Early support changed Nico’s future

How early autism support in Dunedin is helping one four‑year‑old thrive.

When you walk into Nico’s kindy in Dunedin, it doesn’t take long to spot him.​

He’s the four‑year‑old with a huge grin, a sparkle in his eye, and a communication board at his side. Tap, tap, tap – he hits “run, run, run” and the adults around him race across the playground while he laughs.​

You’d see a bright, cheeky boy who loves making people smile. A boy who’s starting life with confidence and support – instead of confusion and fear.​

But it hasn’t always felt this clear for his whānau.

“What do we do? Where do we get help?”

When Nico was around two and a half, his parents Sophie and James noticed that his speech development wasn’t following the same path as other children his age.​

He was a happy, cruisy kid – but something felt different.​

“We thought: What do we do? Where do we get help?” Sophie remembers.​

Like many parents of disabled children, they wanted the best for their son: to see him understood, supported, and given every chance to thrive, regardless of his disability. What they found instead were long waitlists, confusing information online, and a nagging fear that they might be “over‑reacting”.​

This is exactly the moment when the right support can change everything.

Finding CCS Disability Action in Otago

Because CCS Disability Action has a branch in Ōtepoti Dunedin, Sophie and James had somewhere local to turn when they needed help.​

After meeting with a medical professional, the whānau were connected with Bonnie Waters, an Early Intervention Teacher whose role exists, in large part, thanks to community support for CCS Disability Action’s work with young children.​

Bonnie quickly became a steady presence in their lives.​

She:

• Listened carefully to Sophie and James’ concerns

• Talked them through possible therapy and support options

• Helped them navigate the health and education systems

When it was time to investigate an autism diagnosis, she didn’t just send them a form to complete. Bonnie helped with the referral, explained what to expect, and even attended the assessment with them.​

“She made it really simple and really clear,” Sophie says. “If we didn’t go through CCS Disability Action, we probably wouldn’t have had a diagnosis as easily.”​

A diagnosis that brought relief – not fear

For Sophie and James, getting Nico’s autism diagnosis didn’t feel like a disaster.​

“It wasn’t a sad day at all for us,” Sophie says. “It was like… okay, awesome. Now we can find other ways to help him.”​

Because Bonnie had walked alongside them every step of the way, they understood what the assessment meant and what came next. There was clarity instead of confusion – hope instead of fear.​

When families get this kind of early, practical support, they don’t have to spend years battling systems on their own while their child misses out on help that could make a real difference.

Everyday life at kindy and at home

Today, Nico attends kindy two days a week, with support from Helen, a CCS Disability Action Education Support Worker.​

Helen helps make sure Nico can participate in the kindy day in ways that work for him. At the same time, Bonnie has been supporting the whānau to secure disability support funding, to help with the extra costs that come with raising a disabled child.​

Bonnie describes Nico as clever, cheeky, and a joy to be around. She’s loved seeing his communication blossom and has worked with his kindy teachers on play‑based strategies that support his learning and regulation.​

One of the most effective tools has been Nico’s core board – a communication aid with symbols and words he can point to when he wants to say something.​

“He’s really taken to that so well,” Bonnie explains. “He uses it to request what he wants or to make people do funny things. He likes to say ‘run, run, run’ and make adults around him run.”​

At home, Nico is now a proud big brother to baby Poppy. Sophie calls him “a chill dude” who loves adults and making up games with people, and who is getting better and better at playing with other kids.​

Life isn’t challenge‑free. Eating is still hard – Nico is very selective, and it’s tough to get a range of healthy foods into him – but with patience and ongoing support, the whānau are working through it.​

Sophie feels that having someone like Bonnie on their team has made all the difference.

“Bonnie’s always so happy to explain things in a way that doesn’t make you feel stupid,” she says. “She’s easy to communicate with and very understanding.”​

Why early family support matters

Nico’s story is just one example of the impact early support can have for disabled children and their whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand.​

When families get:

• Someone to listen and walk alongside them

• Help to navigate assessments and services

• Practical strategies for kindy, school and home

…they can move from years of uncertainty to understanding and action much sooner.​

At CCS Disability Action, early family support is about standing alongside tamariki and whānau – not telling them what to do. It’s about making sure disabled children are understood and supported at kindy and school, rather than being written off or left behind.​

How you can help more children like Nico

Work like this is possible because people across Aotearoa choose to back CCS Disability Action’s services in their local communities.​​

When you give to CCS Disability Action, you help:

• Fund early intervention roles like Bonnie’s in regions like Otago

• Provide education support workers like Helen so children can be included at kindy and school

• Make sure whānau aren’t left to navigate complex systems on their own

If you’d like to help more children like Nico get early support, you can donate online today.

Every gift, large or small, helps create a more inclusive Aotearoa where all tamariki – including disabled children – can belong, learn and thrive.