A time for inclusion
Congratulations on your new member of the family, whether you are visiting our website with a new baby or with a young child you will hear new ideas, be challenged with concepts and importantly start connecting with others who believe all our children belong equally in our world!
The choices and decisions made at this early childhood stage of life can set our children on a pathway of high expectations that leads to enriched meaningful lives beyond childhood.
Where would a child with disability be spending his time if he did not have a disability?
Wherever that is, that is where he should be.
He will benefit from being at home with mum, playing and learning in an ordinary preschool with kids who do not have disabilities, and experiencing life to the fullest, included in his community.
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From Special Ed Preschools: Help or Hindrance? Kathie Snow
In the years before school you are likely to be receiving a lot of advice and being asked to make decisions. Depending on the support needs of your child, you may be interacting with a host of professionals or none.
Some families who have reflected on this time have said that they found themselves extremely busy following a lot of advice only to realise that there may have been a better and more effective approach. Hindsight is always a wonderful thing so let’s learn from those before us.
This can be a good time to speak with other families, do some research and think about what will guide your actions.
Many families have said that a key question to ask is: What sort of life do I want for my family member?
Below are some clips that may help you think about the sort of life you want for your child.