The Sunshine Early Stimulation Centre was recently opened for children from birth to five years.  The Centre is designed to provide a goal-oriented, time limited developmental and early intervention programme that enables children with disabilities to reach and maintain optimum levels of physical, intellectual, emotional and social functioning.

Children with disabilities often have problems with their sensory processing and this can affect the sensory experiences that are necessary for learning.  It is critical to understand the sensory organization of infants and children and to provide early intervention to help parents and caregivers to identify ways of interacting purposefully with their child. The infant with sensory motor challenges will have difficulty with purposeful, goal-directed movements, as well as social relationship building. 

As human beings we exist in a sensory world, a world of images, sounds, tastes and smells. As children we learn to explore this world through play. Through play we discover and interact with our environment to develop our sense of self.  We begin to understand our relationships with others and it is within these relationships that the infant and young child will organize their experiences. 

All of our interactions take place within a relationship beginning with the attachment relationship between the child and his/her primary caregiver. The baby who is talked to, cooed, and enveloped in a warm, nurturing environment will develop a sense of trust and will feel secure enough to explore and learn and to engage in the world in a constructive way.

 The Sunshine Early Stimulation Centre addresses the challenges faced by children with disabilities by introducing appropriate programmes and therapies associated with the child’s development.  The Centre also provides social work and family counseling and offers parents and families a fully supportive environment.

Early stimulation is a multi-disciplinary approach which seeks to focus on every aspect of the child’s day to day interactions and to facilitate independent living in each area.  The approach can include a number of therapies such as occupational and physical therapy to enhance the child’s physical and developmental functioning and to provide assistance in the areas of toileting, feeding and other daily occupations.

The Speech and language therapist focuses on developing the child’s verbal and no-verbal communication skills and the Art Therapist helps the child to develop a sense of identity through the creative arts.  Overall, the child is immersed in an exciting and stimulating setting where learning is fun.

It is critical that we embrace each child and give them the opportunity to reach their full potential.  It is also important that the perception of children with disabilities changes and we recognize the world of possibility locked within.  Early stimulation and intervention is no doubt the key to unlocking the potential within and moving towards a socially inclusive society where every child is valued.