Early Intervention Support
Our Early Intervention Specialist Services support day to day actions and engagement, supporting the child to participate in daily routines and Early Childhood Education, providing a range of therapy for the child, providing coaching and resources for the parent / whaanau, providing coaching and resources for the Early Childhood Centre.
Wana Tamariki is one of three Providers in the Waikato contracted by the Ministry of Education – Learning Support for Specialist Services. We provide support for 20 children with ‘high needs’ in more than one developmental area (e.g self care, physical, communication, social-emotional, or behavioural).
Our Early Intervention Teacher works alongside families to assist them in the transition to community Early Childhood Education (ECE) settings and later, in transition to Primary School education. Support in visiting ECE/schools, attending meetings with staff, completing documentation for enrolment, and follow up visits after transition are all part of the role.
This service is provided by Early Intervention Teachers, OT’s, SLT’s, Conductors and other specialists as required. We provide services in alignment with the Specialist Services Standards Pathway – Poutama- Principles for Practice and regularly report on this to the Ministry of Education.
Education Support Workers (ESW)
We are also contracted to provide Education Support Workers to eligible children, where support is provided in community based early learning facilities (term time only)
ESW's play a vital role for children attending both in our centre and in the community. They work as a team to support the practitioners as they implement the goals for each child within community Kindergartens/Early Childhood Education Centre’s. This both implements and extends the goals our service identifies, whilst enabling the children to develop socially with their peers.
“The overall purpose of Early Intervention is to provide timely, evidence based interventions for young children with identified disabilities, developmental delay or behavioural issues, who are at risk of developing life long social-emotional, or learning difficulties.”
Ministry of Education, Early Intervention Model of Practice 2010