TOGETHER …
ADVOCATING FOR
ALL AUTISTIC PEOPLE

The Autistic Self Advocacy
Network Australia & New Zealand
www.asan-aunz.org

Committee Secretariat
House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care & Disability
PO Box 6021, Parliament of Australia Canberra ACT 2600 I Health.Reps@aph.gov.au

Wednesday 1 October 2025

Dear Committee Secretary,

Re: Submission to the Inquiry into the Thriving Kids Initiative

On behalf of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia and New Zealand (ASAN AUNZ), we are pleased to submit our response to the Inquiry into the Thriving Kids initiative.

We are united by a shared commitment to ensuring that early childhood disability supports in Australia are ethical, inclusive, and affirming of disability and neurodiversity as valid identities, not deficits to be corrected.

This submission addresses all aspects of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference. It outlines key concerns with the current framing of the Thriving Kids initiative and proposes a rights-based, evidence-informed framework for early supports that is trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, culturally respectful, and co-designed with autistic and disabled communities.

We welcome the Committee’s leadership in examining this important issue and would be pleased to provide further information or participate in public hearings if invited.

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this vital work.

Kind regards

redacted
Cheryl Koch
she/her
Chair
redacted

redacted
Alexandra Bignell
she/her
Deputy Chair
redacted

Submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability Inquiry into the Thriving Kids Initiative From the Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia & New Zealand (ASAN AUNZ)

Executive Summary

We represent the combined voices of Autistic people, their families and carers and are committed to ethical and inclusive early childhood supports. ASAN AUNZ’s members include researchers, health and allied health professionals, service providers, and allies. We recognise the Thriving Kids Initiative’s focus on children with developmental delay or autism as an important foundational support. However, we have serious concerns that the current approach of Thriving Kids may:

• Pathologise disability, treating autism and disability as problems to be fixed which can delay important diagnoses by focusing on deficits rather than recognising developmental differences¹.

• Promote interventions that is not aligned with trauma-informed or neurodiversity-affirming practices, potentially causing harm².

In this submission, we outline a rights-based, evidence-informed framework for early childhood supports. Our recommendations emphasise that all children have the right to timely, appropriate support that respects their dignity, identity, and culture. We address each Term of Reference and propose changes to ensure the Thriving Kids Initiative helps children thrive in truly inclusive, empowering ways.

In summary, we recommend that:

• Recommendation 1 - Co-design plain-language resources with Autistic people and people with disability that emphasise supporting, not “fixing”, children. Require transparency about benefits, risks, conflicts of interest, and gaps in evidence, with independent review.

1 Kasari, C. (2019). Time to rethink pre-emptive interventions for infants with early signs of autism spectrum disorder. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 3(9), 586-587. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30234-2

2 Leadbitter, K., Buckle, K. L., Ellis, C., & Dekker, M. (2021). Autistic self-advocacy and the neurodiversity movement: Implications for autism early intervention research and practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 635690. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.635690; Sandoval-Norton, A. H., Shkedy, G., & Shkedy, D. (2019). How much compliance is too much compliance: Is long-term ABA therapy abuse? Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1641258.

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• Recommendation 2 - Fund strengths-based, naturalistic, relationship-focused supports (including parent coaching) and avoid practices linked to trauma or masking. Define success by wellbeing, communication and participation, and mandate independent, conflict-free evaluation with ongoing harm monitoring.

• Recommendation 3 - Equip mainstream services (GPs, child health, childcare, playgroups, preschools) to include and support neurodivergent children and children with disability. Use place-based, cross-sector approaches that also address social determinants of health like housing, income and caregiver wellbeing. Ensure accessibility for families through flexible delivery (telehealth, weekend/evening options).

• Recommendation 4 - Partner with First Nations and CALD communities in design and delivery. Translate/adapt materials, support flexible access (telehealth, travel support), and prioritise community-led and self-determined approaches. Monitor uptake and close gaps so no group is left behind.

• Recommendation 5 - Set minimum standards and provide training in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, culturally safe and rights-based practice, backed by supervision/mentoring. Grow a diverse workforce, prioritising underserved regions. Embed autistic and disabled leadership and paid peer roles within delivery.

• Recommendation 6 - Anchor Thriving Kids in inclusive education and family-centred models, rejecting segregation/normalisation, and only adopt programs once independent, long-term evaluations confirm effectiveness and no net harm.

• Recommendation 7 - Adopt a “no wrong door” approach with shared planning and information (with consent) and navigator roles for families. Provide short-term transition supports and flexible eligibility so children don’t fall off service cliffs between systems or ages. Develop a Transition to School protocol, co-designed with families and autistic/disabled people, to ensure continuity.

