Who provides early intervention services?
Early intervention supports are provided by:
- Ministry of Education Learning Support
- contracted early intervention service providers (in some areas)
Support for tamariki who are blind or low vision is provided by the Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ).
The different types of specialists who may be part of an early intervention team include:
- early intervention teachers
- kaitakawaenga (Māori cultural advisors)
- advisors on Deaf children
- psychologists
- speech language therapists
- education support workers
Getting early intervention support for your child
To ask for support for your child, contact your local Ministry of Education office. Call free on 0800 622 222 and follow the voice prompts or visit their website for more information.
You can also contact other early intervention providers such as:
- CCS Disability Action (Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin)
- Ohomairangi Trust (Auckland)
- McKenzie Centre (Hamilton)
- Conductive Education (Hamilton and Christchurch)
- Wellington Early Intervention Trust
- Champion Centre (Christchurch)
Other people who can ask for support for your child, with your permission, include:
- teachers
- paediatricians (child health specialists)
- GPs
- audiologists
- Plunket nurses
Your child does not need a diagnosis of any specific medical condition to access Ministry of Education early intervention supports.
Help available from early intervention support
Talking with an early intervention specialist
After a request is made for your child, someone from early intervention support will contact you. If your whānau (family) identify as Māori, this may be a kaitakawaenga.
The early intervention specialist will talk with you about how your child is managing in different situations. They will ask you about your concerns and priorities. With your permission, the specialist may also talk with your child's early learning centre, Kōhanga Reo, or healthcare provider. This allows the specialist to coordinate the support for your child.
Developing a plan
The early intervention specialist can develop a plan with you. The plan will outline the support your child will receive for their learning. The specialist will review this plan with you every few months to discuss progress and make changes as needed.
How to find out more
To find out more about early intervention supports, you can call the Ministry of Education on 0800 622 222 or visit their website.
Support for tamariki who are blind or low vision is provided by the Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ). You can learn more on their website.
Acknowledgements
The Paediatric Society of New Zealand acknowledge the cooperation of the Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga in making this content available to parents, caregivers and whānau.
