would you consider this?
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Topic: would you consider this?
Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Subject: would you consider this?
Date Posted: 13 January 2011 at 12:39pm
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Im currently in my final year of Occupational Therapy, when i graduate i will be an OT and I am considering doing a 1year teaching thing to get me to be also trained as a teacher (either ECE or primary)
and am thinking of opening a centre/school in the future. this centre/school would be a special needs school with suitably trained teachers and staff. it would use my knowledge as an OT and teacher to cater for the childrens needs. as i am aware there is not many special needs kindergartens and parents are often not able to put their children into care until they are 5 and can start school. and by this stage of happening i am likely to be living in Christchurch. so my question is... If you had a special needs child and this centre/school was open in your town would you consider sending your child to this school? or am I thinking too much and its not really an option that would be adequetly used? |
Replies:
Posted By: crafty1
Date Posted: 13 January 2011 at 2:27pm
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I'm an OT too! Such a cool career.
Hmm can't comment on this tho as i specialise in adult neuro rehab. My friend's downs boy goes to normal kindy, just started early so he gets longer there to get ready for school. There are day programmes and centres for kids with special needs but i don't know from what age and what MOE would class it as. Is there a section on the forums for mums with special needs kids - they would know more about what is around. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 13 January 2011 at 2:52pm
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Are you thinking just for special needs kids? Don't know how that would fit with MOE policy around integration etc - they've really moved away from standalone units. ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 13 January 2011 at 3:03pm
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Have you looked at working in a facility that offers this to SN kids? The cost & responsibly involved in setting one up must be huge.
You could look at doing private care for a couple of children & see how it goes. |
Posted By: ereynolds
Date Posted: 13 January 2011 at 3:37pm
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I think its a great idea! Both DH and MIL work with special needs kids- DH as a teacher aide and MIL as a physio.
Have you thought about contacting the local special needs schools and asking their opinion about it? ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 13 January 2011 at 4:46pm
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The question would be how would you fund it and what would be the cost to attend.
I've worked with a supplier of special needs equipment and its a nightmare working with MOE to get what is needed. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: kiwi2
Date Posted: 13 January 2011 at 7:12pm
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Does OT cover autism. Early intervention is key in autism and a daycare/early childhood centre that specialised in giving care specifically for autistic kids may be of huge benefit to parents. It can take a bit of the weight off parents shoulders and also give them an option of going back to work instead of not going back due to the commitment of therapy for these kids.
Integration is the focus of MOE but this is from kindy and school age. Before that I don't think there is much in the way of daycare help etc. |
Posted By: kiwi2
Date Posted: 13 January 2011 at 7:12pm
| Maybe post this in the section living with a child with special needs. |
Posted By: Mucky_Tiger
Date Posted: 16 January 2011 at 6:46pm
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OT does cover autism, and i was thinking of a centre that caters for autism, downs syndrome and mild cerebal palsy. and some of the higher needs but it would also be open to other children in the family so they could go to the same centre so its easier for the parents, so is kind of integrated.
I know ABC childcare was keen to open a centre for special needs but no-one was willing to upfront and run it. oh and i asked here because not many people seem to visit the parenting a child with special needs section |
Posted By: HuntersMama
Date Posted: 16 January 2011 at 8:33pm
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Another OT here too!
Sounds like a good idea. I have worked in paeds and know there are different funding streams, so it would depend on if you could get funding from MOE or MOH? There are special day care centres like Potters and the SMILE programme at Carlson so maybe have a chat to them. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: tictacjunkie
Date Posted: 17 January 2011 at 12:29am
| I was a PT student, should have done OT tho, off topic- I'm sure some parents may be interested in special care but definitely the aim these days is for integration. Funding would be a HUGE issue. Our kindy assoc continues to lose funding & the special needs kids that I know of it's been up to the individual families to apply for the extra funding/support, & it's getting harder. Sad but true not a lot of investment is being put into ECE, makes me wonder what mess there'll be in 10y. |
Posted By: tictacjunkie
Date Posted: 17 January 2011 at 12:36am
| Sorry, didn't mean to be a downer, it's a fantastic idea though, even a part-time thing that kids could go to as well as mainstream places would be widely received. If you do your ECE you'll have plenty of placements during your training, definitely let your dean/whomever know that your interest is in special needs & they should be able to connect you with places trying to/doing similar. |