SDN Beranga: early education service for children with autism spectrum disorders in Western Sydney
This Project was funded by the State of NSW as represented by Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Human Services. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Human Services.
SDN Children’s Services, in partnership with Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), will be opening a new early education centre and outreach services for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) living in Greater Western Sydney.
What is SDN Beranga?
SDN Beranga is a project developed by SDN Child & Family Services (SDN) and Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect). Beranga is an Aboriginal word in the local Dharug language meaning ‘we belong’. SDN Beranga will provide a comprehensive long day care service incorporating the following two key components, a ‘lighthouse centre’ in Rooty Hill and 13 satellite centres, enabling greater flexibility in meeting individual child and family needs.
The service is being funded by the NSW Department of Human Services, Ageing, Disability & Home Care (ADHC) as part of their broader commitments to supporting children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
SDN Beranga will be a demonstration, autism-specific service that integrates early childhood intervention and mainstream early childhood education. We will offer a comprehensive and flexible approach to early childhood education and early childhood intervention for young children with an autism spectrum disorder and their families.
SDN is building a long day care centre in Rooty Hill (the lighthouse centre) that will cater for 24 children with an autism spectrum disorder per day. The children will be aged from 2–6 years.
We will also work in partnership with 13 selected child care centres operated by a range of providers (satellite centres). These centres will be in Cumberland/Prospect, Inner West, Nepean and South West Sydney areas. The satellite centres will be supported to develop autism-specific practices.
SDN Beranga staff will include: early childhood educators, a special educator, a psychologist, speech pathologist, social worker, occupational therapist, cook, service manager and a centre administrator.
Our model will be built on three layers of practice:
- high-quality early childhood education and care practices
- evidenced based best practice early childhood intervention strategies
- comprehensive autism-specific approaches.
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Who is SDN?
SDN is one of Australia’s most experienced and trusted leaders in children’s services, setting the standard for early education and care. We are a not-for-profit organisation putting children first and investing any surplus in the quality of our centres and programs.
At SDN we are passionate and committed, inclusive and innovative. We employ staff from a diverse range of backgrounds with wide-ranging professional skills and experience. Since we opened our doors in 1905, we have championed the rights of all children to have access to affordable care and education, and we have long been at the forefront of early childhood education.
Who is Aspect?
Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) is the country’s largest not-for-profit autism specific service provider with a vision to overcome the isolation of autism. Our mission at Aspect is to build confidence and capacity with people who have an autism spectrum disorder, their families and communities by providing information, education and other services.
Founded in 1966, Aspect’s evidence-based approach is designed to give people a greater capacity to succeed. Our values are to aim high, seek to understand and communicate clearly, to take personal responsibility, to inspire and innovate, show empathy and to make a difference.
What do you mean by the lighthouse centre and satellite centres?
The SDN Beranga lighthouse centre will be built and operated by SDN in Rooty Hill. The centre will be a demonstration centre for the most effective and established practices in the field of early childhood education for children with an autism spectrum disorder and their families.
The 13 satellite centres will be selected long day care centres spread across Greater Western Sydney. The satellite centres will be operated by a range of different child care providers. The satellite centres will be supported to implement high quality practices for children with an autism spectrum disorder, as demonstrated at the lighthouse centre. SDN Beranga staff will work with the satellite centres so that practices are adapted for use in the mainstream child care setting.
What will happen at the Lighthouse centre?
The SDN Beranga lighthouse centre will be for children up to (but not including) the age of six years and not attending school, who are diagnosed with, or suspected of having, an autism spectrum disorder and/or undergoing diagnostic processes. The lighthouse centre in Rooty Hill will operate 7.30 am–6.00 pm, 50 weeks per year, Monday–Friday. The staff: child ratio will be 1:4. Children will be required to enrol for a minimum of two days per week. This centre will be for children not already attending a mainstream child care or preschool service, or a Department of Education and Training early intervention support class, and where there are demonstrated significant barriers that prevent the child from attending a mainstream child care centre at the time of enrolment.
The lighthouse centre will allocate places to those children and families with the greatest need for support.
When will it start?
Satellite centres will start to become a part of SDN Beranga from July 2011. Information about satellite centres will be sent to everyone on the SDN Beranga register of interest database and on the SDN website.
I am a service provider — how can I help families to get into SDN Beranga?
The best way to help families is to help them to contact the SDN Beranga Register of Interest line on 9213 2413.
What will happen next?
Centres can register their formal expression of interest by completing the brief application form and faxing the completed form to (02) 98972861.
Applications will then be shortlisted and those shortlisted services contacted.
Downloadable version of the above Q & A
For more information on enrolment please call SDN on 9213 2413.
