The Child Development Service covers a wide geographical area from Kekerengu (north of Kaikoura) to the Rangitata River (south of Ashburton), inland to the Alps and includes the Chatham Islands.
We see tamarikiwith a range of conditions, including:
- cerebral palsy
- delayed development
- autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- down syndrome (trisomy 21)
- neuromuscular disorders and syndromes with developmental delays.
We also see children under 12 months with a suspected or diagnosed torticollis.
Our team provides assessment and intervention for this group of tamariki which may include:
- parent information sessions
- therapy support
- post-operative therapy
- applications for supply of home equipment
- housing modifications
- hydrotherapy
- orthotics assessment.
Our team members are here to work alongside you and your whānau and to support you with achieving your goals for your tamaiti. We work closely with the professionals who refer to us and with education providers, so we can provide a coordinated service for you and your tamaiti.
Your tamaiti might receive support from one person in our team or several, depending on their needs. This could include support from:
- a physiotherapist who works with you to support motor development and participation in activities and improve quality of life
- occupational therapists who work with you around the development of day-to-day life skills, fine motor skill development and provide sensory processing education and support
- social workers who support parents, whānau and caregivers in meeting their own needs and challenges while caring for a child with developmental needs
- a speech language therapist who works with whānau to assess and support swallowing safety and skill
- a dietitian who assesses and provides interventions to support the nutritional needs of tamariki with enteral feeding needs, restrictive eating, or faltering growth
- a Kaitautoko who engages with Māori whānau referred to the Child Development Service
- a psychologist who completes assessments for consideration of autism and intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) diagnosis
- an allied health assistant / Kaiāwhina (helper) who supports our clinicians in their work with tamariki and whānau. This could include providing support with individual intervention plans for tamariki, providing group or 1:1 parent information sessions, supporting with running clinics, and supporting with the creation or development of resources for tamariki.