EIC
Developmental Preschool Programme(DPP)
Suitable for:
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Preschool-aged children between the ages of four and eight who have been identified with autism, intellectual disabilities, behavioural challenges and/or other developmental delays that impact their ability to communicate, develop social relationships, learn, and interact with their families and community.
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Preschool-aged children, who are unable to access the mainstream preschool curriculum and will benefit learning in a small, individualized group with highly specialized instruction.
The Early Intervention Centre supports the importance of a child’s early years by providing a Developmental Preschool Programme for children with identified special needs. As a preparatory programme for children ages two to eight, they’ll have the opportunity to cover the most important developmental and learning domains in a small preschool-like classroom setting.
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In addition to utilizing a research-based early childhood curriculum, regulation, group engagement and shared attention are key components of the programme. Our groups also emphasize on problem solving, peer interactions, increasing communication skills as well as beginning academic concepts through various approaches and themes.
Children with learning needs and unique learning styles will benefit from a curriculum designed to address each child’s needs based on learning strengths and gaps, rather than by chronological age. The programme aims to provide our children with an experience of whole class instruction, that requires them to follow classroom routines, take turns, respond to teacher's questions and understanding classroom boundaries. These essential school readiness skills and associated behaviours will help children make a smooth transition from preschool to the more demanding educational environment as they continue to develop and grow.
WHY ATTEND EIC DEVELOPMENTAL PRESCHOOL PROGRAMME?
Small Group Size
The EIC Developmental Preschool Programme gives children the opportunity to be in small classroom groups with eight (or fewer) children that afford a close-knit nurturing environment with plenty of individual attention and allow for optimal support for each child while he or she is participating in activities with peers.
In this environment, our children feel safe and supported as they tackle daily learning tasks. It also has a favourable child to teacher ratio, which allows teachers the time and energy to develop a deep understanding of the ins-and-outs of each child’s learning needs.
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Individualised Education Plan (IEP)
All children who attend the EIC Developmental Preschool Programm have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in effect. Six weeks after admission to The Early Intervention Centre, the IEP is provided to set the standard for your child’s education. The IEP guides the delivery of our special education programmes that are individualized and developed for children based on their existing skill levels and current needs. Each part of the IEP addresses an important part of educational planning and it covers the essential domains of:
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Language and communication skills
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Social skills
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Literacy skills
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Numeracy skills
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Adaptive/Self-Help skills
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Motor skills/Health and Fitness
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Play and hobbies/leisure skills
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Listening and attention skills
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Independence skills
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Group skills
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Behavioural Plan (if applicable)
Setting the IEP is a crucial component of the whole programme. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child and the plan focuses on the unique educational needs of an individual child. IEP goals describe what we hope the child will achieve, or the intended outcome of intervention.
Structured Progression
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Our teaching team constantly evaluate and modify your child’s goals based on his or her achievements and remaining gaps. He or she will move through our programme in a clear and scaffolded learning structure. Ongoing assessments and evaluations offer individualised recommendations to support our children in school and at home.
Teaching Team
Our EIC Developmental Preschool Programmes are led by our team of dedicated Early Childhood Special Education Teachers.
Our Early Childhood Special Education Teachers are specially trained to develop learning plans tailored to each child and to adapt and modify the curriculum, physical space, materials, and educational expectations so each child can participate as fully as possible in classroom routines and activities. They address a wide variety of learning challenges to ensure the success of all children in gaining skills for age-appropriate development and formal school readiness.
Our Early Childhood Special Education Teachers create classroom-simulated environments that are friendly to young children who are still learning how to process the demands of their learning environments. By utilising different instructional methods, teachers scaffold lessons to help children move from one skill to the next in a structured and supportive way. We employ everything from adaptive texts and AAC devices to tailored group activities to make learning accessible to all in environments filled with supporting tools to optimise learning.
Daily Schedule
The EIC Developmental Preschool Programme is structured to provide a predictable flow to the day supported by visuals and differentiated instruction. Every day, each child will have the opportunity to practice the following important developmental skills through each term's thematic teaching units:
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Speech, Language and Communication skills
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Social and Emotional skills
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Academic skills
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Fine Motor and Writing skills
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Daily living skills
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Motor skills/Health and Fitness
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Listening and attention skills
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Independence skills
These skills are taught using multi-modal activities, including books, music, movement, sensory exploration, arts & crafts, as well as various types of play, placing a high emphasis on regulation, group engagement, shared attention.
Within the programme, social pragmatic sessions allow teachers to enhance children’s play skills, expand on his or her ideas and to develop social cognition, perspective-taking, and back-and-forth interactions with peers including conversations, turn-taking, and playing games. Academic concepts and IEP goals are embedded in the preschool routine and are taught throughout the day by harnessing meaningful concepts and adapting the curriculum based upon individual learning styles
Family Engagement
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We strongly believe that effective and positive parent-teacher communication will ultimately improve the quality of the programme as well as our children’s learning outcomes. Family involvement is encouraged in order to help the families that we serve, understand and follow their child’s individualised learning plan and make changes at home that support what the child is learning in the EIC Developmental Preschool Programme. In addition to our quarterly parent conferences, the EIC offers all our parents an innovative and interactive mobile app, aimed to involve parents in their children’s intervention programmes to achieve the best home to school connection. Frequent monitoring of each child’s progress at home and at the centre helps us make informed decisions about the focus of a child’s learning plan.
We utilize a team-based approach that values open communication with parents and caregivers, so that valuable information and strategies can be shared.
