Early Intervention

In the first 5 years of life, parents, particularly mothers, spend an average of 100 hours per week with a child when the child is awake. This is over 5,000 hours per year or about 25,000 hours before the child goes to school. We know that children learn more in the first five years of life than in any other five years -- and who does the teaching? MUM and DAD.  So if you are wondering whether parents can be effective teachers of their children, the answer is obvious!

Even when the child goes to school, the amount of time with a teacher is less than six hours per day, 5 days per week for 40 weeks per year -- a total of about 1200 hours per year shared with 20-30 other children in the class. Even when we take off the time in travel, playing with friends etc., the parents still will have more time to teach the child than the teacher.

So, why not use those hours to the maximum? We can supply specific skill training programs for you to carry out at home, plus we also encourage teaching reading as soon as the child has 20 words or so reliably (sometimes this is possible as young as age 2). Our research and overseas studies indicate that with early intervention the rate of development of children can be speeded up significantly. There is even some indications that early intervention can produce long term changes in the brain, minimising or even overcoming any potential developmental delay.

Been told that he will grow out of it? Don't believe it. Children learn out of 'it', and normally need someone to teach them how to do so. Contact us if you would like to discuss your child's development.

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Literacy

Children

Child can't read? Or can your child read a paragraph out of a book with few errors but doesn't understand anything that was just read? If so, your child almost certainly has difficulty with literacy. Or perhaps your child has been given a label such as 'intellectual disability' or 'autism' and you have been told he or she will not be able to read. This may be untrue.

Some crucial things you need to know about reading:

• It is never too late to learn. We work in high schools and can work with adults (see below).
• Failure to learn to read is almost never due to the child not having the 'ability' -- it is normally due to inefficient and inappropriate teaching methods. With appropriate, research-based teaching methods and positive feedback, most children can learn to read.
• It doesn't have to take years. WIth appropriate teaching, learning rates can often be accelerated to 2 or 3 times normal rates so the child can 'catch up'.
• Failure to read has been shown to have life-long consequences -- reducing employment prospects, education prospects and is strongly linked to crime.

What skills does a child need for us to start teaching reading? Just two things:

• The skill of being able to imitate sound reliably. For example, if you say 'mmmmm' your child will be able to imitate this reliably.
• Can say 20 plus words accurately in relation to objects -- for example can name pictures of a cow, car, house etc.

What do you need to teach your child to read?

• Commitment to teach 4 or more lessons per week (15-45 minutes)
• Research based teaching approaches based around carefully constructed lessons.

Include Pty Ltd can assist with this. Teaching is done in the home by the parents using teaching material hired through the program. Click here for more information.

* Note that while we have extensive experience in successfully developing literacy, numeracy and spelling, it is not possible to guarantee success as this depends on several factors outside of our control. However we will give accurate information about progress so everyone is able to see the outcome of the program, even if results are not as desired.

Adults and Adolescents

Adults and adolescents can also be taught to read. What is required is commitment to at least 4 hours per week of work on literacy and a person who is literate to teach the adult. The teacher could be a spouse, friend or a person (e.g. a student) who is privately engaged to teach the adult. The teacher would be taught how to carry out the program and the teaching material would be hired from Include Pty Ltd. Click here for more information.

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Inclusion

Worried about your child not belonging at school? Perhaps your child has a defined label such as 'autism' and you are uncertain about the best school alternatives. Perhaps you are being advised that your child would receive the best education in a segregated 'Special Education' Unit or Centre (note, this is almost certainly untrue based on over 40 years of research).

Include Pty Ltd can assist by:

• Advising on the best type of schooling based on research.
• Advising on things to do to prepare your child for school and school transitions.
• Advising on things you can do at home to assist your child's inclusion and educational development.
• Attending meetings with the school to work out ways to maximise inclusion.
• With school permission, advise the teacher on strategies in the classroom and work collaboratively in the classroom with the teacher and teacher assistant.
• Carry out objective, skill based assessments which remain the property of the family, where the results won't be released to other parties except with family permission or where forced by a court of law. Note that we will not carry out formal IQ testing as this is almost always used to the detriment of the child. However, we will carry out developmental assessments which give data that are much more useful to a teacher.
• Where necessary, advocate* for the child and family at a school, District or Departmental level.

