Education
Support Workers
The Education Support Workers (ESW) provide support and
teaching to children in their Early Childhood Centre (ECC),
for example kindergarten, playcentre, Montessori. They work
alongside the ECC staff and parents to enable the child
with special learning needs to access the curriculum and
environment. The ESW is part of the Champion Centre interdisciplinary
team and her role is to support the child in the ECC to
build communication skills, interactions and friendships
with his/her typically developing peers.
When children turn 3 they are able to have an ESW for one
or more sessions at their ECC. This is an opportunity for
the goals established in clinic for the child by the parents
and therapy team to be practised and generalised in the
early childhood setting. These goals are based on Te Whariki,
the Early Childhood Curriculum, and are guided by the principles
of empowerment, holistic development, relationships, family
and community.
When the child is ready to be transitioned into school the
ESW takes the child on visits to schools and spends several
sessions at school with the child once he/she is enrolled.
The ESW facilitates the settling of the child in this new
environment and along with the therapy team, can pass on
knowledge of the child and her/his special needs, to the
child’s teacher and teacher aide.
