Grow Early Supports

20/02/2026

Great news for families in Melbourne's northern suburbs looking for after-school care!

20/02/2026

We just wanted to share this awesome article on neuroscience and emotional regulation from The Conversation. The article explores what strategies are and are'nt effective in supporting children (yep, those 80s strategies of punishing a dysregulated child are not evidence based) - with the research showing that calm connection, co-regulation, and consistent boundaries are far more effective in building emotional skills and resilience.

Worth a read (and sharing with your colleagues and families!)

Old-school parenting strategies like ‘go to your room!’ can often amplify the very behavior that parents want to correct.

26/01/2026

🌱FREE Term 1 Webinars – Bookings Now Open! 🌱

At Grow Early Supports, we’re offering 6 FREE online webinars this term for families and early childhood educators.

✔️ Completely free
✔️ All welcome
✔️ All booking links are live today

Our sessions share practical, evidence-informed strategies grounded in real-world early education settings and the home.
They support all young children, and may be especially helpful for families and educators supporting children with developmental delays, differences, or neurodivergent children.

🌿 For Early Childhood Educators

👉10 Feb | 6.30–7.30pm
Children’s Emotional Regulation – Education Curriculum Tools & Frameworks
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1981553440683?aff=oddtdtcreator

👉 24 Feb | 6.30–7.30pm
Understanding Children’s Challenging Behaviours (Part 1)
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1981563489740?aff=oddtdtcreator

👉 3 March | 6.30–7.30pm
Educator Strategies for Challenging Behaviours (Part 2)
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1981564548908?aff=oddtdtcreator

🌿 For Parents & Caregivers

👉17 Feb | 6.30–7.30pm
Emotion Co-Regulation Strategies to Support Your Young Child
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/emotion-co-regulation-strategies-to-support-your-young-child-tickets-1981552812805?aff=oddtdtcreator

👉 10 March | 6.30–7.30pm
Supporting Challenging Behaviours – Understanding Children’s Unmet Needs (Part 1)
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1981564804673?aff=oddtdtcreator

👉17 March | 6.30–7.30pm
Supporting Your Child’s Challenging Behaviours – Practical Plans (Part 2)
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1981565522821?aff=oddtdtcreator

🎟️ Free to attend, but registration is required on Eventbrite
💚 Please feel free to share with any families, colleagues, educators, and services who may find these helpful.

None

01/12/2025

Following our free webinar last week on teaching practical skills in your child's everyday routines like play, please see link for supported toy library sessions - thanks to ACD for this handy resource!

At ACD, we love sharing resources that make life easier for families. Supported Toy Library Sessions are a fantastic option for children with developmental delay or disability in Victoria.

These sessions offer:
🔹 A safe, welcoming space for play
🔹 Access to a wide range of toys designed to support learning and development
🔹 Staff who understand and support your child’s needs

Toy libraries make play affordable and inclusive, and they’re a great way to connect with other families.

📣 Tag a friend who would love to check out a supported toy library session!

💡 Find a participating toy library near you: https://ow.ly/ChEt50Xxnvn

20/11/2025

🌱 Behaviours of concern can feel really tough - for children and for the adults supporting them. We know that “kids do well when they can” (one of our favourite philosophies from Dr Ross Greene!), and that behaviour is NOT a child being “bad” - it’s communication. It’s your child letting you know that the expectations in that moment are bigger than what they can cope with.

We recently hosted sessions on using Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) to understand and respond to concerning behaviours, and if you’re interested in learning more, we’ve written a brand-new blog that explores:

✔️ What Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is
✔️ How to understand the message behind behaviour
✔️ Practical strategies to prevent concerning behaviours
✔️ How to respond safely and calmly in the moment
✔️ How to teach a new replacement skill
✔️ Links to excellent, free (FREE!) resources for families

🌿 Read the full blog here:

When a child is overwhelmed, unsure, or unable to express their needs, behaviour can become a way of communicating their needs. For neurodivergent children, these moments can happen more often due to sensory differences, difficulties with communication (including expressing needs, preferences and wo

13/11/2025

Really helpful information for families looking for swimming lessons this Summer!

