Early Childhood Development Progams
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
|