EARLY INTERVENTION EDUCATORS

Any children who attend the Champion Centre are dual enrolled with us and with their local Early Childhood Centre (e.g., kindergarten, Playcentre, Montessori).  Most children over the age of three and in one of our weekly programmes are supported for one of more sessions a week by an Early Intervention Educators (EIE) who is part of the multi-disciplinary team around the child. 

EIEs support children to access the Te Whāriki curriculum, build communication skills, and interact and develop friendships with their typically developing peers.  The EIE also provides support to the Early Childhood Teachers so that children can attend independently wherever possible.
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When the child is ready to be transitioned into school the EIE takes the child on visits to school, and spends several sessions in school with the child once they are enrolled. The EIE helps the child settle in this new environment and, along with the therapy team, can pass on knowledge of the child to the child's teacher and teacher aides.

The staff are outstanding, they not only display a high degree of professionalism but also deal with the children, parents and their prospective teachers in a positive, warm and sensitive manner. Their support of parents who are feeling fragile, vulnerable and sometimes in shock is superb. They help the parents to come to terms with their child’s learning needs and help then to set realistic goals for these tender little people. In their liaisons with the child’s prospective school they nurture the transition period carefully, providing the child and family with a professional advocate for their learning needs ensuring that the start to school is as smooth and as constructive as possible. I am totally in awe of the skill and professionalism of these people. I find watching them, and working with them an inspiration."
Carole Wright, Head of Junior School – speaking about the Champion Centre transition to school programme