Resources
Using the Early Support Resources
Early Support's resources and training help to bring service
providers together with parent carers, children and young people.
They ensure parent carers, children and young people remain at the
centre of a holistic and integrated planning process.
Information Resources
NEW! The existing Early Support resources have
been revised, updated and adapted for use with older children and
disabled young people.
Early Support's resources help to bring service providers
together with parent carers, children and young people on the basis
of shared information. They ensure parent carers, children and
young people remain at the centre of a holistic and integrated
support process.
The information resources we provide are based on what families
and young people have said would be most useful for them. They
offer a source of reliable and readable information. They cover a
range of different conditions, disabilities and difficulties,
including autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and
communication, visual impairment, sleep, neurological disorders,
multi-sensory impairment, rare conditions and no diagnosis. They
also provide general information on childcare, people you may meet
and other useful areas of knowledge.
Information resources on deafness, cerebral palsy, behaviour,
learning difficulties and down syndrome will be available
shortly.
View the new Information Resources
page.
Developmental Journals
The Early Years Developmental Journal helps families and
practitioners working with them to celebrate, record and support
children's early development and to identify areas where extra help
may be needed. It is for anyone wishing to better understand,
follow and support a child's development, as well as the specific
use for disabled children and those with additional needs. It is
designed to support a key working approach and foster communication
among all those involved in a child's development.
There are also specialist Journals available: the Monitoring
Protocol for deaf babies and children, the Developmental Journal
for babies and children with Down syndrome and the Developmental
Journal for babies and children with visual impairment.
View the Developmental Journals page.
Our Family
Our family is a set of information templates, developed and
owned by the family. It brings together all relevant information
about a child's and family's strengths and support needs, as well
as their priorities and their aspirations for the future. It
includes a single plan format to use to support a single assessment
and planning process. This will be available shortly. In the
meantime, you can download the original Early
Support Family File.
My Life
My life is a resource developed and owned by the young person
and their family. It provides a set of templates that bring
together all relevant information about the young person's
strengths and support needs, as well as their priorities and their
aspirations for the future. It also includes a single plan
format. This will be available shortly.
Multiagency Planning and Improvement Tool (MAPIT)
The Multiagency planning and Improvement Tool is designed to
inform and underpin service improvement for disabled children,
young people and their families. It enables multiagency groups,
parent carers and young people to use the Early Support principles
to review services, identify service development priorities, plan
for improvement and track progress over time.
Free Download of MAPIT
Misunderstood
Misunderstood explains what speech, language and communication
needs are and includes advice and guidance on how to support
communication development. It includes information for parents to
give them guidance on what to do if they suspect their child may
have a communication difficulty.
This booklet is aimed at parents and those who work with
children and young people to give an introduction to the
subject.
This resource is available to download or order.
Specific Language Impairment (SLI) Handbook
The SLI Handbook is a book written by I Can and Afasic that
explains what a specific language impairment (SLI) is. It gives
advice and support and shows where to go for further
information.
This resource is available to download.
To order a free copy as made possible by Early Support, email enquiries@thecommunicationtrust.org.uk
with your postal details.
COMING VERY SOON! Early Support App
The Early Support app is aimed at children, young people and
their families. Its purpose is to provide them with the full range
of information that Early Support produces and signposts. It also
enables them to record important things about themselves that they
could then share with others.
Useful Links
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
This is an integral part of the Government's wider vision for
families in the foundation years. It demonstrates our commitment to
freeing professionals from bureaucracy to focus on supporting
children...
Click here to find out more
When Luke was diagnosed with
Autism at four years old, there was no Early Support Programme. If
I am honest the diagnosis when it came was actually a relief but
this was quickly followed by fear of Luke requiring constant care
and never progressing. We had entered a new world and our
journey had only just begun.
We were lucky to have excellent
support from our family and local services who were there to help
us when we needed it. In the early days I benefited from
attending a parents course run by a local voluntary organisation
which enabled me to meet other local parents in similar situations
and to share in all the ups and downs that life was throwing at
us. It was good to know we were not alone.
Our journey has been eventful.
Luke is now 16 and is a happy and outgoing teenager. Despite his
autism and learning difficulties which are severe, Luke enjoys life
to the full. As Luke gets older we really want him to be as
independent as he can possibly be. Our aspirations for him
are high. Looking forward we hope that Luke has opportunities
to work, to be independent and that he will have friends and family
around him to help him if he needs it.
As a mum, I am really excited that
as Luke prepares for adulthood that the Early Support way of
working, training and materials will be available to help our
family to make informed choices together, with Luke at the
centre.
About Family
Service Plans
We started with Early
Support last year ... to trial a Family Service Plan. As family
living with a child with disabilities we were prepared to take on
board anything that would help us make sense of this new world.