The report, Children in need in childcare, says that settings that make the most important contribution to the lives of children in need identify their specific requirements at an early stage and help them to get the right support.
The study found that the best childcarers work closely with parents in new ways, welcoming their involvement and discussing their child's day in childcare, as well as working with other services such as health and social care to make life easier for parents.
A flexible approach to planning, and a readiness to make small changes to resources and staffing, are other features of high-quality childcare.
The report was based on visits by Ofsted inspectors to 20 daycare settings and five childminders in four different local authorities, which had been judged to be 'good' or 'outstanding'.
It found that a recurring strength in the settings was the practitioners' high level of experience, qualifications and ability to identify and meet children's varied needs.
Other factors included the close relationships that practitioners established with families, the support of formal and informal training staff undertook to ensure effective development of good practice, and the settings' rigorous self-evaluation.
The report makes a number of recommendations for improving support to children. These include ensuring that practitioners regularly evaluate their practice, that providers consider how they might make better use of information and communication technology to enhance children's learning, and that good practice be shared with other providers.
Joint chief executive of the National Childminding Association, Andrew Fletcher, said, 'This report is very welcome, as it highlights the excellent work done by dedicated childcare professionals to support all children to achieve their full potential.
'I hope this report will illustrate to local authorities the benefits of investing in specialist childminders and childminding networks to benefit disabled children and their families.'
The National Day Nurseries Association said the report showed just some of the ways that nurseries were adjusting their provision to ensure children with additional needs could play a full role in nursery life.
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku said, 'The case studies show how simple steps have helped children with various needs to thrive and develop, and also how this has had a fantastic impact on their families.'
Many nurseries would like to be fully inclusive but had difficulties accessing specialist training or funding for one-to-one support, she said.
'Special needs provision is patchy in many areas, and some nurseries face a difficult and uphill battle in getting children and families access to the extra services they need.'
She urged them to get involved in a nursery network to discuss these issues with their local authority.
CASE STUDY
Debbie Davis, an outstanding childminder who is part of the Buckinghamshire Community Childminding Network
Ms Davis specialises in caring for children with learning difficulties and autism and looks after children from three to 16 years old. She provides respite breaks for families in the area and works closely with Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators. She has helped a four-year-old boy with autism, who could not be left for short periods of time, overcome severe separation anxiety by building his trust and introducing tailored approaches to meet his needs. She also provided emotional support to the child's parents and gave them guidance on behaviour and benefits entitlement.