ASAN AUNZ’s response to the Terms of Reference

We provide further detail on each point within the Terms of Reference below, along with evidence and examples. We urge the Committee to adopt a child-rights and neurodiversity approach so that every child, regardless of disability or background, can truly thrive.

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1. Evidence-Based Information and Resources for Parents

Parents and caregivers should have access to information that is accurate, accessible, and affirming. Early signs of developmental delay or autism can be hard for families to navigate, and we need to guide them with empathy and facts.

Key considerations include:

• Co-developed and trustworthy resources: It is essential that autistic people and disability advocates are involved in creating parent resources. This ensures the content is respectful and relevant. Resources must emphasise autism is a valid part of human diversity, not something to fear. When parents receive information framed positively, they can make informed decisions without stigma or panic.

• Plain language and practical tools: All materials (booklets, websites, checklists) must be in plain English and translated as needed, avoiding jargon. For example, when explaining terms, instead of “early intervention to target social reciprocity,” say “ways to help your child communicate and play.” Concrete, practical tips, like how to handle sensory sensitivities or communicate using visuals, empower parents more than technical descriptions.

• Transparency about interventions: Resources should give an honest and complete overview of common therapies and supports, including evidence of benefits and risks. It should be clear which therapies and supports rely on emerging evidence, where independent evidence is limited or does not exist, and what is known, and not known, about the whole of life impacts³. Many families are encouraged to pursue highly structured programs that focus on improving developmental test scores or reducing symptoms⁴. By contrast, more naturalistic, play-based and family-centred approaches emphasise building communication, relationships, and self-regulation in everyday routines.

3 Atherton G, Edisbury E, Piovesan A, Cross L. Autism through the ages: a mixed methods approach to understanding how age and age of diagnosis affect quality of life. J Autism Dev Disord. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05235-x; Takara K., Kondo T. (2014). Autism spectrum disorder among first-visit depressed adult patients: Diagnostic clues from backgrounds and past history. Gen Hospital Psychiatry, 36(6), 737-742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2014.08.004; Beck JS, Lundwall RA, Gabrielsen T, Cox JC, South M. Looking good but feeling bad: “Camouflaging” behaviors and mental health in women with autistic traits. Autism. 2020;24(4):809-821. doi:10.1177/1362361320912147

4 Sandoval-Norton, A. H., Shkedy, G., & Shkedy, D. (2019). How much compliance is too much compliance: Is long-term ABA therapy abuse? Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1641258. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2019.1641258; Kapp, S. K., Steward, R., et al. (2019). ‘People should be allowed to do what they like’: Autistic adults’ views and experiences of stimming. Autism, 23(7), 1782-1792. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319829628

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Parents and families deserve to know that some researchers and autistic adults have raised concerns about ABA’s focus on compliance and normalisation. One study warned that too much compliance training can harm a child’s emotional well-being. By contrast, newer approaches focus on communication and adaptation rather than trying to make the child “less autistic”. Parent guides should present this range clearly, so families can make informed decisions about supports that align with their values and their child’s best interests and needs.

• Conflict of interest disclosures: It’s important that any “evidence-based” claims in parent resources are vetted by independent experts. A 2021 review found high rates of conflicts of interest in autism intervention research, which can bias results⁵. Therefore, Thriving Kids should ensure that recommended reading or programs aren’t solely or inappropriately promoted by those who sell them. Independent reviews (for example by government health agencies or academic centers) should back up any endorsed resources.

• Positive, empowering messaging: Above all, resources must counteract the fear and confusion that parents often feel. This means highlighting success stories, pointing to support networks, and reinforcing that with the right support and love, autistic and developmentally delayed children can thrive. A strengths-based tone (“Here’s what your child can do, and how to build on it” rather than a list of “red flags”) is more helpful for families⁶. It also sets the stage for parents to become confident advocates for their children.

• Ethics, governance and neuro-affirming practice review: All Thriving Kids programs must be independently assessed to review whether:

  • the program’s evidence base, protocols, policy and practice meet appropriate ethical standards,
  • suitable governance processes are in place, including clear and transparent processes for raising and addressing complaints, and,

5 Bottema-Beutel, K., Crowley, S., Sandbank, M., & Woynaroski, T. G. (2021). Research review: Conflicts of interest (COls) in autism early intervention research—A meta-analysis of COI influences on intervention effects. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(1), 5-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13249; Sandbank M, Bottema-Beutel K, Crowley LaPoint S, Feldman J I, Barrett D J, Caldwell N et al. (2023) Autism intervention meta-analysis of early childhood studies (Project AIM): updated systematic review and secondary analysis BMJ 2023; 383:e076733 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-076733

6 Cross, M., & Kirton, M. (2022, August 28). The I Am, Movement designs “culturally safe” education resources for Indigenous children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-

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• neurodiversity-affirming practice is embedded and being achieved.

