Parent and Child Service

The Red Boots Parent and Child service provides a comprehensive intervention appropriate to the age, ability and special needs of the children and leads to the development of motor, communication, social and cognitive skills using an active learning approach.

The Parent and Child service aims to:

Help families understand their children’s particular needs;
Introduce children and their families to the basic skills young children need to acquire and show them how to work together to achieve these skills;
Develop children’s motivation, co-operation, activity and independence;
Help parents to find ways of encouraging their child’s motor development, for example, active movement or the use of hands in playing;
Advise parents of appropriate techniques and toys to encourage the development of social and play skills;
Provide advice and support on the management of daily activities and routine;
Provide opportunities to meet other parents of children with similar special needs;
Help parents prepare their child for the most appropriate early years education.

The Parent and Child service offers continuous placements for children from birth to three years and their parents/carers/families. The duration of the sessions is usually between one and two hours, and children may attend once or twice a week according to their ages and abilities. In some cases individual sessions may be offered, often as a preparation for group work. Families who live outside practical travelling distance of the National Institute may be offered fixed term placements, attending daily for a week or more at a time.

Parent and Child placements are offered free of charge to families of children under three and are funded by the Foundation for Conductive Education through voluntary donations.