What do ECDP's do?
Early Childhood Development Programs (ECDPs) support children’s early learning and help develop valuable skills children need through:
- Engaging children in a wide range of learning experiences to maximise their skills and individual potential
- Supporting children to participate in their current educational environment so they can learn in both current and future educational environments
- Assessing and investigating educational support needs prior to prep
- Supporting transition to prep
- Establishing partnerships with families, and other key stakeholders, to ensure quality educational outcomes in the critical early years of schooling
Centre-based programs include:
Playgroup: A weekly program for children 0-3 years and their parents/carers. Playgroup aims to promote the child’s acquisition of functional skills by supporting families to understand and enhance their child’s development and learning.
Prior to Prep: Children aged 3-5 years attend a centre based program for 1 day per week. The program provides intensive, planned and explicit teaching of skills needed to access and participate in educational settings. Successful transition to school is a key focus.
Eligibility Criteria
Programs and services for prior-to-prep are targeted to young children birth to 5 years suspected of, or diagnosed as having a disability with
significant educational support needs in the areas of:
- physical impairment
- intellectual disability
- hearing impairment
- vision impairment
- autistic spectrum disorder
- speech-language impairment
- multiple impairments
The process of determining eligibility for access to Early Childhood Development Program and Services will include consideration of all information gathered during the data collection process.
Referral to a program or service does not guarantee entry. Entry to a program will depend on the data gathering process, assessment details, eligibility, and approval.
Significant educational support needs are determined by the impact of the child’s disability on their development across a number of domains.
To maximise participation in the learning environment children will require targeted, explicit and planned support.
Referral Process
Each child requires a letter or report indicating the diagnosis of, or suspected disability by either:
| a) | A medical specialist in the case of a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder; sensory impairment (hearing, physical or visual) or a medical condition with an associated intellectual disability |
| b) | A Speech-Language Pathologist in the case of Speech-Language Impairment |
| c) | A Guidance Officer and paediatrician in the case of intellectual disability and Global Developmental Delay |
Support Team
- Head of Special Education Services (HOSES)
- Developmental Guidance Officer (GO)
- Special Education Teachers
- Therapists: physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist
- Teacher Aides
- Advisory Visiting Teachers (AVTs): Physical Impairment (PI), Hearing Impairment (HI), Vision Impairment (VI)
- State Schools Registered Nurse
Who can make contact regarding a Referral?
An enquiry to an ECDP can be made by:
- Parents
- Teachers
- Doctors / Specialists
- Therapists
- Guidance Officers
- Psychologists
- Other agencies (e.g., Early Years Place, Early Childhood Education Centres, Kindergartens, Schools, Child Development Services, Allied Health, IUIH, NDIS – Benevolent Society)
After the initial enquiry, ECDP staff will work with eligible families to gather data as part of the referral process
Regional Contact:
Principal Education Officer
Student Services
North Coast Region
North Lakes
Phone: 3203 9000
ECDP Locations
Each child requires a letter or report indicating the diagnosis of, or suspected disability by either:
| Address: | 31-63 First Avenue, Bribie Island, QLD, 4507 |
| Phone: | 07 3400 2333
|
| Address: | 44 Manley Street, Caboolture, QLD, 4510 |
| Phone: | 07 5431 6111 / 0475 837 754
|
| Address: | Old Bay Road, Deception Bay, QLD, 4508 |
| Phone: | 07 3897 2333
|
| Address: | 1-13 Joyner Circuit, North Lakes, QLD, 4509 |
| Phone: | 07 3482 5555
|
| Address: | 85 Georgina Street, Woody Point, QLD, 4019 |
| Phone: | 07 3480 4333
|