This information must be made publicly available so that potential participants, their families, carers and supporters, along with practitioners and professionals, can make informed decisions about being involved with or recommending programs.

Recommendation 1:

The Thriving Kids initiative should fund and disseminate a suite of parent guides, videos, and workshops that that are co-developed with autistic people and people with disability, easy to read and access, are transparent and checked for conflict of interest and disability and neuro-affirming. These should be developed in partnership with autistic adults, people with disability, families, and allied health professionals. Topics may include understanding early developmental differences, navigating the diagnosis process, tips for daily routines and play, where to find help (services, funding, community groups), and how to plan for kindergarten/school transition. By equipping parents with affirmative, evidence-based knowledge, we set up children for better outcomes and reduce the stress on families.

2. Effectiveness of Current and Past Programs (What Works & What Doesn’t)

Traditionally, early intervention programs have been judged mainly by whether they change a child’s developmental test scores or behaviour. We argue that ethical impact and long-term well-being are just as important measures of success. A program is not truly effective if it achieves short-term gains at the cost of a child’s mental health, or if it teaches a child to “mask” their autism in ways that cause anxiety.

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• Avoid Pathologising early differences: Some recent initiatives attempt to identify infants as young as 6-12 months who might be “at risk” of autism and start interventions to possibly reduce autistic traits. Leading autism researchers urge caution here. Intervening early, without clear benefit, can send a message that normal neurodivergent behaviors are wrong⁷. As Dr. Connie Kasari noted, trying to pre-emptively “prevent” autism may undermine an infant’s developing identity and parent-child bonding. Provide early support when needed, but it must not be about normalising the child, it should be about equipping the family to support that child.

• Questioning harmful methods: Some programs, including those following a strict behavioral therapy (ABA) model or are highly intensive and compliance focused, aiming to reduce “undesirable” behaviors (like hand-flapping, avoiding eye contact), which can delay appropriate diagnosis and supports by masking autistic traits. While such approaches may produce short-term behaviour change, lived experience and research indicate they can increase stress, encourage masking, and overlook wellbeing. Autistic self-advocates have likened intensive, long-term ABA to a form of trauma if it forces children to suppress their natural ways of communicating and soothing themselves. Indeed, one paper bluntly asked: “Is long-term ABA therapy abuse?” when compliance is over-emphasised⁸. Not all behavioral interventions are abusive, but these critiques highlight a need to shift our mindset; we should not ask how much a child can conform, but rather how we can best support the child’s growth and happiness⁹. Programs that focus solely on behavior change (sitting still, making eye contact, etc.) often miss the bigger picture of child development and mental health. Programs should focus on improving health, wellbeing and whole of life outcomes, over reduction in atypical behaviours or reduced diagnosis of autism or other forms of neurodivergence¹⁰.

• Strengths-based, family-centred models: Start with what the child enjoys and does well, and coach parents / caregivers to weave support into everyday routines at

7 Kasari, C. (2019). Time to rethink pre-emptive interventions for infants with early signs of autism spectrum disorder. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 3(9), 586-587. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(19)30234-2.

8 Sandoval-Norton, A. H., Shkedy, G., & Shkedy, D. (2019). How much compliance is too much compliance: Is long-term ABA therapy abuse? Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1641258. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311908.2019.1641258.

9 Schuck, R. K., Geng, A., Doss, Y., Lin, F., Crousore, H., Baiden, K. M. P., Dwyer, P., Williams, Z. J., & Wang, M. (2024). A qualitative investigation into autistic adults’ perspectives on intervention goals for autistic children. Neurodiversity, 2, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330241266718

10 Kerns, C. M., Newschaffer, C. J., Berkowitz, S., & Lee, B. K. (2017). Brief report: Examining the association of autism and adverse childhood experiences in the National Survey of Children’s Health: The important role of income and co-occurring mental health conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(7), 2275-2281.

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home, early learning and community settings. Goals should be co-designed with families (and, where possible, the child) and prioritise wellbeing, communication, including self-regulation, participation and autonomy rather than suppressing autistic and neurodivergent traits. Delivery should be flexible and culturally safe (home/community/telehealth), building caregiver confidence, and including clear informed consent with ongoing monitoring for distress and adjustments as needed. Advice should be informed by emerging evidence about what can be traumatic for neurodivergent children¹¹. Programs are independently evaluated with transparent conflicts-of-interest, and success is judged by meaningful life outcomes, not just symptom checklists.

