Autism Association of WA: Introduction to First Steps for Autism Early Intervention

8 | First Steps for Autism Early Intervention School visits Some of your goals may be best suited to work within your child’s school setting. Our Therapists are skilled at working with children and their teaching staff within the school to get the most out of their therapy time. Having therapy in the school can support your child to learn key skills to access the curriculum and work on their goals in a familiar setting alongside their teachers and peers. Therapy in school allows your Therapist the opportunity to: • Share information between your child’s teachers and education assistants • Ensure your therapy strategies and goals form a key part of your child’s individualised education plan • Support you with attending case conferences and meetings in school. Community visits Therapy supports can also be provided to support your child’s inclusion in a range of community settings, such as your local sports club, cultural group, scouts group or after school care setting. These visits can be used to upskill support workers, volunteers or coaches, working to support your child effectively, while also building the capacity of the setting to provide supports. First Steps Holiday Therapy Our Therapy Team run a range of Holiday Therapy Programs over the January and July school holidays across most of our metropolitan sites. These Programs are designed to develop skills and create social networks for children up to 7 years of age. Children participate in small group sessions, designed to focus on attention skills, communication, fine motor skills, social skills and school readiness. These are very popular groups and a great way to consolidate the skills that children have learned during weekly sessions throughout the term. Transition support We understand times of transition can be

challenging. Transition to school, a new school year, a new community setting, or a new support service requires extra care and attention. In the Early Intervention Therapy Service, we treat all kinds of transitions in life as a priority area for support. Your Therapist can work with you to ensure transitions are well planned, supported and resourced to allow you and your child the best chance for success. Your child will move into the School Age Therapy Team once they reach Year 2, to continue being supported throughout their school years.

“We are very satisfied with the services for Gaman and we really love all the Therapists we have.The Therapists are high quality, relatable and professional. ” Parents of Gaman, 6 years old

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