New! Information Resources
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NEW! The existing Early Support resources have been revised,
updated and adapted for use with older children and disabled young
people. They are available FREE to download
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Information Resources
The Early Support information resources describe, discuss and
explore either a specific condition/disability or more general
information that parent carers and young people have told us they
would find useful to know.
The resources were produced in response to requests from
families, professional agencies and voluntary organisations for
better standard information about particular conditions or
disabilities and more general and reliable background knowledge
resources.
Using the information resources
The information resources are helpful when parent carers and/or
young people are searching for accurate information about specific
conditions/disabilities or elements of service support.
The resources help practitioners to answer the questions parent
carers and young people are most likely to ask either at the time
of diagnosis, soon after or as the child grows and matures, moving
through different transition points. As with all Early Support
resources, the information provided is best used as a shared
resource that everyone looks at together as working relationships
develop and discussion moves on.
However, the information resources can also be used to meet
other needs. Families sometimes like to use them to explain things
about their child's situation to grandparents, or friends. Early
Years settings, schools and colleges can use them to improve their
background knowledge and understanding when they're including
children with particular conditions or disabilities.
It's important to remember that nobody is obliged to use the
Early Support resources. Everyone who could benefit from the
information resources should know about them and be helped to use
them, but the guiding principle is to use them only when the family
thinks they add value.
You can download the updated, extended and revised versions of a
wide range of information resources here:
Information Resource:
Behaviour
Information Resource: Autistic Spectrum
Disorders
Information
Resource: If your child has a rare condition
Information Resource:
Childcare
Information
Resource: People you may meet
Information
Resource: Useful contacts
Information
Resource: General information
Information Resource:
Living without a diagnosis
Information Resource:
Multi-sensory impairments
Information
Resource: Neurological Disorders Part One
Information
Resource: Neurological Disorders Part Two
Information
Resource: Neurological Disorders Part Three
Information Resource: Speech,
language and communication needs
Information Resource:
Sleep
Information Resource:
Visual Impairment Part One
Information Resource:
Visual Impairment Part Two
Information Resource:
Visual Impairment Part Three
Information Resource:
Visual Impairment Part Four
Information
Resource: Deafness and hearing loss
Information Resource: Looking after
yourself as a parent
Information Resource:
Cerebral Palsy
Information Resource:
Learning disabilities
Note that the current resources are all downloads. You will be
pleased to hear that we are intending to provide additional
versions of all of these resources in web-based versions, with
photographs, diagrams and film footage to ensure they are engaging
and interactive when accessed online. These will be available by
the end of March 2013.
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 parent 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.
To order a free copy as made possible by Early Support, e-mail
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.