DOCUMENT 1

EC Early childhood intervention

supports guide (EC Guide)

SGP KP Publishing

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SGP KP Publishing – EC Early childhood intervention supports guide (EC Guide)

1 Recent updates …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

2 Before you start …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

3 The draft budget and early childhood intervention …………………………………………………. 6 3.1 Overview for determining early childhood intervention supports…………………………………. 6

4 Introduction to the Early childhood intervention supports guide (EC Guide) …………… 8 4.1 A base level of early childhood intervention …………………………………………………………….. 8 4.2 Early childhood intervention to support early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 4.3 Early childhood intervention to support transition to school ……………………………………….. 9 4.4 Total amount of early childhood intervention ……………………………………………………….. 10

5 The EC Guide ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11 5.1 Table 1: 1 area requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention and 1 requiring medium to low …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11 5.2 Table 2: 1 area requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention and 2 to 3 requiring medium to low ……………………………………………………………………………………. 11 5.3 Table 3: 2 areas requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention and up to 3 requiring medium to low ………………………………………………………………………………. 12 5.4 Table 4: 3 areas requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention and up to 3 requiring medium to low ………………………………………………………………………………. 12 5.5 Table 5: 4 or more areas requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13

6 NDIS intensive early childhood intervention support …………………………………………. 14 6.1 Decision-making criteria for funding intensive early childhood intervention supports …… 14 6.1.1 Table 6: Example guidance for intensive early childhood intervention supports ……………………. 16

7 Funding periods ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18

8 Using NDIS early childhood intervention supports …………………………………………. 19

9 Early childhood intervention typically reduces over time …………………………… 20

10 Next Steps ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21

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When we say early childhood intervention supports, we mean Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood which is an NDIS support we fund in NDIS plans for children younger than 9.

This article provides guidance for a planner delegate and review officer to understand:

the draft budget and early childhood intervention
how to use the Early intervention supports for early childhood guide (EC Guide)
early childhood intervention supports at an intensive level.

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1 Recent updates

7 April 2026

Article name change – previously EC Early intervention supports for early childhood guide (EC Guide)
Additional guidance for determining early childhood intervention support
Added guidance and link to National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention
Decision making criteria for funding intensive early childhood intervention supports
PEC case question age range changed to younger than 9

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2 Before you start

You have read and understood:

article EC Early childhood intervention supports overview
article EC Understand the key worker role in the delivery of early childhood intervention supports
article Understand and update the plan conversation support tool
article EC Interpreting provider reports and recommendations
Our Guideline – Reasonable and necessary supports (external)
Our Guideline – Mainstream and community supports (external)
Our Guideline – Creating your plan (external)
Our Guideline – Early childhood approach (external)

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3 The draft budget and early childhood intervention

In PACE, the draft budget is developed based on:

the Typical Support Package (TSP) for first plans. This considers information gathered within the Community Connections case, and the additional cases required to apply for the NDIS.
a replication of the previous plan budget for plan reassessments.

The draft budget includes funding for early childhood intervention supports which is an NDIS support in the support category Capacity Building - Improved Daily Living.

A planner delegate will need to review the draft budget against the support needs of the child and the reasonable and necessary criteria to determine whether an adjustment needs to be made. Planner delegates can use the EC Guide below to help determine a reasonable and necessary amount of support.

For information on what is early childhood intervention, read article EC Early childhood intervention supports overview.

Occasionally, in addition to early childhood intervention supports, other NDIS supports may be required in some children’s plans. For example:

To support families to sustain their caring role refer to EC PEC – Carers – Sustaining informal supports.
For Assistive Technology refer to Add or update capacity building assistive technology (AT) supports in a plan approval case.
For disability related health supports refer to Understand disability related health supports – capacity building supports.
For behaviour supports where there are actual or likely restrictive practices, or where there are significant risks to the child or others and implemented strategies are not effective, refer to article Understand behaviour support and EC PEC – Capacity building – Regulated restrictive practices.
For supports in relation to personal care in state and territory government schools or school transport, read article Guide – In-kind and Add or remove in-kind supports.

3.1 Overview for determining early childhood intervention supports

It’s important to think about all the available information when making decisions about the amount of early childhood intervention supports that will be included in an NDIS plan. This includes information from:

the child
the child’s family
providers and any other professional reports

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any previously accessed supports, including those funded through the NDIS, privately, or by other government or community programs.

For first plans, look at any early childhood intervention supports the child has accessed in the past, regardless of how they were funded and consider the outcomes that were observed.

For plan reassessments, consider how previously funded NDIS supports have contributed to the child’s progress, built the family’s capacity and the outcomes that have been achieved.

