Early Childhood Service
The Novita Children’s Services Early Childhood Service supports young children living with physical disabilities, helping them to move, play, learn and really ‘connect with their worlds’.
The Early Childhood Service team is made up of family service coordinators, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, speech pathologists and allied health assistants, who offer a range of programs and activities specifically for children in the early years.
The team works closely with families and carers to provide support, advice and solutions to challenges that may arise whilst parenting a child in these early years.
For more information download the 
Welcome Program Brochure (PDF - 573Kb)
Where necessary, the Early Childhood Service team link with Novita’s Equipment Service or Novita's Physical Rehabilitation Service to ensure each child receives the most appropriate equipment and rehabilitation for their needs.
What does the Early Childhood Service do?
The Early Childhood Service can include:
- advice on ways families can assist children with everyday activities like moving, bathing, eating, sleeping and communicating
- ideas and activities to help children develop new skills
- opportunities to meet and ‘connect’ with other families
- support at key ‘transition’ stages of children’s lives – such as the move between home, childcare, preschool and school
- support for childcare, preschool and school staff, to assist with children’s’ inclusion and participation
- general information and resources about disability.
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Where can I receive support?
Early Childhood Service staff are based at the Regency Park Centre and Novita’s Paradise and Christies Beach offices, however support is available to Novita clients at a variety of locations – including family homes, local pools, child care centres and preschools, schools, any Novita office and a range of other community locations.
How do I receive support?
New clients to Early Childhood Service go through an introductory welcome program. This may include some contact with a volunteer parent visitor (a parent who has a child receiving services from Novita). Families will be allocated a key worker or a contact person.
Read more in the Key Workers Factsheet (PDF - 80kb).
Upon completion of the welcome program, your key worker will devise a support plan with you that outlines how Novita will support you to achieve your goals over a period of between 6-12 months. Your team will suggest ways in which we can help you achieve your goals. These may include individual interventions, attendance at groups or information sessions or training.
Individual interventions may include one to one appointments or sessions between a Novita staff member and your child or a family member.
Some examples of group interventions include:
- Playgroup: Playgroups are currently run across Adelaide at a variety of locations. They are run on a weekly basis for approximately 8 weeks per term. The purpose of playgroup is to enhance parent networks and provide a relaxed environment for parents and children to play and connect.
- Splashers: Splashers is a water based playgroup run in a heated pool. Like Playgroup, Splashers is run weekly for approximately 8 weeks per term. Children and parents participate together in group activities in the water.
- Powerplay: Powerplay is a workshop for parents to teach them about the power of play. It is a hands-on practical workshop run over 2 sessions.
- Hanen: Hanen – It Takes Two to Talk – is a group training program to help parents facilitate their child’s communication development. It is run by Hanen certified speech pathologists across 12 weeks.
- Rockin’ Robins: Rockin Robins is a communication/signing group aimed at facilitating routines through communication, music and signing. Rockin Robins is run weekly for approximately 8 weeks.
- Motor Magic: Motor Magic is a group where children take part in fun games and activities to help develop their physical and playground skills.
- Key Word Signing: Key word signs are basic signs that are used to help your child communicate. Key word signing workshops are full day courses run four times per year. These are open to parents, teachers and staff. Key Word Signing Workshop locations, times and registration.
- My Time: My Time is a local support group for parents and carers of young children to the age of 5 with a disability or chronic medical condition. Parents and carers choose topics and activity to pamper themselves, discuss and explore with a group facilitator.
- Parent Information sessions: A variety of parent information sessions (e.g. ‘Kindy to School Transition’, ‘Transport’, ‘Toileting’ & ‘Backcare’) are run through the year.
Various other specific skill development groups may also be available depending on demand (eg Handwriting groups, Baby Moves, Friendship Groups).
Further information
You can obtain further information about Novita’s Early Childhood Service by speaking to your Novita family service coordinators or therapists, or by contacting the teams directly at:
Send an on-line message to the Early Childhood Service
Contact the Early Childhood Service by phone at (08) 8243 8311