*Note that we won't advocate for something that we believe is not in the child's best interests (which in most cases means segregated schooling). In such cases we will advise the family of our position and if possible advise of someone who might be able to help them. We respect the parents as the best people to make decisions for their child but believe it is inappropriate to support an action which we believe will be detrimental to the child.

Costs for a family are the same as advocacy costs.

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Life Planning

What's going to happen when my child finishes school? What will happen when I am no longer here? Can we expect to have a life independent from our son or daughter?

If you are asking these questions, it is likely that your child has been given a label and may have a physical or intellectual impairment. These are questions that have been asked by families for generations, and the answer has almost always been negative or based around formal services.

When we look a what is available to a child with a label on completing schooling we are usually offered sheltered work or 'post school options' which means community presence for a few hours per week. For living accommodation, the options generally revolve around group home living at best, with waiting lists of several years, even if families are in great need.

Can't we do better than this? It would be a rare parent who would choose these segregated options if real jobs, real unpaid relationships and real living options existed. We all aspire to an ordinary, good life for ourselves and our non-labeled children, so it must be reasonable to aspire to the same for a child with a label. But it is not going to just happen, and it is not going to be easy, or free of disappointments and letdowns. But it can happen with careful planning, good people and good will. It is never to early to plan, and never too late.

Preschool years: Planning for the long term future can lead us to things to focus on in our child's learning in the preschool years as well as appropriate choices in day care, preschool and school. Choices made here can influence adult and life outcomes.

Primary School: The choice of school; work done on relationship development; membership of clubs and groups; relationships with other families; financial planning; social skill development -- all of these will have long term impacts for high school, work and independence, as well as family security.

High School: These are generally the hardest years for all parents, but particularly for children with a label. We have to think of the child gaining independence from us; the possible employment options that are developing; to deal with the 'hormone issues' with a child who is highly vulnerable physically, as well as helping the child emotionally through the fragility of relationships when these relationships may be less in number than their siblings. If we let these years slip by, we will arrive at the end of schooling with a young adult at home most of the time apart from a few organised outings. Planning can minimise this risk.

Adulthood: Adult life means work, independence, relationships, even life partners. These are the parts of an ordinary, good life. To achieve them for a person who has been excluded from society will take some doing, but it can be done. It comes from planning; careful thought based on deep knowledge of the individual; awareness of the vulnerability of the person; as well as positive expectations, highly motivated supporters and lots of people with the 'right relationship'. If we don't plan here, parents can get sick or die with highly damaging consequences for the individual. If we look at our own life, our safety and security come from relationships, not formal services. This is the area we need to develop.

Include Pty Ltd can help with this planning*. Miracles are not possible but hope, high expectations and real practical outcomes are achievable and worth working for. Cost are based on family or agency consultancy fees and will normally involve several hours in getting to know the individual and family and working together with family, friends and associates to build an ordinary, good life for an individual. While costs can be high, the value of peace of mind, a clear life plan and positive developments in the person's life can be priceless. To discuss what is involved, or to get a representative to talk to your agency or group, contact Include Pty Ltd.

*It is of course impossible to guarantee any particular life outcome for any individual. While the life planning process is designed to maximise the probability of a good, ordinary life, events out of our control can limit or undermine any planned outcomes.

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Advocacy

Need someone in your corner? Sometimes parents can find themselves in a meeting with up to 10 professionals advising on what should happen with their son or daughter. They may not know many of the people, and some may not have met the child. It is a rare parent who is not intimidated in such a situation. Similarly, many families are intimidated by a school principal as it brings back memories of our school days! You may feel overwhelmed and isolated, particularly if you do not agree with what is happening. Often parents leave such meetings with feelings of anger, frustration and "I should have said". Individuals who have been labeled may feel that their views are not really considered except in a token way, and feel 'badgered' into accepting something that they did not really want.

Just having someone with you to help guide the meeting in your direction and support what you are saying can make a huge difference. A friend or neighbour can fulfil this role, but sometimes you need someone with some expertise and experience that is not intimidated in such meetings. Include Pty Ltd can fulfil his advocacy role. We try to minimise charges for this service but we do have to charge if the support is extensive. Some idea of charges can be found by clicking here.

*Note that we won't advocate for something that we believe is not in the individual's best interests (which in most cases means segregated schooling or other segregated options). In such cases we will advise the person or family of our position and if possible advise of someone who might be able to help them. We respect the individual' right to choose and parents as the best people to make decisions for their child but believe it is inappropriate to support an action which we believe will be detrimental to the person.

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