Fiona Holder has the wisdom of her own lived experience. Caring for her much loved autistic children, she has gone on to support and advocate for families going through similar circumstances. While caring for children with additional needs has its own unique set of challenges, it also brings rewards- love, connection, understanding, community, togetherness. Fiona believes that the PlayConnect+ program offers this and more. She wishes she had access to PlayConnect+ when her children were young and now hopes that she can create opportunities for families to be part of a local group.

Fiona shares more about how and why PlayConnect+ is something she cares deeply about in her role as both facilitator and parent.

How long have you worked with PlayConnect+ playgroups? Have you always worked in the early years space?
I have been facilitating PlayConnect+ playgroups for five years. I became a PlayConnect+ facilitator because I have three autistic boys with various other diagnosis. I really struggled in the early stages of diagnosis and the pathway for funding. It has always been so important for me to advocate, assist others to advocate and to give back to families in the early stages of their journey, now that I am much stronger in mine. Prior to my children I had a career as a Sales Executive – predominately across the beauty and fragrance industry.

What makes PlayConnect+ playgroups unique?
The PlayConnect+ program provides a safe non-judgmental space that supports children with disability or delays at their own pace. We create a space for families to engage, share stories and offer peer support. We offer linkages to services that will support the pathway to diagnosis, the NDIS and beyond.

I think of our program and the staff that support it as a soft place to land in what is a very uncertain time – the start of their child’s big life journey. 

What can families expect at a PlayConnect session?
We are a structured playgroup that is supported with many tools families may have been exposed to within a therapy session. For example, Visual Schedules, First and Then Schedules to support what’s happening next, Time Timers to support transitioning between activities and tasks. Mat time, where we sing together, is often supported with Key Word Sign. We snack together as a group to support the transition to kinder. I often think of PlayConnect+ as a filler program for families at the start of their journey, they may not necessarily have engaged in therapies yet. We are not a therapeutic provider however we use a lot of the same tools to support children with disability and or developmental delays for best possible outcomes.

What benefits do children gain from attending PlayConnect+ playgroups?
PlayConnect+ is a safe space that is supportive and makes adjustments to support a child’s individual needs and sensitivities at any developmental stage.

What benefits do parents and carers gain connecting with, and taking part in, PlayConnect+ playgroups?

PlayConnect+ promotes a sense of belonging, a community of like-minded families navigating a similar but different journey in a non-judgmental environment. Our families share information and offer peer support. I had a mother tell me recently that some weeks PlayConnect+ is the only time they connected with another adult aside from their partner all week.

Why are the early years such a significant time in life? Why is this time particularly important for children with disability, developmental concerns and chronic conditions?
The early years and the interventions that support children with disability, developmental concerns and chronic conditions is such a crucial time. Early years programs have the ability to change a child's developmental pathway and improve outcomes for children and their families.

In what ways does the PlayConnect+ community support families with diagnosis and additional care?
PlayConnect+ supports families with their pathway to diagnosis and links the families to services that support First Steps Applications to the NDIS.  We link families to a variety of services, for example: paediatricians, early intervention allied health practitioners, family support services, Centrelink payment options disability support and advocacy services. We also link families with services that provide workshops and webinars to support the initial stages of their child’s journey and beyond.

Do you assist to link families with other support services?
I have strong relationships with service providers, early childhood educators and the local specialist school. We have a two-way referral service with our therapy providers and kindergartens we work with. This can be so helpful for families, knowing their child(ren) have 360 degrees of support throughout their services.

PlayConnect+ is a shared program, for both child and parent/carer. Other members of the family, such as siblings, are welcome to attend. In what ways does this holistic approach help the whole family? What positive outcomes do you observe in your role as a facilitator?
This holistic approach ensures that families will be able to engage and participate in the PlayConnect+ program. The positive outcomes that I have witnessed regarding this approach are things such as families have said that if siblings were not welcome, the enrolled child would miss out on accessing the program. By additional parents or carers being able to attend, they are able to witness and learn additional skills that assist modelling play, keyword sign and transition support and so forth, to support their child more confidently at home. The open nature of PlayConnect+ has also meant that some siblings have also been linked to services to access additional supports, funding and diagnosis.

In what ways does PlayConnect+ nurture the wellbeing of the family unit?
While technically PlayConnect+ is a program to support the development and wellbeing of children, it supports the whole family. The sessions are two hours a week where parents and carers can relax and engage with their child/ren in a variety of targeted activities, while having a cuppa and a chat with other parents and carers. Families say that while they originally attended for their children they personally get as much out of coming: “It is as much for me as my children”. Lifelong connections are forged at PlayConnect+.

In what ways does PlayConnect+ support relationship building? How do playgroup facilitators create a safe space for families to relax, play and get to know each other without judgement?
From very early on in the PlayConnect+ journey, parents feel a sense of belonging, they feel safe to disclose personal information about their child, their diagnostic journey, their grief around their child’s diagnosis. Facilitators create the safe space so that families can appropriately share and disclose, generally over a cuppa. We encourage these connections within the space but also in the private messenger group and in additional parent and child catch-ups during times of closure during the holidays.

What do you love about working with families and children in the early years?
Pre-school aged children are amazing, so much change happens in a child’s development and capacity during the early years, it’s especially rewarding within the PlayConnect+ space. It is such a privilege to work with and support these children and families during the most vulnerable time in their child’s life. We get a front row seat to children building their capacity and learning new skills which will carry them forward into the next stage of their journey.

What are some of your favourite playgroup memories over the years?
I always love reflecting at the end of a semester or the end of year, thinking back to all the amazing developmental milestones that children have started to reach. In my time as a facilitator, I have been privileged enough to witness children without verbal communication start to use words or commence speech devices that give the child a voice. Children with mobility issues commence crawling and then walking. Children that struggle socially start to play side by side, or children that become dysregulated or heightened in certain situations start using tools or strategies to regulate themselves, alongside the support of their parent or carer to redirect them for a successful outcome.

What hopes do you have for PlayConnect+ in future years to come?
My hopes for PlayConnect+ is that both the federal and state governments will continue to invest in this amazing program, to the extent that we will be able to open more sessions and support many more children and families in the future.

What if it is too hard for families to make it to in-person sessions? Are there other opportunities to connect and get involved?
If families can’t make to our in-person sessions I would highly recommend they join our PlayConnect+ online service. We deliver a similar program in ½ an hour, but in the comfort of your own home. Peer connections and personalised engagement is still at the heart of the session.

Learn more about PlayConnect+ playgroups and get in touch with a facilitator here: www.playgroup.org.au/playconnect/

Article by Sinead Halliday