Early intervention for your child

The federal government just newly announced the ‘Thriving Kids’ program that will run outside of the Early Childhood Intervention program. This new program will be available for children who have undiagnosed disability and may not require the NDIS long term. Children who are diagnosed will still be eligible for the NDIS should they require it. But given the announcement was made with a start date of July 2026, we can only wait for more updates from both the Federal Government and the NDIA. 

Young child pointing

It's a huge responsibility, caring for a child. Whether it's the first one or a new sibling. Whether it's by birth or by another avenue. A child is fun; a child is frustrating. It's great and scary and everything in between. 

When a child has disability, it can amplify everything. Whether it is intellectual/learning, neurological, physical, sensory, psychosocial, speech or other disability. This is where early intervention comes in. 

Early intervention may only be needed for a short time. It doesn't always continue into an NDIS plan. 

It is generally for a child who requires specialist services for longer than 12 months. 

Specialist services are provided by allied health professionals conducting developmental/functional assessments to determine needs and recommend the right supports. It aims to help the child develop essential skills and participate more fully in everyday life. A child health nurse, early childhood educators and teachers will also need to be a part of the request for early intervention. Parent or Carer reports will also need to be submitted. 

For support in early intervention to meet the requirements, they have to be NDIS approved supports -. 

Check out what the NDIA believes to be Reasonable and Necessary here

Neither early intervention nor the NDIS were ever designed to be a 'one size fits all'. The funding is allocated with the participant’s needs and goals in mind. 

So even if you do know five others with early intervention funding, chances are slim that they will receive the same as your child, because the needs and goals will never be the exact same. Every child’s journey is unique. It is important to remember this. 

And you’ve probably heard it before: 'It takes a village to raise a child.' In NDIS terms, some of these will be informal supports. It is the help provided by family, friends, neighbours and the community, who are not paid but play an important role in the child’s wellbeing. 

Definitely, it is important to speak out and advocate for your little treasure. But most of all, don't forget yourself. Don't say you're fine when you're having trouble. It's hard to ask for help, but it's much harder to get help if you don't ask.