On this page
Support is available for preschool children with disability. Preschools, kindergartens, children’s centres and early learning centres all provide preschool services.
Eligibility
To be eligible for support children must be enrolled at their local preschool and have any of these conditions:
- developmental delay
- physical disability
- hearing loss
- vision impairment
- autism spectrum disorder
- speech or language impairment
- significant challenging behaviour.
How to get support
You can ask for support by contacting your child’s preschool director. They can help to organise:
- support from the education department’s student support services team
- a preschool support program for children with developmental delay or disability and their parents.
Support can also be arranged by:
- Child and Family Health Service (CAFHS)
- a doctor
- other agencies such as Autism SA, Novita, Can:Do 4Kids
- the education department.
Inclusive preschool programs
Inclusive preschool programs (IPP) have expert staff for children with disability who need a lot of support with their learning.
These programs operate in the following preschools across South Australia:
- Acacia Kindergarten, Mount Gambier
- Aldinga Payinthi College, Aldinga
- Bains Road Preschool, Morphett Vale
- Elsie Ey Children’s Centre, Hewett
- Kirton Point Children’s Centre, Port Lincoln
- Ngura Yadurirn Children and Family Centre, Ceduna
- Parks Children's Centre, Angle Park
- Port Augusta West Childhood Services Centre, Port Augusta West
- Riverbanks B-12 College, Angle Vale
- Sir Thomas Playford Kindergarten, Elizabeth South
- Solomontown Kindergarten, Port Pirie
- Tinyeri Children’s Centre, Murray Bridge
- Warradale Kindergarten, Warradale
- Whyalla Stuart Early Childhood Centre Kindergarten, Whyalla Stuart
- The Willows Children's Centre, Mount Barker
- The Briars Preschool, Felixstow
Talk to your preschool director to discuss how your child can get into one of these programs.
Speech and language programs
Speech and language programs (SLP) support children with severe language or speech impairment. SLPs target speech and language development with individual and small group work. Children also take part in the general preschool program.
There are programs in these metropolitan preschools:
- Bertram Hawker Kindergarten, Myrtle Bank
- Brentwood Drive Kindergarten, Huntfield Heights
- Flagstaff Oval Kindergarten, Flagstaff Hill
- Glandore Community Kindergarten, Glandore
- John Hartley B–7 Children's Centre, Smithfield Plains
- Lake Windermere B–7 Children's Centre, Salisbury North
- Valley View Kindergarten, Valley View
- West Lakes Kindergarten and Early Childhood Centre, West Lakes.
Talk to your preschool director or speech pathologist to discuss how your child can get into one these programs.
Referring speech pathologists and psychologists should read the referral information for preschool speech and language programs to assist with the referral process.
Early Intervention Service – Deaf and Hard of Hearing (EIS-DHH)
This service offers a support program for children up to 5 years old who are deaf and hard of hearing. Teachers of the Deaf provide individual support at home or in preschool. Staff are from the education department’s Special Education Resource unit and also work in the Klemzig and Warradale preschool programs.
Special Education Resource Unit
The Special Education Resource Unit (SERU) provides a range of learning and teaching materials and specialised services which support children and students with disabilities and learning difficulties such as:
- equipment for use in preschools
- special supports for children at preschool
- resources and publications.
Contact the Special Education Resource Unit for more information.
Specialist preschools for children with disability
There are some preschools that offer more specialised support. Talk to your preschool director to discuss how your child can get into one these programs, or contact these preschools directly.
The Briars Preschool
The Briars is a preschool for young children with significant disability who use complex communication systems.
Kilparrin Early Learning Centre (KELC)
Kilparrin Early Learning Centre is part of Kilparrin Teaching and Assessment Schools and Services. This program supports children who are vision impaired, or deaf and hard of hearing, with additional disability.
Klemzig Auslan Bilingual Preschool program
This program supports children who are deaf and hard of hearing, or children from Deaf families. It is part of the Klemzig Centre for Deaf Education and connected with the Early Intervention Service – Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the Special Education Resource unit.
Warradale Kindergarten Inclusive Preschool program
Warradale Kindergarten supports children who are deaf and hard of hearing, or children from Deaf families. It is bilingual and uses both English and Auslan (Australian Sign Language). It is connected with the Early Intervention Service – Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the Special Education Resource Centre unit.