Building Skills. Independence. Participation.

Developmental Education is an individualised, evidence-informed approach that supports people with disability to develop skills, build independence and participate more fully in everyday life and their community.   Developmental Educators work collaboratively with people with disability, their families and other professionals to understand the person's strengths, functional needs, environment and goals.  Rather than focusing on a diagnosis alone, Developmental Education considers the whole person and the factors that may affect their participation, independence, and quality of life.

Individualised Support for Neurodevelopmental Needs

Learning and Educational Therapy Services (L.E.T.S.) provides individualised, evidence-informed support, assessments and reports for people with neurodevelopmental conditions.


Led by Developmental Educator Melinda Ferguson, L.E.T.S. takes an individual approach to understanding each person's strengths, functional needs, environment and goals. Support is designed to build skills, increase independence, address barriers and encourage greater participation at home, in educational settings and within the community.


L.E.T.S. works with Plan Managed and Self Managed NDIS participants with appropriate funding, as well as privately funded clients.

What Does a Developmental Educator Do?

Developmental Educators are university-qualified disability professionals who work collaboratively with people with disability to promote inclusion, participation, independence and quality of life.


They draw on developmental, behavioural, learning and social theories and work from a human-rights framework that recognises the person's right to full and equal participation in their community and society.


Their work can include assessing the person and their environment, collaborative planning and goal setting, evidence-informed skill development, supporting life transitions, behavioural and developmental strategies, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy, community education and capacity building.


The focus is not on doing things for a person, but on developing skills, strategies and capacity while identifying and addressing environmental and attitudinal barriers that may limit participation.

Developmental Education support for children, young people and adults

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Developmental Education

Individualised support focused on developing skills, independence, capacity and meaningful participation in everyday life.

Practical strategies to support organisation, planning, routines, attention, problem-solving and greater independence in everyday life.

Executive Functioning

Collaboration

Working with participants, families, Support Coordinators, schools and allied health professionals to support consistent strategies and meaningful outcomes.

How Developmental Education Can Help

Communication

Practical communication and social skills for everyday interactions and participation.

Independence

Skills, strategies and confidence for greater independence.

Skill Building

Evidence-informed approaches to develop meaningful functional skills.

Emotional Regulation

Strategies to recognise, understand and manage emotions and responses.

Life Transitions

Skills and strategies for changes in routines, environments and stages of life.

Community Inclusion

Building capacity and addressing barriers to participation and inclusion.

An Individualised Approach

Understand

Explore the person's strengths, functional needs, environment, goals and barriers.

Plan

Collaboratively establish meaningful goals and develop practical, individualised strategies.

Build

Use evidence-informed approaches to teach skills, develop strategies and build capacity.

Progress

Monitor outcomes and adapt strategies as the person's needs, circumstances and goals evolve.

Assessment, Not Diagnosis

Melinda provides pre-assessments for neurodevelopmental disorders, including Autism, ADHD and Specific Learning Difficulties.


Pre-assessment can help identify strengths, areas of difficulty and indicators that may warrant further investigation, while also helping to inform appropriate supports, strategies and next steps.   A pre-assessment is not a formal medical or clinical diagnosis and has no diagnostic or legal standing on its own; it cannot be used to access government-funded services, school accommodations or formal supports.


L.E.T.S. does not provide a formal diagnosis of Autism, ADHD or other neurodevelopmental disorders. Where a formal diagnosis is required, this must be completed by an appropriately qualified diagnostic professional.

Working Together

With the individual's consent, Melinda can collaborate with families, carers, Support Coordinators, schools and other professionals. This can help build the capacity of the people around the individual and support strategies and skills to be applied across different environments and everyday situations.

An Individualised Approach

Use evidence-informed approaches to teach skills, develop strategies and build capacity.

Progress

Understand

Monitor outcomes and adapt strategies as the person's needs, circumstances and goals evolve.

Plan

Collaboratively establish meaningful goals and develop practical, individualised strategies.

Build

Explore the person's strengths, functional needs, environment, goals and barriers.

Plan

Understand

Build

Collaboratively establish meaningful goals and develop practical, individualised strategies.

Progress

An Individualised Approach

Use evidence-informed approaches to teach skills, develop strategies and build capacity.

Monitor outcomes and adapt strategies as the person's needs, circumstances and goals evolve.

Explore the person's strengths, functional needs, environment, goals and barriers.

Practical Skills for Everyday Life

Depending on the individual's needs and goals, L.E.T.S may involve developing skills and strategies around:

Daily routines and organisation

Personal independence

Communication and social interaction

Planning and decision-making

Managing money

Meal planning and preparation

Using public transport

Accessing the community

Emotional regulation

Building and maintaining relationships

Preparing for employment or further education

Navigating changes and life transitions

Self-advocacy and choice

The emphasis is on building the person's skills and capacity rather than simply completing everyday activities on their behalf.

Ready to Get Started?

If you're looking for practical, individualised support to build skills, independence and participation, contact L.E.T.S. to discuss whether Developmental Education may be suitable.