Early intervention services provide specialised support to children and families during the early years of development. These services work with children and families as early as possible, to teach skills that are essential throughout their lives.
When it comes to early intervention, the word is out! Current research clearly demonstrates children who are recipients of quality early intervention;
- demonstrate an increased ability to learn
- have a much greater chance of living independently
- are much more likely to successfully transition into later educational settings, and
- have a greater chance of developing meaningful and lasting friendships and relationships.
But, how can you tell if an early intervention service offers quality programming?
In general, when evaluating early intervention services, families should look for quality and quantity.
- Early Intervention services and programs should be;
- Family centred (acknowledging parents and siblings as key contributors throughout the assessment, planning and intervention process)
- Well structured, with a defined curriculum
Delivered and overseen by specifically trained staff.
And should;
- Use interventions and techniques based on strong substantiated evidence
- Incorporate individual planning and programming
- Monitor progress.
The AEIOU program is underpinned by a curriculum, specifically designed to support children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder to meet developmental milestones and acquire the skills to become life-long learners. Curriculum elements are delivered by our specialist transdisciplinary team, along with select interventions and therapies supported by a wealth of research and evidence.
The AEIOU transdisciplinary team is comprised of:
- Families / caregivers
- Behaviour Therapists (BTs): with cutting edge knowledge in the field of behaviour analysis, BTs specialise in teaching children how to learn, and teaching foundation skills necessary for lifelong learning.
- Occupational Therapists: specialise in helping children to engage in meaningful occupations, roles and routines, and promote independence through development of self-help and play skills.
- Speech Pathologists: work closely with families, assisting the development and improvement of functional communication skill which help children express needs and wants, and understand and engage in the world around them.
- Specialist teachers: develop individualised programs and plan for each child based on their strengths and support needs. Specially trained learning facilitators: work on goals and strategies determined across the transdisciplinary team.
The AEIOU program is delivered across long day care hours (7.00am to 5.00pm) to ensure families have access to therapy and care in an environment which meets their needs. Children are provided specialised group early intervention which is individualised and assessed at regular intervals throughout enrolment. There is a strong emphasis on addressing behaviours which challenge, to enable community inclusion.
As a family-focussed service, AEIOU provides families and caregivers with opportunities to attend training workshops, access in-home visits, and participate in community access activities.
We currently operate centres at the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Nathan, Camira, Bray Park, Toowoomba, Townsville and Bundaberg in Queensland, and Brighton in South Australia. A centre is currently being constructed in Logan, Qld, due to open in 2018.
For more information, take a look at our website (aeiou.org.au), or contact us on 1300 273 435.
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