• Holistic outcomes: Thriving Kids (and any program it funds) must define clear success with measures beyond just intellectual quotient (IQ), reduced diagnosis, cost savings or motor skills. Outcomes must include quality of life and include things like the child’s confidence and happiness, ability to communicate in their preferred way, engagement with family and community, and the family’s stress levels. If a program claims success, we want to see that children who went through it are doing well many years down the line, in school inclusion, friendships, education, employment, etc. This will likely require longer-term follow-up studies. It’s better to invest in approaches that build a strong foundation for life (like communication, emotional regulation, and self-advocacy skills) rather than those that might get a toddler to perform well in a controlled clinic setting but have no lasting benefit or even cause trauma that impacts them later in life.

11 Kalisch, L. A., Lawrence, K. A., Howard, K., Basu, S., Gargaro, B., Kypriano, K., Spencer-Smith, M., & Ure, A. (2025). Recommendations provided to families of neurodivergent children with histories of interpersonal trauma across two clinical assessment services within a major metropolitan children’s hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 18, 467-480. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-024-00684-9

Schuck, R. K., Tagavi, D. M., Baiden, K. M. P., Dwyer, P., Williams, Z. J., Osuna, A., Ferguson, E. F., Jimenez Munoz, M., Poyser, S. K., Johnson, J. F., & Vernon, T. W. (2022). Neurodiversity and autism intervention: Reconciling perspectives through a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention framework. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52, 4625-4645. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05316-x.

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• Independent evaluation and ethics: The effectiveness of potential Thriving Kids programs must be judged by independent evaluations. The submission review panel should beware of programs that are only backed by studies from the program’s own developers. Unfortunately, many autism interventions lack independent scrutiny¹². We refer to ASAN AUNZ’s review, “Facts about Inklings”, available at https://www.asan-aunz.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/asan_aunz_inklings_facts_sept_2025.pdf.

We support the use of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) together with qualitative feedback from families and autistic people to evaluate programs. Effectiveness isn’t just a number, hearing from parents “my child is happier and our family life improved” and from autistic adults “this approach would have helped me” are both valuable evidence to be considered¹³. All programs should be delivered under ethical guidelines and families must give informed consent, knowing the pros and cons, and children’s distress cues must be respected.

• Build trust with parents of neurodivergent children: The success of Thriving Kids will depend on it being trusted by parents and families of children with development delay, autism and other neurodivergences. Research shows they are statistically more likely to be autistic or neurodivergent themselves¹⁴. This creates unique challenges for government in gaining trust, as conventional engagement approaches have often been unsuccessful with these communities¹⁵.

Trust processes have been shown to differ for autistic people. For example, research indicates that autistic people are less likely to use facial expressions as cues in trust decisions, a pattern which may represent rational rather than deficient behaviour¹⁶.

12 Bottema-Beutel, K., Crowley, S., Sandbank, M., & Woynaroski, T. G. (2021). Research review: Conflicts of interest (COls) in autism early intervention research—A meta-analysis of COI influences on intervention effects. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(1), 5-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13249.

Lee J., Giwa Onaiwu, M., Boye, Y., Burks-Abbot, G., Brandsen, S., Laurenti, L., Logan, R., Richardson Malone, E., Tam, M., Wagar, S., Wardlow, D., & Roberts, M. Y. (2025). Guiding Principles and Research Priorities for Early Childhood Autism Therapy Research: Results of a Community-Engaged Project. Neurodiversity, 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330251338419

14 Losh, M., Adolphs, R., & Piven, J. (2011). The broad autism phenotype. In D. G. Amaral, G. Dawson, & D. H. Geschwind (Eds.), Autism spectrum disorders (pp. 457-476). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780195371826.003.0029

15 Pellicano, E., Dinsmore, A., & Charman, T. (2014). A future made together: Shaping autism research in the UK. Autism, 18(7), 756-771. https://doi.org/10.1177/136236131345145.

16 Ewing, L., Pellicano, E., & Rhodes, G. (2015). Using facial cues to judge trustworthiness in autism: Differential reliance on expressions and features. Autism Research, 8(5), 579-588. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1471.

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Further, autistic people have been shown to under-rely on perceived innocent intentions and to over-rely on negative outcomes when making trust judgments¹⁷. These factors highlight the importance of designing Thriving Kids communications and engagement strategies that are neurodiversity-affirming, transparent, and sensitive to these trust dynamics.