This information can be used to identify a child’s strengths, areas requiring support, and support needs.

Whilst it’s important to consider family requests for early childhood intervention supports and provider information, the planner delegate may not be satisfied that the amount of NDIS supports requested meets all the reasonable and necessary criteria. Planner delegates base decisions on the individual needs of a child and consider the amount of NDIS supports that meet the reasonable and necessary criteria, taking into account the role of informal, community and mainstream supports. It’s crucial to remember that funding for NDIS supports in a plan isn’t based on an amount required for specific program models adopted by some providers, or provider quotes.

Once early childhood intervention supports funding is approved in a plan, the family can choose how to use the supports to best meet their child’s needs. They should be encouraged to choose a provider that delivers high-quality early childhood intervention aligned with the National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention (external). The provider should tailor supports to the family’s goals for their child and the child’s developmental needs. Read more about quality early childhood supports in Quality supports for children (external).

For guidance when determining an amount of early childhood intervention supports to include in a plan, a delegate can refer to the examples in the EC Guide below.

The Plan Conversation Support Tool (PCST) must be used for all new plans and plan reassessments regardless of the TSP confidence level to help adjust the draft budget. Make sure the total of the PCST budget matches the final budget in PACE. Read more about the PCST in article Understand and update the plan conversation support tool.

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4 Introduction to the Early childhood intervention supports guide (EC Guide)

The EC Guide in the next section provides some examples of how the amount of early childhood intervention NDIS support can be calculated. These examples:

suggest an amount of funding for NDIS support sufficient for the family to access appropriately qualified providers. These providers are expected to deliver early childhood intervention using a best practice approach, including the key worker model. Refer to article EC Understand the key worker role in the delivery of early childhood intervention supports.
are based on a fixed hourly rate for Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood - Early Childhood Professional from the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-2026. Allied health professionals need to claim at the rate for which they are funded.

Note: Reasonable and necessary decisions are always individualised and, whilst planner delegates can refer to the EC Guide, individual circumstances must always be considered. The examples in the EC Guide are based on a 12-month plan.

There are 6 tables in the EC Guide. Each table provides an example based on an identified number of developmental areas requiring a high and medium to low level of early childhood intervention for a child.

Each table includes an example of how an amount of funding for NDIS supports can be calculated for:

a base level of early childhood intervention
early childhood intervention to support early childhood education and care settings
early childhood intervention for transition to school (table 1-5)
OR early childhood intervention in the home and other natural settings (table 6).

4.1 A base level of early childhood intervention

A base level of early childhood intervention can be calculated based on how many developmental areas require a high versus medium to low level of early childhood intervention. Refer to article EC Early childhood intervention supports overview.

It’s important to check all available information when determining the level of NDIS support required. Some examples of places to find relevant information are provider reports, the Personal Environmental Circumstances (PEC) case or the Check In case.

Remember, funding for early childhood intervention is the NDIS support required in addition to that provided by informal, community and mainstream supports.

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4.2 Early childhood intervention to support early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings

When making reasonable and necessary decisions about early childhood intervention it’s important to think about whether a child is currently attending, or there are plans to attend, ECEC. This includes childcare, preschool, or similar settings. Refer to article EC PEC - Daily support (mainstream participation).

A planner delegate may determine that funding for early childhood intervention to support the child in the ECEC setting is required. Educators may need support to identify and implement strategies to maximise a child’s independence and participation in ECEC. Funding for early childhood intervention allows early childhood intervention professionals to help educators build their capability to support a child’s specific, individual needs.

For children attending ECEC:

The early childhood service is responsible for costs associated with the reasonable adjustments required to accommodate the child with developmental delay or disability. Read more in Our Guideline - Mainstream and community supports (external), section: Early childhood development.
Early childhood intervention to support the child’s participation in ECEC may be considered an NDIS support. Where funded, this should not be used for regular support directly to the child in the ECEC as that’s the responsibility of the ECEC service.

4.3 Early childhood intervention to support transition to school

Transitioning to school is a significant milestone for children and families. Children are more likely to experience a successful transition when the ‘team around the child’ work together. Read more about using a key worker model in article EC Understand the key worker role in the delivery of early childhood intervention supports.

A planner delegate may determine that funding for early childhood intervention to support a child’s transition to school is required. This is typically included for the half year leading up to school commencement and extending through the first term once the child has started school. This helps ensure supports are in place to help with the child’s inclusion into their new educational setting.

Families may use this funding for providers to work collaboratively with their child’s educators. This may include attending meetings, developing a transition plan, sharing strategies to support the child’s participation, observing the child in the school environment, and problem-solving with educators as challenges arise.

