Asking for a friend. Her daughter has downs syndrome and is due to go to 3 year old kinder next year. She's been led to believe there is no extra support for special needs children at this level. She definitely thinks her daughter would get lost with 22 other kids.
Is this correct? Does anyone have any experience with this I can share with her?
I am not 100% sure hun, DD1 goes to 3yr old kinder now and there are 3 teachers (1 main & 2 support) and then there are 1-2 parent helpers a day with 20 kids in the class.
One of the boys had an OT come to his first day of kinder and they set out a plan of action for him, what he requires from the teachers, helpers etc and what the best course of action was for other parents and children.
All i can suggest would be that she speak with the local council and prospective kinders and ask what support they can offer her, if they would allow an aide to work with her or if they could allow 1 staff or parent member to be with her for most of the day IYKWIM.
The kinder my boys went to was a Parent Run kinder and I know that the Govt has grants that kinders can apply for if they are going to have a special needs child. I don't know what level of disability a child would need to have to fall into that category as the children at the kinder were severly disabled. But I would think that there would be some funding for an aid.
I would ask your friend to speak to the administrator of the kinder to get some more specific information.
My kids attend a private school in Vic, beginning at ELC 3 (equivalent to 3 yo kinder). There is a little girl in my son's class (now grade 1) who has special needs. She has a global developmental delay and presents much like a child with Down's syndrome although this has been ruled out by genetic testing. She joined the group in ELC 4 at age 6. She had, and still has, a full time aide and I know that the aide was partially funded by the government, subsidised by the school and then topped up slightly by the parents. Having spoken at length to the child's mum, I believe the funding for an aide is higher in a public school than in private. I am absolutely certain that there was some government funding for this child in ELC 4 (equivalent to 4 yo kinder) but I don't know about 3 yo.
I didn't take in that it is 3 year old kinder. I don't know if there is funding for 3 year old, I think it may start for 4 year old as that is when funding kicks in for parents in receipt of Concession Cards Etc.
Special Needs support and 3 year old kinder - Vic
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