Recommendation 2:

Thriving Kids should endorse and fund programs that meet high standards of evidence, ethics, and alignment with neuro-affirming principles. This means favouring naturalistic, play-based interventions and parent coaching models that have shown positive outcomes and phasing out support for any practices shown to be harmful or widely disapproved by the neurodivergent and disabled community. When scaling up programs, build in evaluation mechanisms that track not just “outputs” (hours of therapy delivered) but real outcomes (child and family well-being, inclusion achieved). By redefining “effectiveness” in this more humane way, the initiative will lead the nation in shifting early childhood supports onto a more compassionate, scientifically sound path.

3. Community and Mainstream Engagement

Every community and mainstream service that touches the lives of young children, whether it’s a local health clinic, a playgroup, a daycare center, or a library storytime session, should be equipped to include and support children with differences whether developmental delays, autism or other neurodivergence. Families should not have to fight for inclusion; it should be the default.

17 Chambon, V., Pacherie, E., Barbalat, G., Jacquet, P. O., Franck, N., & Farrer, C. (2017). Altered reliance on social information in autism: Decision-making in the trust game. Autism Research, 10(10), 1776-1786. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1810

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• Inclusive health and early education: We know that child development is influenced by much more than therapy hours. Social factors like family income, safe housing, parents’ mental health, and community support play a huge role. Therefore, community services (like maternal and child health services, parenting groups, and preschools) need to take a whole-child, whole-family approach. A 2014 scoping review stressed that addressing these social determinants of health can reduce developmental vulnerabilities¹⁸.

For Thriving Kids, this means partnering with existing community programs: e.g., ensuring that maternal and child nurses are trained to recognise developmental differences and connect families to supports (without judgement), and that playgroups welcome kids who might have developmental delays with accommodations, like an extra helper, when needed. It also means that these places need to be safe, accessible and welcoming for autistic and otherwise neurodivergent children and the (often neurodivergent) parents, carers and supporters around them. Embedding inclusion in these universal settings improves engagement and whole-of-life outcomes across the system, not only for neurodivergent children and families, but for all¹⁹.

• Place-based solutions: One size does not fit all communities. A strategy that works in metro Melbourne might not fit a rural town or an Indigenous community in Arnhem Land. Community-led and place-based initiatives are more effective because they tailor support to local needs and leverage local strengths. For example, in some regions, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) run family support programs that successfully engage Indigenous families by being culturally safe spaces²⁰.

18 Moore, T. G., McHugh-Dillon, H., Bull, K., Fry, R., Laidlaw, B., & West, S. (2014). The evidence: what we know about place-based approaches to support children’s wellbeing. Parkville, Victoria: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

19 Morgan-Trimmer, R. (2022). Systemic inclusion — and how it helps everyone.

Beck JS, Lundwall RA, Gabrielsen T, Cox JC, South M. Looking good but feeling bad: “Camouflaging” behaviors and mental health in women with autistic traits. Autism. 2020;24(4):809-821. doi:10.1177/1362361320912147

20 Brennan, D. (2025, January 9). ACCHOs to lead the way in delivering safe healthcare for Aboriginal children in care. National Indigenous Times. https://nit.com.au/09-01-2025/15686/acchos-to-lead-the-way-in-delivering-safe-healthcare-for-aboriginal-children-in-care.

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Thriving Kids should invest in such local models, essentially, meet families where they are. This could mean co-locating developmental support workers in community centres or funding mobile outreach clinics for remote areas. The key is cross-sector collaboration: health, education, and social services working together rather than in silos. The program must ensure that those outside metropolitan areas do not have reduced access to programs, for example due to budget allocations based on population or per-child funding models. The program must acknowledge that the cost of service delivery may vary depending on complex factors, and that this variability should not lead to fewer or more limited options for families.

• Culturally safe and accessible services: Community engagement must incorporate cultural safety at every level. Training on cultural competence for mainstream service providers is vital so that Indigenous, CALD and disabled families feel respected and understood. There are accounts where Indigenous parents felt they had to educate the professionals about cultural matters²¹.

People with disability regularly need to explain to professionals about their culture, such as ‘deaf space’ (designing environments to support visual communication)²², while autistic and neurodivergent people highlight the need for communication protocols such as reduced reliance on eye contact or unstructured social ’small talk’²³. We need to flip that, ensuring professionals value lived experience and are willing to learn from children and families. Also, practical steps like providing interpreters, translating materials, and recruiting staff from diverse backgrounds can make mainstream services more accessible.

21 Cross, M., & Kirton, M. (2022, August 28). The I Am, Movement designs “culturally safe” education resources for Indigenous children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-29/autism-safe-space-i-am-movement-wormi-tanika-davis/101356556.