When a child’s plan reassessment date occurs during the transition to school period, a planner delegate might think about a pro rata amount of funding for this support to be allocated across two plans. Consideration can be given to using funding periods to make sure the funds are available at the time needed for transition.

The age at which a child can start school, and the compulsory schooling age can vary depending on the state or territory. The family may also choose to apply for an exemption to start their child later. Make sure the PEC case includes information about planned school entry date. Read more in Choosing a school and when to start (external).

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4.4 Total amount of early childhood intervention

Obtain a total amount of NDIS support for early childhood intervention by adding:

the base amount of early childhood intervention
if applicable, early childhood intervention to support early childhood education and care
if applicable, early childhood intervention to support transition to school

Remember:

The early childhood intervention in a plan is to support a child’s development and functioning in daily life and build a family’s capacity.
A child and family will likely benefit from a break from early childhood intervention across the course of a year. There are also likely to be natural breaks due to family commitments, illness or holidays. As such, a planner delegate may calculate support across 48 weeks of the year rather than 52.
Families and providers have the flexibility to choose to do shorter, more frequent sessions if this suits the child’s and family situation. Alternatively, they can do longer, less frequent sessions. This should be an agreement between the family and the provider based on the child and family needs.
NDIS support for provider travel may also be required for a child who lives in a remote or very remote area (Modified Monash Model, MMM 6/7). For more information refer to NDIS Pricing Arrangement and Price Limits (external).
If a child’s circumstances meet the criteria for a two year plan, funding for provider reports should be allocated once, rather than annually.

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5 The EC Guide

Important Note: This is a guide only. Planner delegates should exercise judgement when applying this to individual circumstances.

The examples in the tables below are a guide for an amount of NDIS support for early childhood intervention a planner delegate might include in a participant’s plan, according to their individual support needs.

5.1 Table 1: 1 area requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention and 1 requiring medium to low


Early childhood intervention: including a key worker model	1 hour of fortnightly NDIS support for early childhood intervention across 48 weeks: 24 hours AND 2 hours for a provider report.
Early childhood education and care settings support	1 hour of NDIS support for early childhood intervention for a key worker for observations and 1 hour for a planning meeting per term: four terms within a 12-month plan, 8 hours.
Transition to school support	6 hours in total of NDIS support for early childhood intervention to support the child and family with transition to school. This support can include consultation, visits or meetings with the school. This is typically used across the two terms before, and one term after, the child starts school.

Example: A child who needs a high level of early childhood intervention for language and communication skills development and medium to low level for emotional development.

5.2 Table 2: 1 area requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention and 2 to 3 requiring medium to low


Early childhood intervention: including a key worker model	1 hour of weekly NDIS support for early childhood intervention: 48 hours AND 2 hours for a provider report.
Early childhood education and care settings support	1.5 hours of NDIS support for early childhood intervention for a key worker for observations and 1.5 hours for a planning meeting per term: four terms within a 12-month plan, 12 hours.
Transition to school support	6 hours in total of NDIS support for early childhood intervention to support the child and family with transition to school including consultation, visits or meetings, with school. This is typically used in the 2 terms before transition and one term after transition.

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Example: A child with a need for a high level of early childhood intervention for self-care skills and medium to low for language development, physical development and fine motor skill development.

5.3 Table 3: 2 areas requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention and up to 3 requiring medium to low


Early childhood intervention: including a key worker model	1 hour of weekly NDIS support for early childhood intervention: 48 hours AND Recognising there are two areas requiring high areas of need, 1 additional hour per month of early childhood intervention: 12 hours AND 4 hours for a provider report.
Early childhood settings support	1.5 hours of NDIS support for early childhood intervention for a key worker for observations and 1.5 hours for a planning meeting per term: four terms within a 12-month plan, 12 hours
Transition to school support	10 hours in total of NDIS support for early childhood intervention to support the child and family with transition to school including consultation, visits or meetings with school. This is typically used in the 2 terms before transition and one term after transition.

Example: A child with a need for a high level of early childhood intervention for physical development and self-care skills. The child also needs a medium to low level of early childhood intervention for social skills development.

5.4 Table 4: 3 areas requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention and up to 3 requiring medium to low


Early childhood intervention: including a key worker model	1 hour of weekly NDIS support for early childhood intervention: 48 hours AND Recognising the additional professional effort to support the number of developmental areas requiring a high level of support, 2 additional hours per month of early childhood intervention: 24 hours AND 6 hours for a provider report.
Early childhood settings support	2 hours of NDIS support for early childhood intervention for a key worker for observations and 2 hours for a planning meeting per term: four terms within a 12-month plan, 16 hours
Transition to school support	10 hours in total of NDIS support for early childhood intervention to support the child and family with transition to school including consultation, visits or meetings, with school. This is typically used in the 2 terms before transition and one term after transition.

