Portage groups-what's it for?

[tiggersfamily]

We were referred to Portage by nursery senco as my eldest has suspected additional needs and speech delay (although he's talking very well now). We go to the group sessions but we are the only ones that turn up, it's perfectly pleasant and the boys enjoy just playing for an hour. But I don't understand the point(for want of a better phrase). The staff do chat to the boys and play with them, but that's it?

If you go to a portage group, what happens at them? Anyone know if this is the norm at these groups?

Anyone know?

A friend went to portage with her severely disabled LO for a few years. The social aspect with others who had kids wuth significant additional needs (which obvs you aren't getting!) was a big part of it for her. Later she trained to volunteer as a helper, and as she described it a big part of the role was modelling to the parents how to play with their kids in ways that were supportive for the kids' developmental needs.

It doesn’t exist in all counties - don’t have it in Beds x

More details here.

https://www.portage.org.uk/

I was Portage trained. It helped me us my child development knowledge to support children to make progress through setting small, achievable steps.

I went to portage when ds was on the autism pathway. It was a while back now . But we basically played. Mix of me playing with them and the portage workers . I think it was about seeing how they interact through play communication etc.