TEAM AROUND YOUR CHILD
After supporting children with disability for over 38 years, we know how challenging simple everyday tasks can be for parents and children.
Our Key Worker Specialists provide services and supports to teach you the specific everyday skills you and your child need to make your days easier and more enjoyable. These skills will fit into your daily routine and assist you 24 hours a day, even in those really difficult times when there is no one else to help.
Our programs and services are consistent with early childhood education, inclusion and disability philosophies. We utilise interaction through play and daily routines, to promote growth and development in children which create a foundation for future learning in schooling systems, and life.
We work closely with you as a team that supports and surrounds your child. Communicating and sharing information, knowledge and skills with your child, you and other team members such as therapists. Working in your child’s environments, these may include your family home, child care, preschools or community areas. In 2017 we were awarded an Excellence Award for ‘Best Team Around the Child’ by Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) NSW/ACT. The award acknowledged our exceptional contribution to building the capacity of children, families, professionals and community through coaching and collaborative team work.
WHAT IS (ECI) EARLY
CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION
ECI is when infants and young children with a disability and/or a developmental delay and their families receive specialised support and services. These supports and services positively impact the child’s development and well-being, so that they can participate in family and community life. The intention of ECI, is to ensure parents and other important adults in the child’s life, provide them with experiences and opportunities. These will help them gain the skills needed to meaningfully experience and participate in their everyday life. .
WHY IS ECI
IMPORTANT
1. Brain development in children happens at an astonishing rate. Children’s ability to learn and develop is at its greatest in their early childhood years and forms the foundation for their future learning and development.
2. Families know their child best and are the people who can make the biggest impact on their development. The ECI team shares knowledge, information and skills with the family so they can support their child at all times.
3. Quality ECI programs especially those delivered where the children are (home, school, community settings) can help children develop, learn and participate in everyday activities. ECI can potentially reduce the amount of support the child will need later in their life.
4. ECI is critical for the whole family! It helps families learn how to support and nurture their child, meet their needs and adapt to having a child with a disability.
ECI WORKING
WITH THERAPY
ECI is an all-inclusive approach towards working with children. Focusing on their social and life skill development to help them connect with you, family members, peers and their community. ECI acts as an extension to clinical based therapy, whilst incorporating those skills into the child’s everyday life and assisting you to do the same. Therapists play a pivotal role in the ECI team. All of Shaping Outcomes programs and services are designed to work with, compliment and add to the learnings your child will be receiving through therapy. We can help connect you with therapists or you can continue working with ones you have.