Finding out about Autism. We often hear that people with autism are described as being “wired” differently. According to Autism New Zealand’s website, autism is a neuro-developmental condition that affects cognitive, sensory, and social processing. It is helpful to remember that, while there are some common traits that you may notice, every child with ASD is unique and different. 

Neurodiverse children are often overlooked especially in early childhood education where it can be hard to differentiate between children who have a specific issue and those who are just late in developing.

Finding out about Autism. We often hear that people with autism are described as being “wired” differently. According to Autism New Zealand’s website, autism is a neuro-developmental condition that affects cognitive, sensory, and social processing. It is helpful to remember that, while there are some common traits that you may notice, every child with ASD is unique and different. 

This week is Mental Health Awareness week - a good time to plan for mental wellness in our early childhood centres. With our youth struggling increasingly, and at an earlier age, with severe mental health issues, it is important to consider how their early childhood experiences can contribute to a happy outlook on life and help them build resilience and problem solving skills. Untreated anxiety places children at greater risk of poor performance at school, substance abuse and depression during adolescence.

New Zealand is a country that inspires families to be outdoors, enjoying the bounty of nature around us. Even in today’s society we have very different childhoods to those ten or even twenty years ago.