in the words for them if they have a stammer as this will not help and may cause heightened anxiety. They may be nervous so it is important to reassure them adapting your vocabulary accordingly to meet the individuals’ needs.
2.3
The main differences between communicating with adults, children and young people are the way you speak to them being mindful of their age and the context of the conversation, you would keep your vocabulary simple when dealing with a younger child and you may issue more complicated instruction to an older child always being aware of their level of understanding. Some younger