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Example: A child needing a high level of early childhood intervention for physical development, self-care skills, and language and communication. They also need a medium to low level of early childhood intervention for social skills development.

5.5 Table 5: 4 or more areas requiring a high level of NDIS support for early childhood intervention


Early childhood intervention: including a key worker model	1 hour of weekly NDIS support for early childhood intervention: 48 hours AND Recognising the additional professional effort to support the number of developmental areas requiring high level of support, 3 additional hours per month of early childhood intervention: 36 hours AND 6 hours for a provider report.
Early childhood settings support	2 hours of NDIS support for early childhood intervention for a key worker for observations per term and 2 hours for a planning meeting per term: four terms within a 12 month plan, 16 hours
Transition to school support	10 hours in total for NDIS support for early childhood intervention to support the child and family with transition to school including consultation, visits or meetings, with school. This is typically used in the 2 terms before transition and one term after transition.

Example: A child needing a high level of early childhood intervention for communication, social skills, self-care skills and physical development, and some medium to low early intervention supports need with cognitive development.

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6 NDIS intensive early childhood intervention support

In exceptional circumstances, a child and family may need an amount of NDIS supports for early childhood intervention, which is greater than an amount typically calculated using Table 5. When this occurs, we refer to the support as intensive early childhood intervention supports. When an amount of early childhood intervention supports is greater than 130 hours in a 12 month period, it is described as intensive.

Note: The National Guideline for supporting the learning, participation, and wellbeing of autistic children and their families in Australia (external) (Supporting Autistic Children Guideline) provide the following guidance regarding intensive supports:

More support does not consistently lead to better outcomes for a child and family.
Support provided should not take away from the natural role of families and other children in the child’s life.
The amount of support provided should consider a child’s right to play, have time to relax and participate in recreational activities.

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A plan which includes intensive early childhood intervention supports typically goes for 12 months, followed by a plan reassessment to review outcomes and determine further needs. Funding can be distributed across funding periods on a pro rata basis when intensive early childhood intervention supports are needed for a limited period within plan duration. For example, intensive early childhood intervention supports may be required during the child’s preschool year and no longer indicated once they’ve transitioned to school.

When a family or a provider requests a second year of intensive supports, look at the provider report carefully to see whether there are outcomes that have made a significant difference to the child’s independence and participation. If the support has been received already for a significant period such as 12 months, it is important to consider whether the child has made progress to help determine:

if further intensive support will likely be effective
if further support is needed if progress has already been significant.

When determining this it is also important to consider any changes in mainstream participation, like commencing school.

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7 Funding periods

When including funds in the plan, it is important to consider how the needs of the child and the family may fluctuate over the duration of the plan. There will be instances where more support is required earlier in the plan, and where this is the case, the planner delegate should make sure a higher proportion of allocated funds are included in the first funding period. If the funding is not used in the first period, funds will roll over.

For example: If a child will transition to school during the plan period and funding to support transition to school is included, this should be available in the first funding period or the equivalent of 6 months prior to school commencement date. Similarly for children attending or transitioning to ECEC, a higher amount of funding may be needed in the first funding period to be used flexibly across the plan. For more information refer to article Understand funding periods.

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8 Using NDIS early childhood intervention supports

The examples in the EC Guide are based on a child’s NDIS support needs and included in a plan at the rate for Early Childhood Professional in the NDIS price guide in the support category Capacity Building - Improved Daily Living. Once a plan is approved, funding can be used flexibly within the same support category. For example, to access early childhood intervention provided in a group setting and/or therapy assistance guided by an allied health professional. The funding for NDIS supports needs to be used in line with the intent of the NDIS plan, to support progress towards plan goals, and this should be communicated to families.

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9 Early childhood intervention typically reduces over time

A child’s developmental delay or disability NDIS support needs usually change over time. It’s reasonable to expect that for most children, the amount of early childhood intervention supports in their plan will reduce over time as they develop skills and benefit from NDIS supports alongside informal, mainstream and community supports.

In addition, their families will also have built their skills in supporting the child’s individual needs. This includes when intensive early childhood intervention supports is funded. Intensive early childhood intervention supports funding is intended to be time limited. It’s important that families understand that funding for early childhood intervention supports usually reduces over time and the reasons for this.

Plan reassessments are an opportunity to think about:

information from families to see if a child’s support needs have changed
provider information about the child’s current functional abilities
outcomes of capacity building support provided
current mainstream and community participation.

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10 Next Steps

Consider changing the draft budget if required. Refer to article Change the draft budget.

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