As a parent, you want your child to feel happy, included and supported wherever they spend their day.

Whether your child attends childcare, kindergarten, preschool or school, you want them to have every opportunity to learn, build confidence, make friends and participate fully in everyday life.

If your child has a developmental delay, communication difficulties, emotional regulation challenges, sensory differences, autism, ADHD, physical difficulties or additional learning needs, you may sometimes wonder:

• How can therapy help my child at school?
• Should my therapist talk to my child’s teacher?
• Can therapy strategies be used at childcare or kindergarten?
• How can I help my child make progress outside therapy sessions?
• What’s the best support for children with developmental delays?

The good news is that children often make the greatest progress when the important adults in their lives are working together.

At Early Start Australia, we believe therapy is most effective when families, educators and therapists work as a team to support children across the environments that matter most.

Why Collaboration Matters

Children don’t learn skills in isolation.

They might spend one hour a week at therapy, but they spend many more hours at home, in the classroom, at childcare, on the playground and in their community.

When families, educators and therapists share information and work towards common goals, children are given more opportunities to practise skills in real-world situations.

This consistency can help children:

• Build confidence
• Develop independence
• Strengthen communication skills
• Improve emotional regulation
• Increase participation in learning activities
• Develop social skills and friendships
• Generalise skills across different environments

For children with developmental delays, having everyone working towards the same goals can make a significant difference.

Evidence-Based Insight: School Success Is About More Than Academics

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare highlights that a child’s successful transition to school is influenced by multiple developmental domains, including:

• Social competence
• Emotional maturity
• Communication skills
• Language and cognitive development
• Physical health and wellbeing

These developmental areas play an important role in children’s participation, learning and long-term educational success.

Why Early Intervention and Teamwork Matter

Parents often tell us: “I wish I had known earlier that support was available.”

The reality is that children don’t need to wait until they are struggling significantly before receiving support. Early intervention focuses on building skills, confidence and participation before challenges become barriers to learning.

When therapists, educators and families work together, children have more opportunities to:

• Practise skills consistently
• Develop confidence
• Build independence
• Participate in learning
• Experience successful social interactions

This collaborative approach helps children apply what they learn in therapy to their everyday lives.

Supporting Children Across Different Learning Environments

Every learning environment is different. Schools, childcare centres and kindergartens all have unique routines, expectations and ways of supporting children.

Effective therapy doesn’t replace these systems. Instead, it works alongside them.

Supporting Children at School

Schools often provide structured supports such as:

• Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
• Individual Curriculum Plans (ICPs)
• Learning Support Teams
• Classroom accommodations
• Inclusive teaching practices
• Student wellbeing programs

Therapists can collaborate with educators to help ensure strategies are practical, achievable and aligned with classroom goals.

For example, a Speech Pathologist may support a child’s communication goals within classroom discussions, while an Occupational Therapist may suggest strategies that help a child participate more successfully in learning activities.

Supporting Children in Childcare and Kindergarten

Early learning settings focus heavily on:

• Play-based learning
• Social interaction
• Communication development
• Emotional development
• Early literacy
• Independence
• Daily routines

These environments provide countless opportunities for children to practise new skills naturally throughout the day.

Rather than pulling children out of meaningful activities, therapists often help educators incorporate strategies into everyday experiences.

What the Research Says About Social and Emotional Learning

According to Be You, social and emotional learning helps children develop the skills needed to:

• Understand and manage emotions
• Build positive relationships
• Make responsible decisions
• Navigate challenges
• Develop resilience

Be You also notes that strong social and emotional skills support both learning and wellbeing, helping children thrive in educational environments.

What Does Collaborative Therapy Look Like?

Many parents imagine therapy as something that only happens during an appointment. In reality, some of the most powerful learning opportunities happen during everyday routines.

Therapy strategies may be embedded into:

• Play activities
• Classroom discussions
• Group learning activities
• Outdoor play
• Mealtimes
• Transitions
• Social interactions

This allows children to practise skills in meaningful situations where they are most likely to use them.

How Different Therapies Support Children

Speech Pathology

Speech Pathologists support children with:

• Communication skills
• Language development
• Social communication
• Literacy foundations
• Understanding and following instructions

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapists support children with:

• School readiness skills
• Play and social skills
• Sensory processing
• Emotional regulation and behaviour
• Independence and self-care skills
• Participation in everyday activities

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapists support children with:

• Gross motor skills
• Coordination
• Balance
• Strength
• Physical confidence
• Playground participation

Psychology

Psychologists support children with:

• Emotional regulation
• Anxiety
• Behaviour support
• Resilience
• Social skills
• School transitions

Supporting Individual Plans

Many children benefit from individualised supports within their educational environment. These may include:

Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

IEPs help identify:

• A child’s strengths
• Areas for development
• Learning goals
• Support strategies
• Team responsibilities

Individual Curriculum Plans (ICPs)

ICPs may be used when a child’s learning goals differ significantly from the standard curriculum.

Inclusion Support Plans

These plans help children participate meaningfully in early childhood settings and school environments.

Regardless of their name, all effective plans have several things in common:

• They are child-centred.
• They are strengths-based.
• They involve families.
• They focus on meaningful participation.
• They are reviewed regularly.

Creating Consistency Across Home, School and Community

One of the biggest benefits of collaboration is consistency.

When children experience similar approaches across multiple environments, they are more likely to develop, maintain and generalise new skills.

For example:

• A visual support used during therapy can also be used at home and school.
• Emotional regulation strategies can be practised in multiple settings.
• Communication supports can be shared between families and educators.

This consistency helps children feel safe, confident and supported.

Parent Insight: Emotional Skills Develop Through Relationships

The Raising Children Network explains that recognising and naming emotions helps children understand what they are feeling and lays the foundation for emotional regulation.

As children develop emotional understanding, they become better equipped to:

• Express feelings appropriately
• Manage frustration
• Build positive relationships
• Develop resilience
• Build independence

The Raising Children Network highlights that emotional regulation develops over time and often requires support from trusted adults.

Supporting Your Child to Thrive

Every child deserves opportunities to participate, learn and feel successful in the environments that matter most.

When families, educators and therapists work together, children are given more opportunities to build skills, confidence and independence.

At Early Start Australia, our multidisciplinary team works alongside families to support children’s development at home, in educational settings and throughout their community.

Because when a child’s team works together, great things can happen.

Learn More About Early Start Australia

🔗 https://www.earlystartaustralia.com.au/

Find Your Nearest Clinic

🔗 https://www.earlystartaustralia.com.au/locations/