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Early Intervention - What is available to help my child with their learning challenges?
Early Intervention Services (EIS) operates under Learning Support at the Ministry of Education, to help very young children with extra learning needs.
It is a free, needs-based service, so if you, or your Well Child provider, have any concerns about your child’s social, or cognitive development it may be worthwhile getting in touch with the EIS. You do not need a diagnosis to access support.
If your child is already at an Early Childhood Education (ECE) Centre, you may prefer someone from the centre to contact EIS on your behalf. They can only do so, however, with your full permission.
Someone from EIS will contact you to discuss your concerns and your goals for your child, and importantly, what you would like to happen next. Using the information you provide them with, EIS will form an Early Intervention team to work with you and your child. Together you will develop a plan to support your child’s learning and development.
As EIS provides support to children from birth to the age of five, in the first few years, it is likely that support will be provided in your own home.
After the age of three, your child’s Early Intervention Plan will most probably include supporting them at their ECE service or Kohanga Reo.
Early Intervention Teams can include:
- Speech-language therapists
- Psychologists
- Early Intervention Teacher
- Kaitiakawaenga (Maori Cultural Advisers)
- Education support workers
- Advisers on deaf children.
What happens once my child turns five?
Like all children in New Zealand, once your child turns five, they transition from pre-school to primary school or home-schooling. At this point your child may no longer need extra support to engage fully in school life – either socially or in their learning journey.
This may not be the case for other children, and for those children especially, it is important to manage the transition carefully, planning well in advance of their start date.
Make sure your pre-school has passed on relevant information about your child’s needs, strengths, interests and goals. Also, do your best to prepare your child for this big change in their daily life. Reassure them that they will be supported every step of the way.
Talk to the school yourself, preferably to your child’s kaiako and the SENCO teacher about your child’s needs and find out what resources they can access. There are a number of options available depending on your child’s level of need including:
- The Special Education and Operations Grant
- Ongoing Resourcing Scheme
- School High Health Needs Fund
- Severe Behaviour Service
- Communication Service.
For some children mainstream schooling may not be the best option – explore what else is available such as special schools that address your child’s needs in a more targeted way.
Visit the Early Intervention Service website or phone Learning Support on 0800 622 222, for full details.
For more on Early Intervention, check out other panui in this series on Awhi Nga Matua. You might also find the resources below useful, which include website, books and articles from the IHC Library. Or contact the IHC library direct to have a chat about what you need on 0800 442 442 or email: Librarian@ihc.org.nz.
Kids’ Books from the IHC Library
· Quinn at School – Relating, Connecting and Responding at School – A book for children ages 3-7 – Rick Warren
Books for Adults from the IHC Library
· Early Childhood Intervention without Tears – Improved support for infants with disabilities and their families – Peter Limbrick
· Early Intervention Every Day! – Embedding Activities in Daily Routines for Young Children and their Families – Merle Crawford, Barbara Weber
· Cara’s Kit for Toddlers – Creating Adaptations for Routines and Activities – Philippa Campbell, Suzanne Milbourne, Alexis Kennedy
· Early Intervention Practices Around the World – S. Odom, M. Hanson, J. Blackman, S. Kaul
· The Early Intervention Guidebook for Families and Professionals – Partnering for Success - Bonnie Keilty
· Group Play Interventions for Children – Strategies for Teaching Prosocial Skills – Linda Reddy
· _Early Learning Goals for Children with Special Needs – Learning Through Play _- Collette Drifte
· _Small Steps Forward – Using Games and Activities to Help Your Pre-school Child with Special Needs – _Sarah Newman
· DEC Recommended Practices – A Comprehensive Guide for Practical Application in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education – Susan Sandall, Mary Hemmeter, Barbara Smith, Mary McLean
· Teaching Individuals with Developmental Delays – Basic Intervention Techniques – I. Lovaas
· Working with Families of Young Children with Special Needs – R. A. McWilliam
· Inclusion in the Childhood Classroom – What makes a difference? – Susan Recchia, Yoon-Joo Lee
· Prevent, Teach, Reinforce for Young Children – The Early Childhood Model of Individualized Positive Behaviour Support – Glen Dunlap, Kelly Wilson, Phillip Straing, Janice Lee
· Helping Children to Improve their Gross Motor Skills – The Stepping Stone Curriculum – Rachel White
· Cerebral Palsy in Infancy Targeted Activity to Optimize Early Growth and Development – Roberta Shepherd
· Young Exceptional Children – Family-based practices – E. Horn, M. Ostrosky, H. Jones
Videos:
· What is Early Intervention? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TdNbOco9jU)
· The Power of Early Intervention: What happens early matters for a lifetime (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doZAS-tHBm4)
Helpful websites:
· Early Intervention Services - www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/early-intervention/ )
· Plunket Whanau Awhina - www.plunket.org.nz
· Children’s Health, Starship, Te Whatu Ora /Te Toka Tumai Auckland -www.adhb.health.nz/our-services/a-z-services/childrens-health/
· Child Development Centre, Te Whatu Ora/ Waikato - www.waikatodhb.health.nz/about-us/a-z-of-services/child-development-centre/
· Child Health, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand/Lakes - www.healthpoint.co.nz/public/paediatrics/child-health-lakes-te-whatu-ora/child-development-team/
· Child Development Service, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand/Southern - www.southernhealth.nz/services/child-development-service-southland-southern-te-whatu-ora)
· Child Development Service, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand/Waitaha Canterbury - www.cdhb.health.nz/health-services/child-development-service/
· Community Child Health, Te Whatu Ora/Waitemata - www.waitematadhb.govt.nz/hospitals-clinics/clinics-services/community-child-health
· Child Development Service, Wellington Regional Children’s Hospital Te Whatu Ora/Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley - www.ccdhb.org.nz/our-services/wellington-childrens-hospital/
· Child Development Service, Te Whatu Ora/Health New Zealand/MidCentral - www.midcentraldhb.govt.nz/HealthServices/ChildHealth/Pages/Child-Development.aspx
· Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People - www.whaikaha.govt.nz/support-and-services/specific-disability-services/child-development-services
· Early Intervention Foundation (www.eif.org.uk)
Resources
Early childhood intervention without tears :
Early childhood intervention without tears :
"This essay describes an enhanced Team Around the Child (TAC)...