22 Valentine, G., Skelton, T., & Levy, P. (2003). The space of the Deaf: Places of silence and places of sound. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 21(5), 615-633. https://doi.org/10.1068/d45j.

23 Milton, D. E. M. (2012). On the ontological status of autism: The “double empathy problem.” Disability & Society, 27(6), 883-887. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2012.710008.

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If parents trust their community health worker or teacher (because that person respects their culture and listens), they are far more likely to seek help early and stick with programs. Feedback from the community is that supports that are led, developed and delivered by peers, especially people with disability, and with cultural and geographic commonalities, are highly effective²⁴.

• Avoiding deficit views: Mainstream engagement must avoid “deficit-based” language, where the focus is on what the child or family can’t do. That approach alienates families. We recommend that Thriving Kids messaging in communities highlights neurodiversity is normal. For example, community workshops might teach neurotypical children how to be direct when communicating with their autistic peers, e.g., ‘Do you want to play chasey?’ instead of ‘Let’s play a game’, or frame autism using strengths, like attention to detail, unique learning styles, and acknowledge challenges in a constructive way. e.g. “some children communicate differently, here’s how we can support them”). To be inclusive, mainstream environments must pro-actively address bullying²⁵. This kind of positive framing in public services will gradually chip away at stigma and make communities more welcoming²⁶.

Recommendation 3:

The Thriving Kids Initiative should work with state and local partners to ensure that mainstream services are inclusive “front doors” for all families, including:

• Training GPs, child health nurses, daycare educators, playgroup leaders on early signs of developmental differences and how to support and refer families in a supportive manner, as well as how to identify and support family members who may be neurodivergent.

24 Askew, D. A., Togni, S. J., Schluter, P. J., & Rogers, L. (2020). Effective peer-support for Indigenous peoples with chronic conditions: A systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05288-8; Davidson, L., Bellamy, C., Guy, K., & Miller, R. (2012). Peer support among persons with severe mental illnesses: A review of evidence and experience. World Psychiatry, 11(2), 123-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wpsyc.2012.05.009; Mead, S., & MacNeil, C. (2006). Peer support: What makes it unique? International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, 10(2), 29-37.

25 Hoover, D. W., & Kaufman, J. (2018). Adverse childhood experiences in children with autism spectrum disorder. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 31(2), 128-132. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000390.

26 Davidson, D., & Morales, D. (2023). Reducing stigma toward autistic peers: A pilot investigation of a virtual autism acceptance program for children. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1241487. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1241487.

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• Embedding disability specialists or liaisons in mainstream settings (e.g., an inclusion advisor available to a network of daycare centres to assist teachers with strategies for autistic children and neurodivergent family members).
• Support community-designed projects, for instance, if a local migrant community organisation wants to run an early development information session in their language, fund it. Or if a rural town wants to create a “children’s hub” combining playgroup and therapy drop-in, resource it.
• Require that any program under Thriving Kids demonstrates how it will reach and serve marginalised groups (and then monitor that). If, for example, a region’s services aren’t engaging many First Nations families, consult with those communities and adjust the approach.

By integrating early support into the everyday environments where children live and play, we ensure children and their families aren’t isolated or singled out. Instead, communities become more inclusive and capable of nurturing all their kids.

4. Equity and Intersectionality (Reaching All Children and Families)

Thriving Kids must proactively address inequities and intersectionality.

Intersectionality refers to the interconnected nature of social categories such as poverty, survivors/victims of abuse, disability, gender, sexuality, race or gender as they apply to an individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

Autistic adults are more vulnerable to a wide range of negative life events, including employment difficulties, financial hardship, and domestic abuse²⁷.

27 Griffiths, S., Allison, C., Kenny, R., Holt, R., Smith, P., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2019). The vulnerability experiences quotient (VEQ): A study of vulnerability, mental health and life satisfaction in autistic adults. Autism Research, 12(10), 1516-1528. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2162.

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Many autistic adults experience life events as traumatic and may not receive the support they need for likely PTSD²⁸. Research shows that around 75% of autistic adults have at least one mental health diagnosis²⁹ and up to 72% experience physical interpersonal violence, including sexual assault³⁰.

Because a higher share of autistic adults are LGBTIQASB+, Thriving Kids must ensure inclusive, culturally safe practice, e.g., staff training on gender/sexuality inclusion, respectful language and data collection, privacy and safeguarding protocols, and referral pathways to affirming services, so families aren’t deterred from seeking help and young people receive support that fits their identities³¹.

