• Provide information about best-practice early childhood intervention supports and how you can help your child
• increase your confidence to manage and respond to your child’s support needs
• increase your child’s ability to do activities they need or want to do
• increase your child’s inclusion and participation in mainstream and community settings like playgroup, childcare or preschool
• give you information about, and referrals to, other support services.

• Regular 1-1 Consultations can be provided in home, in a care setting or in an alternative setting to guide skill development.

Educational coaching is a one-to-one session, customized to suit the needs of you and/or your child, to build knowledge, skills and confidence to facilitate working towards goals and build capacity.

Sessions may include;

• building skills to develop resilience and reduce anxiety,
• investigating underlying reasons for school refusal,
• developing motor skills required for handwriting,
• teaching voice to text software,
• literacy and numeracy skill development.

Parent coaching is a one-to-one session, customized to suit the needs of you and/or your child, to build knowledge, skills and confidence to facilitate working towards goals and build capacity. 1 – 4 sessions are recommended.

Topics for parents can include.

• managing challenging behaviour,
• understanding anxiety,
• developing independence,
• using visuals in the home environment,
• developing a growth mindset,
• self regulation,
• collaborative problem solving,
• mindful language use,
• developing early language skills,
• supporting children at home with autism, ADHD, PDA, Down Syndrome and developmental delays.

Observation sessions can be arranged in the school or at home follow up can be by zoom or in person.

Parent Advocacy involves an initial consultation to plan a collaborative approach to working with your school.

 Some outcomes of this meeting could include;

• School observation of student and recommendations.
• Coordination of a meeting with key personnel at the school.
• Ongoing phone consultation availability.
• Scheduled meetings with the school personnel each Term or as required.
• Training for school staff as required.
• Support for transition between schools or Year groups.

Parent/Carer workshops are available throughout the year. Workshops may also be offered for education, childcare or community groups.

Topics for workshops include.

• managing challenging behaviour,
• understanding anxiety,
• developing independence,
• using visuals in the home environment,
• developing a growth mindset,
• self-regulation,
• collaborative problem solving,
• declarative language,
• developing early language skills,
• supporting children at home with autism, ADHD, PDA, Down Syndrome and developmental delays.

Classroom Observation

Jo McFarlane has extensive experience with the inclusion of children with additional needs of all ages in school and childcare facilities.

Her effective communication skills foster respectful relationships between schools, families and support services.

She will recommend and support the implementation of adjustments needed to assist the student.

Classroom teachers can be supported to develop individual learning plans and documentation including evidence of adjustments as required under the National Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD).

Training

Jo is available to provide training to meet the needs of staff.  All strategies and approaches are neurodivergent affirming, relationship-based, and trauma-informed.

Sessions are informative and practical with real-life scenarios, evidence-based strategies and a range of resources are provided.

Topics include:

• Supporting children with Autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, Tourette’s Syndrome.
• Supporting a child who is dysregulated.
• Understanding emotional regulation and childhood anxiety.
• Developing early language skills.
• Building social capacity.