Education support

Preschool support and resources

• Early Intervention Services (EIS) external: These services deliver support for children with additional learning needs from birth, until they transition in to school (0 to 5 years). Early intervention teams work with families and early childhood educators who ask for support when they are concerned about the learning and development of young children.

School-aged support and resources

If your child is in the New Zealand education system, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has a range of resources available:

• Students with learning support needs external: There is a range of services and resources available for children, teachers and schools as part of the Ministry of Education's Learning Support initiative. Examples of support include specific disability services, specialist school options (if unable to attend school), assistive technology and behavioural support for schools.
• Education and disability legislation guiding Ministry of Education approach to learning support external: The Ministry of Education's approach to learning support is informed by the Education and Training Act 2020 (the Act). This Act states schools are required to be inclusive. Other legislation guiding support includes, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC), and the New Zealand Disability Strategy.
• He Whakaaro – Educational experiences of disabled learners external: Published in June 2020, this is a report reviewing progress towards creating an inclusive education system in Aotearoa, New Zealand. It contains descriptions of the experiences and outcomes of disabled learners within the system and key findings.
• Practical skills for life externalSchool Leavers' Toolkit: Leaving school is a good time to start planning for your future, whatever pathway you choose. Education New Zealand have created an online toolkit full of advice and resources for learners to help find their way after leaving school.

Post-secondary support and resources

• Extra help at Studylink external: Study can come with costs. If you need financial assistance to support your study, Studylink provides a list of resources that can help to remove financial barriers to learning.
• Disability support through University or Polytechnics or Wānanga: Disability support services should be available through your education provider. Make sure to contact them directly or visit their website to find out what services are available. Services often include assessment arrangements (like extra time for exams or providing a reader/writer), adaptive technology and training for adaptive technology, mobility parking.
• National Disabled Students’ Association (NDSA) external on Facebook: This national organisation represents disabled students and aims to remove barriers facing them within the tertiary education space. NDSA regularly posts information, advice and opportunities to their Facebook page.
• ACHIEVE external: A national network, ACHIEVE works to ensure equal opportunity and access to post-secondary education and training for people with disabilities.

Adult learning support and resources

• Te Pou external: A national workforce centre, Te Pou collaborates with disabled people, whānau and the New Zealand workforce to invest in skill and leadership development. They also create resources that build the values, knowledge and skills needed to uphold the rights of disabled people.

Education support networks and resources

It can also be useful to seek out support networks, like parents or caregivers with similar experiences or educators or therapists who are creating regular content for specific disabilities.

• Education at Parent to Parent external: Operating a network of more than 600 specially-trained volunteer support parents, Parent to Parent connects those parents to families new to disability needs. Each family is connected to a support parent whose child has the same or similar disability. They also offer training programmes designed for families and whānau, and delivered by specially trained facilitators.
• Social channels: Social media can amplify voices of disabled people, and educators or therapists working in the disabled community. By searching the social channel of your choice, you can find stories and understand the lived experience of disabled people. Follow ones you find most useful to receive regular content.