ECI Sunshine Coast
All parents want to give the best for their children, from the daily care to the life they will face in the future. However, babies or younger children may suffer from developmental delays or disabilities, which frustrate some parents as it affects their life. Since children with developmental delays or disabilities require the assistance of healthcare professionals, they need help at an early age to better their condition and lessen the demand for long-term intervention. For this reason, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) offers the Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) to the citizen and residents of the Sunshine Coast, which aims to help parents with children below 7-years old suffering from a disability or worried about their development condition.
The ECI program is a support designed for children 0-6 years old with developmental delay or disability. It also aims to help families and carers to identify a child's needs and obtain sufficient and beneficial support, which leads to a comfortable life and reaches the child's maximum capacity. Thus, the citizens and residents of the Sunshine Coast are encouraged to avail the ECI program at Positive Moods, a registered NDIS service provider, which can help access long-term NDIS support. In addition, Positive Moods will work closely with the family and carers of the child to ensure a convenient and efficient procedure for accessing support from the NDIS and the local community.
What is ECI?
Early Childhood Intervention or ECI is support catered to younger children 0-6 years old with disabilities or developmental delay, aiming to help their families and carers to deliver the best care. The program can help children with developmental delays and disabilities through access to support beneficial for their needs and conditions. ECI also understands that families know the most about their children and what's best for them. Therefore, the program is family-centred, allowing parents to work closely with their child's intervention specialists. As a result, families will learn efficient strategies they can implement both at home and in the community to help their children perform daily activities and routines.
Additionally, the program includes the Early Childhood Approach (ECA) catered to younger children below 6-years old with developmental concerns who do not meet developmental delay. The ECA program implements evidence-based research. The Best Practise Guidelines are employed for the Early Childhood Intervention to help the child develop their maximum capacity. It can also help families and carers seek the ideal community support and provide more growing and learning opportunities. Thus, ECI is an NDIS program that assists families and their children at an early age manage their disability, developmental delay, or developmental concerns, resulting in less need for long-term assistance.
How is ECI administered?
The most vital stage in learning and development in the early years of a child's life. As they grow older, their learning and development depend on their condition. With the ECI program, parents and carers can have their child's development condition evaluated and determine efficient strategies, and seek the best assistance to prepare them for the future. Parents and carers with children suffering from developmental delays, disability, or developmental concerns may contact Positive Moods. They will help identify your child's needs and draught a support plan to provide them with the best life and encourage them to participate in daily activities. As an NDIS service provider, Positive Moods will also connect families to the local community to avail of beneficial services, including daycare centres, playgroups, and other programs concerning the health and development of children.
Aside from helping in accessing community services, children and families availing ECI at Positive Moods will have assistance in applying for long-term support from the NDIS and granted with ECI or ECA plan, whichever is necessary. Since children with developmental delay or disability require professional help, Positive Moods offers the utmost service by providing highly-trained developmental specialist that specialises in delivering early education, allied health, or family support. Through this, families and carers can better understand the child's condition and determine which areas of their life need assistance. After evaluation, the families, carers, and developmental specialists will finalise the best support plan suited for the child. Moreover, ECI implements the Best Practise Guidelines for Early Childhood Intervention to ensure that children receive the best support and strategies.
How can ECI help?
The ECI program is a beneficial service for the citizens and residents of the Sunshine Coast, where families, carers, and developmental specialists work together to determine and develop the best support plan for younger children with disabilities, developmental delays, or developmental concerns. It can also assist the participants in many ways, including:
Providing support as early as possible to ensure access to beneficial supports
Daily assistance at home, daycare, playgroup, community activity, and sports
Giving the best information to implement with children for Early Childhood Intervention
Assisting families and carers by helping children to develop and implement new skills
Giving different types of services and supports to children and families depending on their needs and condition
Enhancing the capacity and confidence of the parents and carers to manage and respond to the child’s required support
Enhancing the children’s abilities to partake in daily activities they need or want
Enhancing the children’s participation and involvement in community and mainstream settings, like daycare or recreation
Sharing information about beneficial support services like playgroups or parent support groups
Additionally, Positive Moods will work with the community to identify the most beneficial and efficient intervention to support each child’s needs. It will include the newest universal services accessible in the community and a path assisting children with permanent disabilities to acquire a long-term NDIS support plan.
How to access ECI?
Citizens or residents of Sunshine Coast may book an appointment with Positive Moods to access ECI. It is essential to work with Early Childhood Partners like Positive Moods so that families and carers can work with highly-skilled specialists who can help them understand the condition and support their child's needs. Eventually, the specialist will develop an ECI or ECA plan implemented to assist younger children with developmental delays or disabilities. But before booking an appointment with Positive Moods, families and carers of the child should prepare the following to increase their chances of accessing a support plan, including:
Gathering any evidence proving or showing that your child needs support. The evidence can be anything like a letter children write to people they are close with or a formal letter from a healthcare professional. While the application doesn't require a diagnosis, as a parent or carer, it is necessary to let your Early Childhood Partner understand the overview of the child's life and why ECI is needed.
Identifying goals for the child for the ECI support. It is necessary to have a goal since the ECI plan includes support beneficial to children.
For more details on the ECI program, citizens and residents of Sunshine Coast who are concerned if their child 0-6 years old has a developmental delay or disability may call Positive Moods on 1300 001 470 email at ndis@positivemoods.com.au, or fill out the contact form on https://www.positivemoods.com.au/contactus.