Child Development Services
If your child has a disability or isn’t achieving developmental milestones, Child Development Services (CDS) can help. Find out more about what services they provide and how to access them.
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What are Child Development Services?
Child Development Services are a team of allied health professionals, with expertise in:
- Physiotherapy
- Speech Language Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Psychology
They provide community-based support and will work with you and your child to support their achievement of development goals.
Services they provide include:
- specialist assessments for your child
- delivery of therapy-based support
- working with other agencies to ensure your child gets the right support at the right time.
How to access Child Development Services
You will need a referral to access Child Development Services. This can be done via a number of routes, for example; through your local GP, your Well Child nurse or other health specialist, Needs Assessment Service Coordination, other DSS contracted health and disability services, Ministry of Education funded allied health services, Oranga Tamariki. They are also the people to talk to for more information about services available in your region.