Ask your child's kaiako | teacher or healthcare provider

All mokopuna | children develop at their own pace, but at times you may still have concerns about your child's learning. For example, you might notice differences in how they are learning to communicate or with their behaviour.

If you are worried, talking with someone knowledgeable who also knows your mokopuna is a great place to start. You can:

• talk to your child’s kaiako at their early learning service or Kōhanga Reo
• ask at your Well Child/Tamariki Ora visit (Whānau Āwhina Plunket)
• talk to your doctor.

They may be able to help you with strategies you can try at home to support your mokopuna and let you know if more support is needed. They can also help with any next steps you might need to take.

Talk to our learning support team

Our learning support team can talk to you about your concerns. They can help clarify whether you and your mokopuna may need extra support, and what options are available.

Contact your nearest office.

Regional offices

Your child’s kaiako might notice things first

Early learning educators are knowledgeable about how mokopuna develop and will talk to you about any concerns they have. They often have strategies and approaches they will try within the early learning service or Te Kōhanga Reo, that you can support at home.

If need support from our team to plan how to meet your child's needs, they can contact us after talking to you.

What happens after a request for support?

Someone from our learning support team will contact you to talk to you about your mokopuna. Together you can work out what level of support may be needed at this time.

If they think support from the learning support team is needed, they will ask to meet with you. At this meeting, the team will talk with you more about your concerns.

We will work alongside you and your child's early learning service or Te Kōhanga Reo

In many cases, children's needs can be met by their early learning service or Te Kōhanga Reo.

We aim to support early learning educators to meet the needs of all mokopuna. Often, we provide resources for educators to use. Our support team also works directly with kaiako to help them meet children's needs.

If your mokopuna needs more tailored support, learning support might provide specialist help. We may do this by supporting you, your child's kaiako or working directly with your mokopuna. This may be at home or at the early learning service.

Who will be involved?

Our specialists work in collaborative teams. Any specialists who work with you and your child's early learning service will be able to access a wide range of resources and expertise. Our specialists include:

• early intervention teachers
• speech-language therapists
• Kaitakawaenga
• advisers on Deaf children
• psychologists.

If your mokopuna does not attend an early learning service or Te Kōhanga Reo

For children who are not yet enrolled in an early learning service, we can support you at home.

We can support you in finding a suitable early learning service if your child is not enrolled in one. All mokopuna have the right to attend. We know that being around other children is good for learning and wellbeing.

Other options for support

Some regions have other early learning intervention providers. We will let you know if there are other options available in your area.

Providers include:

• CCS Disability Action (Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin)
• Ohomairangi Trust (Auckland)
• McKenzie Centre (Hamilton)
• Conductive Education (Hamilton, Christchurch and Taranaki)
• Wellington Early Intervention Trust
• Champion Centre (Christchurch)
• Autism NZ (Auckland).

Support plans

Some mokopuna and their whānau will require tailored support plans to meet their needs.

Support plans are focused on the needs and aspirations of the family and child.

Our specialists work with whānau and make decisions together. You will usually have a lead worker from the learning support team who will be your main point of contact.

The learning support team will work with you and other agencies to make sure support plans are integrated with other services such as child development teams.

Learning support resources for parents

Incredible Years are programmes for parents of mokopuna with learning support needs to gain skills and confidence.

These programmes are government-funded and free.

Incredible Years parents programme – Te Kete Ipurangi

Incredible Years Autism programme (for caregivers) – Te Kete Ipurangi