Children who are First Nations, from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, or living in rural/remote areas often face additional barriers in getting support. These include lack of access to specialists, cultural misunderstandings, and even systemic biases in diagnosis. We need tailored strategies so that every child benefits, not just those in well-resourced urban or English-speaking families.

• First Nations children: Indigenous children with developmental delays or disabilities are sometimes overlooked or diagnosed late due to a mix of factors, including remoteness of services, distrust due to historical trauma, or assessment tools that aren’t culturally relevant³². It’s critical to work with First Nations leaders and health services to design approaches that respect Indigenous concepts of child development and community child-rearing practices. For example, some behaviours flagged as “delayed” in a Western test might be seen differently in an Indigenous cultural context.

28 Rumball, F., Happé, F., & Grey, N. (2020). Experience of trauma and PTSD symptoms in autistic adults: Risk of PTSD development following DSM-5 and non-DSM-5 traumatic life events. Autism Research, 13(12), 2122-2132. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2353.

29 Lai, M.-C., Kassee, C., Besney, R., Bonato, S., Hull, L., Mandy, W., Szatmari, P., & Ameis, S. H. (2019). Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(10), 819-829. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30289-5.

30 Roberts, A. L., Koenen, K. C., Lyall, K., Robinson, E. B., & Weisskopf, M. G. (2015). Association of autistic traits in adulthood with childhood abuse, interpersonal victimization, and posttraumatic stress. Child Abuse & Neglect, 45, 135-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.04.010.

31 George, R., & Stokes, M. A. (2018). Sexual orientation in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Research, 11(1), 133-141. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1892.

32 Bailey, B., & Arcila, J. (2020). Indigenous Australians with autism: A scoping review. Autism, 24(5), 1031-1046. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319894829.

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Programs like the I Am, Movement arose because an Aboriginal mother saw mainstream resources didn’t reflect her culture³³. Thriving Kids should support the creation and distribution of culturally safe resources, such as developmental milestone guides that incorporate Indigenous languages and examples, or therapy activities that involve elders and on-country learning. Moreover, Indigenous representation in the workforce (from community workers to specialists) will make services more approachable. Wherever possible, funding should go directly to First Nations organisations to implement early childhood support as they see fit, with flexibility under the principle of self-determination.

• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities: Similarly, families from migrant or refugee backgrounds may have different understandings of disability or may face language barriers³⁴. Thriving Kids should ensure translation of materials into major community languages and consider hiring cultural support workers or using bicultural aides to liaise with families. It’s also important to combat any stigma by partnering with community leaders, for instance, working with local religious or community centres to host information sessions that normalise seeking help for developmental issues. In some cultures, parents might first consult a GP or community elder rather than a therapist; we should equip those touchpoints with the right info to pass on. Equity means not just making a brochure in 10 languages and calling it a day but truly engaging with communities to find out what they need. For example, certain cultures might not have a word for “autism,” we can instead discuss the child’s specific communication or behaviour needs in relatable terms, focusing on how to support the child’s growth.

33 Cross, M., & Kirton, M. (2022, August 28). The I Am, Movement designs “culturally safe” education resources for Indigenous children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-

34 Dougherty, L., Lloyd, J., Harris, E., Caffrey, P., & Harris, M. (2020). Access to appropriate health care for non-English speaking migrant families with a newborn/young child: A systematic scoping literature review. BMC Health Services Research, 20, 309. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05157-x

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• Rural and remote areas: Children outside of cities often miss out on early supports simply due to geography³⁵; there may be no paediatric therapist for hundreds of kilometres. Thriving Kids must address this rural gap. Solutions include telehealth interventions (which saw success during COVID-19), mobile clinics that travel to remote towns periodically, and building capacity in generalists (like training local nurses or teachers in developmental support strategies). Also, initiatives like peer support networks can be lifelines, for example, connecting parents in remote areas via online groups. Ultimately, a “hub and spoke” model could work, with regional hubs with expertise that support local providers (spokes) to deliver interventions closer to home. The key is no child should be excluded from Thriving Kids due to their postcode.

• Intersectional awareness: Children at the intersection of multiple factors (e.g., an Indigenous child in a remote community, or a CALD child whose family is also low-income) are at even higher risk of falling through cracks. Thriving Kids should use an intersectional lens to prioritise support for those who need it most. This might mean setting targets or priority outreach for certain groups. It also means collecting data to see who is accessing services, if we find, say, that girls or non-English-speaking families are underrepresented, that’s a red flag to adjust strategies (since autism and delays occur in all groups roughly equally).