🌊 VICSWIM is back this summer! 🌞

Inclusive, fun and affordable swimming lessons for kids aged 4–12 — including children with disability.

🏊‍♂️ Just $35 for 5 lessons
📍 170+ locations across Victoria
💜 Extra support available for children with disability
🎟️ Use a Get Active Kids voucher to make it free!

From beaches to pools, VICSWIM helps kids build water safety skills in a welcoming, inclusive environment.

🏊‍♀️ Registrations open on 12 November

Visit vicswim.com.au to register — spots fill fast❗

20/10/2025

🌿 Free Online Webinar for Families

Everyday routines like getting dressed, bath time, toileting, or mealtimes can be a wonderful opportunity to teach your child new skills that support their growing independence.

Join us for a free, practical and supportive webinar designed especially for caregivers of children aged 1–9 years with developmental differences or identified neurodivergence (e.g., Autism, ADHD), focused on 'Teaching Your Child in Everyday Routines'.

Presenter: Psychologist + Key Worker, Carolyne Jones
Date: Wednesday 19th November
Time: 630- 730 pm (AEST)
Location: Online - register here - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/teaching-your-neurodivergent-child-practical-skills-in-daily-home-routines-tickets-1813235800089?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Please share with anyone that you think might find this webinar helpful!

Free webinar designed for caregivers of young children seeking helpful information and teaching strategies to embed in everyday life

15/10/2025

We’re so excited to share that we’ll be presenting at the 2nd Annual NDBI Connections Conference next week!

This international conference is the first to focus solely on Naturalistic Developmental Behavioural Interventions (NDBIs) - bringing together researchers, clinicians, and practitioners from around the world to share the latest research, practical strategies, and innovations to support the translation of NDBI into everyday practice.

We’ll be presenting on 'Implementation of the Group Early Start Denver Model (G-ESDM) in early education and care settings' - exploring how this evidence-based approach can be adapted for group learning environments to support all learners.

Conference details are below:
- Dates: October 23–25 (100% online) + 6-month access and replay
- 27 speakers across a range of NDBI models
- Perks: New 2nd edition of the ESDM Manual + book bonuses

- Learn more & register:

View details for the NDBI Conference 2025 conference.

13/10/2025

Hi All!

We are running a free webinar for early childhood educators on supporting the inclusion and participation of young children with developmental differences or identified neurodivergence, such as Autism or ADHD. The webinar will include;
- What participation might look like for neurodivergent children
- Common barriers to participation in early education settings
- Developing strategies to support participation, including developing goals and classroom adjustments
- Working collaboratively with families and teams to support participation

Date and time: Wednesday 5th Nov. 6.30-7.30pm
Register here:

Free webinar designed for educators of young children seeking helpful information and tools to support meaningful participation

29/09/2025

Looking forward to making new connections and finding more community resources (such as continence specialists, community safety innovations, etc) at Melbourne Disability Connection Expo this Friday/Saturday 10am-4pm - great to see dedicated Quiet/Low Sensory time 10-11am both days and Parents Room available

VIC's largest FREE expo for people with disability, families and carers. See hundreds of service providers over two huge days.

04/09/2025

Here's a timely opportunity to hear expert speakers share knowledge about NDIS and your rights - Wednesday September 24th (recording to be shared on CYDA's YouTube channel, if you're unable to attend live)
https://events.humanitix.com/ndis-and-your-rights-self-advocacy-and-eligibility-reassessments-information-session?fbclid=IwY2xjawMmXDhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFyekxqWktVTzYwcGZpRVk2AR5HDkWdaii-mdojj_kLfGYY19cAc8dHbUQxlRaHwDH9XLmqb66DW6EAoea1yQ_aem_YO2DzkP_bQ7VHWRpWcqa-g

Join CYDA for a free online session on NDIS eligibility reassessments. Hear from community leaders and legal experts about the impacts and your rights.