"This essay describes an...
Early Intervention Every Day! :
Early Intervention Every Day! :
"Effective early intervention doesn't stop when the provider leaves...
"Effective early...
CARA's kit for toddlers :
CARA's kit for toddlers :
"CARA's Kit stands for Creating Adaptations for Routines and...
"CARA's Kit stands for...
Early intervention practices around the world
Early intervention practices around the world
Describes effective early intervention practices at work in 13...
Describes effective early...
The early intervention guidebook for families and professionals :
The early intervention guidebook for...
"Shows what early intervention looks like when it is based on...
"Shows what early...
Group play interventions for children :
Group play interventions for children :
"Group play interventions are used to meet a broad range of...
"Group play interventions...
Early learning goals for children with special needs
Early learning goals for children with...
Provides suggestions for those working with children with...
Provides suggestions for...
Small steps forward :
Small steps forward :
"When young children are diagnosed with conditions such as Down's...
"When young children are...
Small steps forward
Small steps forward
"When young children are diagnosed with conditions such as Down's...
"When young children are...
DEC recommended practices :
DEC recommended practices :
"Guides the development and implementation of an effective early...
"Guides the development and...
Teaching individuals with developmental delays :
Teaching individuals with developmental...
Offers detailed descriptions of current programs and addresses the...
Offers detailed...
Working with families of young children with special needs
Working with families of young children...
"This user-friendly book presents research-based best practices for...
"This user-friendly book...
Inclusion in the early childhood classroom :
Inclusion in the early childhood classroom :
"In this engaging book, the authors share stories from their...
"In this engaging book, the...
Prevent-teach-reinforce for young children :
Prevent-teach-reinforce for young children :
"Now early childhood professionals have their own guide to the...
"Now early childhood...
Helping children to improve their gross motor skills :
Helping children to improve their gross...
"This guided curriculum offers a way to help children and young...
"This guided curriculum...
Helping children to improve their gross motor skills :
Helping children to improve their gross...
"This guided curriculum offers a way to help children and young...
"This guided curriculum...
Cerebral palsy in infancy: targeted activity to optimize early growth and development
Cerebral palsy in infancy: targeted...
"Cerebral Palsy in Infancy is a thought-provoking book which...
"Cerebral Palsy in Infancy...
Family-based practices
Family-based practices
"Addresses the topic of family-based practices describing specific...
"Addresses the topic of...
What is Early Intervention?
What is Early Intervention?
Early intervention means identifying and providing effective early...
Early intervention means...
The Power of Early Intervention :
The Power of Early Intervention :
Early intervention - tackling problems before they become more...
Early intervention -...
Early Intervention Services
Early Intervention Services
NZ Ministry of Education website explaining the Early Intervention...
NZ Ministry of Education...
Plunket Whanau Awhina
Plunket Whanau Awhina
"Plunket is a charity and Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest support...
"Plunket is a charity and...
Children’s Health, Starship, Te Whatu Ora /Te Toka Tumai Auckland
Children’s Health, Starship, Te Whatu Ora...
Information on children's health services at Te Whatu Ora Te Toka...
Information on children's...
Child Development Centre, Te Whatu Ora/ Waikato
Child Development Centre, Te Whatu Ora/...
Summary of services and contact information for the Waikato Child...
Summary of services and...
Child Health, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand/Lakes
Child Health, Te Whatu Ora Health New...
Brief overview of the service and submission forms for a referral.
Brief overview of the...
Child Development Service, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand/Southern
Child Development Service, Te Whatu Ora...
Contact information for the Child Development Service, Southland,...
Contact information for the...
Child Development Service, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand/Waitaha Canterbury
Child Development Service, Te Whatu Ora...
Child Development Service website, includes a description of the...
Child Development Service...
Community Child Health, Te Whatu Ora/Waitemata
Community Child Health, Te Whatu...
Overview of Community Child Health and the services provided,...
Overview of Community Child...
Child Development Service, Wellington Regional Children’s Hospital Te Whatu Ora/Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley
Child Development Service, Wellington...
Overview of the service, the professional staff on the team and...
Overview of the service,...
Child Development Service, Te Whatu Ora/Health New Zealand/MidCentral
Child Development Service, Te Whatu...
Brief explanation of the Child Development Service, the type of...
Brief explanation of the...
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People
Brief description of Child Development Services and how to access...
Brief description of Child...
Foundations
Foundations
UK website Foundations, a result of the merger between What Works...
UK website Foundations, a...
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Meryl Richards
I’m Meryl Richards. What a pleasure it’s been to join the Awhi team. I get to spend my days researching information that supports me as a parent, and sometimes challenges me to rethink what I thought I knew. My hope is that it will be useful to you too. I live in Kapiti with my partner and two teenage boys, and spend as much time as possible in the surrounding bush and at the beach.
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The Awhi Ngā Mātua team would like to thank Takai, the IHC Foundation and the Dines Family Charitable Trust for their generous contributions to our work. A huge thank you also to the IHC Programmes team, in particular the IHC Library which has worked so hard to make their remarkable collection available to us.