Support for Early Childhood Educators
Our Early Childhood Educator Training and Support Programmes are designed to equip educators with practical, neuro-affirming strategies to better support children’s regulation, participation, behaviour, and engagement within early learning environments.
Through tailored training and consultation, we help educators build confidence in understanding sensory processing and neurodivergence, adapting environments, and implementing meaningful strategies to support challenges within the classroom and daily routines.
Delivered by experienced paediatric occupational therapists, our programmes provide practical, evidence-informed guidance through an occupational therapy lens. Services can be tailored to the needs of your centre or team, with educators able to select from a range of early intervention support options.
Group Educators’ Programme
Format: Group Professional Development (PD) Session, discussion-based
Duration: 3 sessions x 1 hour each
Focus Areas: Emotional and Sensory Regulation, Social Skills, and Environmental Modifications
This collaborative, discussion-based PD session is designed to support educators in developing practical, neuro-affirming strategies that can be embedded into every day kindergarten routines and environments. The session aims to build educator confidence in understanding children’s regulation needs and supporting participation across learning, play, and social experiences.
Learning Objectives and Topics
- Developing an understanding of the connection between sensory processing, behaviour, regulation, and participation.
- Adapting expectations around engagement to accommodate individual care needs and social preferences.
- Empowering children to self-advocate by providing them with foundational tools and supportive strategies.
- Building awareness of neurodivergent profiles and evidence-informed approaches to support children within early learning environments.
- Structuring classroom and outdoor environments for success through environmental modifications, visuals, resources, and supportive daily routines.
- Providing consultation around individual situations where educators may require additional guidance and strategies to address challenges within the learning environment.
Individual Educator Support
Format: Classroom observations and one-to-one feedback sessions
Duration: 3 sessions x 1.5 hours each (1 hour observation/30 minute feedback session)
Focus Areas: Educator strategies and approaches to supporting care and participation
This session is designed to provide direct support and practical strategies to individual educators. Through classroom observation and a follow-up reflective discussion, the session aims to build educator confidence in understanding children’s sensory, emotional, and developmental needs. It also supports educators in identifying strategies that can be naturally embedded into daily routines, transitions, and interactions.
Learning Objectives
- Observation of educator approaches and strategies used to support children’s functional behaviours and regulation needs within the classroom environment.
- A debrief session provided immediately following the observation, or via Telehealth where appropriate, to offer feedback and support through an occupational therapy lens. Educators will also be supported in addressing any identified challenges or areas for further development.
- A brief written summary and recommendations report provided following the session.
Classroom Environmental Audit
Format: Classroom environment audit, consultation, and follow-up report
Focus Areas: Designing sensory-supportive and regulation-friendly classroom environments
This occupational therapy consultation is designed to support kindergarten educators in creating classroom environments that promote regulation, participation, and engagement for all children. Through observation of the physical environment, classroom routines, and daily flow, opportunities will be identified to enhance sensory supports, reduce overwhelm, and create calming, regulation-friendly spaces.
A follow-up report will provide practical, individualised recommendations that can be realistically embedded into the classroom environment to support inclusion, independence, and wellbeing throughout the kindergarten day.
Learning Objectives
- Developing an understanding of sensory stimulation within learning and play environments, and its impact on engagement and participation.
- Creating calming and supportive sensory spaces that children can safely access for regulation.
- Incorporating routine and regulation visuals to promote consistency, predictability, and engagement within classroom structures.
- Providing recommendations for tools, resources, and environmental supports that may assist in creating sensory-safe and regulation-supportive learning environments.