Document 9
Release of NDIA Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Approach and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) report 26 February 2016
APPROACH
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What is in place to make sure the advice and referals the access partners give are consistent across the country? The access partner will draw on their specialised early childhood knowledge to determine appropriate supports for children with a developmental delay or disability. They will place great emphasis on supporting the child through existing local community mainstream services.
The NDIA-commissioned Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA) to develop best-practice guidelines for early childhood intervention. Early childhood intervention providers will use these guidelines to ensure best-practice approaches are applied consistently across the country.
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EVIDENCE
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- Who will the guidelines be used by and how? Early childhood intervention providers will use the ECIA best-practice guidelines to ensure best-practice approaches are applied consistently on a national basis.
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DIAGNOSIS/AUTISM
- Will this approach rely on a child receiving a diagnosis to receive support and services? The NDIS ECEI approach will help all children with developmental delay or disability
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and their families achieve better long-term outcomes through support services in their local community, regardless of diagnosis.
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Will children with autism receive 20 hours of intervention? Through the NDIS, all children and families are treated as individuals to ensure they receive the right support they need to meet their goals and aspirations.
In relation to early childhood early intervention, supports will vary according to the individual needs of the child and their family, regardless of diagnosis.
The access partner will use their professional judgement and expertise to ensure a child with a developmental delay or disability receives the appropriate supports for their individual circumstance.
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If a child is diagnosed with autism, what support will they receive? How is it determined? Not all children with a developmental delay or disability will achieve their goals through a uniform approach. They will differ, depending on their individual need, the length and type of intervention and how and where they are delivered.
The access partner will use their professional judgement to ensure all children with a developmental delay or disability receive the appropriate supports for their individual circumstances, regardless of diagnosis.
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At what point will children be diagnosed with autism or other disabilities? There is no specific point in the ECEI approach where a child needs to have a medical diagnosis to receive support. Access to the NDIS is not based on a medical diagnosis.
The design approach is based on functional assessment, not a medical diagnosis. While medical diagnosis may be important, it should not be the only consideration for a young child.
Good early childhood intervention approaches recognise that a developmental delay and/or learning disability can include numerous disorders. It is about the appropriate response obtained through the assessment of functional impact that needs to be the key focus.
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For the NDIS, diagnosis remains an informing aspect and it may be required for other systems such as health or education.
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Does the ECIA approach settle on an objective test for autism diagnoses? The ECEI approach will provide children and families with timely access to supports, without unnecessarily rushing to diagnosis.
The access partners will have the skills and expertise to determine the appropriate supports a child and their family need to meet their goals and achieve the best outcome.
Children identified as needing more long-term intensive supports will be directed to a specialist early childhood intervention provider.
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