Early Childhood Intervention Australia (NSW Chapter) Inc.
Home About ECIA ECIA Conferences Membership FAQ Links Awareness Week Jobs in Early Childhood Intervention Publications & Training Members Only

Frequently Asked Questions

What is early childhood intervention?

What does early childhood intervention provide?

Who delivers services?

How are early childhood intervention services delivered?

Where are early childhood intervention services delivered?

How do I find out about early childhood intervention services in NSW?

What supports are available to children with disabilities and/or developmental delays who wish to attend their local child care centre or preschool?

What supports are available to children who wish to attend their local school?

Is there research evidence into the effectiveness of early childhood intervention?

What is early childhood intervention?

Early childhood intervention provides support for infants and young children who have developmental delays or disabilities, their families and communities, in order to promote the child's development and inclusion.

Developmental delay describes a young child who is not achieving new skills within the expected age range.

Disability is a physical, sensory, intellectual or behavioural impairment which affects development.

 

What does early childhood intervention provide?

Early childhood intervention services are provided to children from birth to school entry and their families.

The components of early childhood intervention can include therapy, education, health services, inclusion support in early childhood services, formal and informal family support, and the provision of information and support for transition into school systems.

Who delivers services?

Early childhood intervention services are offered by a range of personnel including, special education teachers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists, social workers, doctors, nurses, orthoptists, audiologists and others, depending on the needs of the child and family.

How are early childhood intervention services delivered?

Early childhood intervention workers recognise that the family is the most important influence in a child’s life. Any services provided to children can only be delivered in the context of the family and respond to the concerns and priorities established by the family. This is called family-centred practice.

Early childhood intervention teams collaborate with families to establish an Individualised Family Service Plan (IFSP) as the planning document for the delivery of services.

These plans may involve a number of agencies, depending on the wishes of the family.

Where are early childhood intervention services delivered?

Early childhood intervention services may be delivered in a variety of places including: the family's home , early childhood intervention centres, preschools, long day care centres or hospitals.

How do I find out about early childhood intervention services for children and their families in NSW?

Information on early childhood intervention services across NSW is available by calling the Early Childhood Intervention Infoline on 1300 65 68 65


What supports are available to children with disabilities and/or developmental delays who wish to attend their local child care centre or preschool?

Early childhood intervention services work with childcare centres, preschools, family day care and occasional care centres to support the inclusion of children with disabilities and/or developmental delays.

In developing an IFSP (Individualised Family Service Plan), families, early childhood intervention services and mainstream children’s services work together to meet the child and family needs.

This may include consultation and/or visits to the child care setting by early childhood intervention specialists to provide information and ideas for including the child.

Some children may require extra support to maximise their inclusion in the child care setting. For those children funding is available through:

 
  • SCAN

Supporting Children with Additional Needs (SCAN) funding scheme is a programme that aims to provide eligible NSW funded children’s services providers with resources they may require to assist children with additional needs to have equal access with all other children to a quality early childhood or vacation care experience.

NSW children’s services that are State-only funded and are not an approved service for the purpose of receiving the Commonwealth Child Care Benefit (CCB) are eligible to apply for SCAN funding.

Generally eligible services are:

  • IPSP (Support for children in Commonwealth funded children's services e.g. long day care)

The Inclusion and Professional Support Program supports child care services so they can provide high-quality child care to children with additional needs include those from diverse cultural and language backgrounds, those with a disability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It:

  • gives those who work in child care access to the professional support they need to build their skills and do their job well
  • supports child care services to include all children including those with additional needs
  • is delivered by providers based in each state and territory so child care services in all regions of Australia can benefit and are treated equally.

Children's services (including Long Day Care, Occasional Care, Family Day Care, In-Home care & Outside School Hours Care (including Vacation Care) can apply for this support through their local ISA (Inclusion Support Agency). To find your nearest ISA, see:
http://www.cscentral.org.au/inclusion/isa.html

 

  • ISP

Intervention Support Program (Young Children with Disabilities) provides supplementary support towards the cost of delivery of educational services for children with disabilities. This programme supports learning and educational development opportunities for children with disabilities who are below school age and are attending non-Government, non-profit early childhood settings, which prepare them for or support their integration into regular preschools and schools.

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eas/isp/

 

What supports are available to children with disabilities and/or developmental delays who wish to attend their local school?

Useful references include:

  • Stroeve, W (1998) One of the kids: Educating children with and without disabilities together, in the same classes and schools.

This booklet covers all three school systems (State, Catholic and Independent)

  • Department of Education & Training (1999). Who's going to teach my child? - a guide for parents of children with special learning needs.

This booklet relates to public schools only. The booklet is available from the Department of Education and Training Ph: (02) 9793 3086

Useful websites

Is there research evidence into the effectiveness of early childhood intervention?

The most comprehensive review of efficacy research can be found in:

  • Guralnick, M.J. (Ed.) (1997) The Effectiveness of Early Intervention, Baltimore, Paul Brookes

Another useful source of information on this research can be obtained from: