The Champion Centre Early Intervention Programme
The Champion Centre Early Intervention programme is for children from birth to school age who have delays in at least two areas of development.
Childrenwho attend the centre have a wide range of special needs. These include: Down syndrme, other genetic disorders, cerebral palsy, extreme prematurity, epilepsy, development dyspraxia, ASD and brain injury.

Highly qualified and experienced staff work in partnership with parents/caregivers to provide a family focused, strengths based Early Intervention programme.

Small group sessions are held weekly/fortnightly at the centre. At each session the child is seen individually by a core therapy team of a physiotherapist or occupational therapist, early intervention teacher and speech-language therapist. A social worker is an integral part of the team.
An integrated individual therapeutic programme is developed for each child by the team with the family/whanau. It is based on Te Whariki (the Early Childhood curriculum) and is carried out by the family/whanau in their own home/community.

When the child is three years of age, and Education Support Worker joins the team to support the child in their community early childhood centre.
Children’s learning and development is extended through the provision of specialist programmes, music, play, computer, in addition to the “core” therapy team. Specific therapy is available for children who have feeding, sensory, behavioural and relating and communicating difficulties.

As the child appraoches school age, the team assists the parents/caregivers in their preparation for inclusion in an appropriate school setting. The Champion Centre offers a unique transition to school process.