Early intervention supports are provided by:
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:
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.
You can also contact other early intervention providers such as:
Other people who can ask for support for your child, with your permission, include:
Your child does not need a diagnosis of any specific medical condition to access Ministry of Education early intervention supports.
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.
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.
To find out about more about early intervention supports, visit the Ministry of Education website [1].
You can also call them on 0800 622 222 (New Zealand only).
Find out what learning support is [2]
See the KidsHealth page on learning support when your child is at school [3]
See the KidsHealth page about learning support when your child has significant needs [4]
See the KidsHealth page about learning support when your child has high health needs [5]
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.
This page last reviewed 05 December 2023.
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Links
[1] http://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/early-intervention/
[2] https://kidshealth.org.nz/learning-support-what
[3] https://kidshealth.org.nz/learning-support-when-your-child-school
[4] https://kidshealth.org.nz/learning-support-when-your-child-has-significant-needs
[5] https://kidshealth.org.nz/learning-support-when-your-child-has-high-health-needs
[6] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1639
[7] https://kidshealth.org.nz/node/1640
[8] https://kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fkidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F1638