Recommendation 4:

Incorporate specific equity strategies into Thriving Kids, including:

• Establish ongoing cultural and intersectional advisory panels including First Nations leaders, CALD community representatives, LGBTQIA+, autism and disability advocates to guide program design and rollout.
• Run targeted and trusted outreach campaigns in partnership with Indigenous media, ethnic radio/newspapers, LGBTQIA+ networks and schools in diverse areas to raise awareness about developmental supports, using plain language, translations and channels communities already trust.

35 Nelson, H. J., Munns, A., Angus, B., Arbuckle, E., & Burns, S. K. (2025). Facilitators and barriers of accessing community health services for children in the early years: An Australian qualitative study. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 81, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2025.01.009.

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• Implement flexible funding models so communities can design supports that meet local needs. Allow transport, telehealth, mobile clinics, and hub-and-spoke arrangements so families in rural/remote areas can access services.
• Offer scholarships or incentives for training people from underrepresented communities (First Nations, CALD, rural/remote, autistic, and LGBTIQA+) in early childhood intervention qualifications to grow a more diverse workforce. Provide all workers with training in cultural safety trauma-awareness, and neurodiversity-affirming practice.
• Establish data and accountability mechanisms: collect and publish disaggregated data (e.g., by culture, location, gender, disability, LGBTIQA+ status where safe and appropriate) to identify access and outcome gaps, and adjust strategies where under-representation is found.

5. Delivery Support and Training

The people who facilitate and deliver supports, whether they are business owners, practice managers, therapists, educators, doctors, or support workers, are the cornerstone of success. We must invest in training and supporting this workforce so they can deliver neurodivergent -led services in a trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, culturally safe, and rights-respecting way.

We recommend a national push to train all relevant professionals in:

• Neurodiversity paradigm and social model of disability: Teach what neurodiversity, autism and developmental disabilities are like from the perspective of lived experience, not just textbook pathology. Professionals should understand concepts like the social model of disability (the idea that disability arises also from environment barriers) and the neurodiversity movement’s emphasis on accepting neurological differences³⁶. For example, a therapist should know that many autistic people do not want to be “cured” of being autistic; they want support to navigate a largely neurotypical world, and acceptance of who they are.

36 Leadbitter, K., Buckle, K. L., Ellis, C., & Dekker, M. (2021). Autistic self-advocacy and the neurodiversity movement: Implications for autism early intervention research and practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 635690. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.635690.

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• Trauma-informed practice: Recognise signs of trauma or anxiety in children and adapt accordingly. This includes seemingly small things: understanding that forcing a child into an activity when they are in meltdown can be re-traumatising. Instead, give choices, create safe spaces, and build trust first. A trauma-informed practitioner also reflects on power dynamics, working with the family and child, rather than doing things to them.
• Cultural competence: As discussed above, training on cultural safety is needed. Workers should be aware of their own biases, learn about different cultural child-rearing practices, and acquire skills to communicate across cultures (e.g., using respected community intermediaries, not making assumptions about family dynamics).
• Disability rights and ethics: The workforce should be well-versed in the rights of children with disability, for instance, knowing that under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD), especially Article 7 (children with disabilities) and Article 12 (equal recognition and decision-making supports), children have the right to supports that respect their dignity and individuality³⁷. In addition, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), notably Article 3 (best interests of the child), Article 12 (the child’s right to be heard), and Article 23 (rights of children with disabilities), requires that children’s views are considered and their best interests are a primary consideration³⁸. Ethical scenarios (like obtaining genuine informed consent for interventions, respecting a child’s refusal, maintaining confidentiality and respect) should be part of ongoing professional development.

37 United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

38 United Nations. (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

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• Ongoing supervision and reflective practice: Training isn’t a one-off. We propose that Thriving Kids embed ongoing supervision and mentoring for professionals. Especially when new approaches (like neuro-affirming practices) are adopted, practitioners benefit from coaching by experts or peers. For example, an early intervention worker could have regular debrief sessions where they reflect on challenges (say a child’s behaviour that puzzles them) through the lens of these new principles. This helps prevent drift back to old habits and ensures accountability. It also gives space to discuss any moral distress (e.g., if a therapist feels a certain goal may be unethical, they should have support to voice that and adjust the plan).

• Provider and workforce expansion and support: To fill gaps (like in rural areas or in high-demand regions), Thriving Kids might need to fund more positions or incentives. One idea is creating a role of Early Childhood Inclusion Coach in every community; a person who families or preschools can call on for help. The Victorian government’s roll-out of Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinators in schools (MHWCs) under the Mental Health in Primary Schools pilot is an illustrative example of targeted workforce expansion. An independent study found this school-based role was feasible and well-received, helping staff feel supported³⁹. Similarly, Thriving Kids could trial developmental support coordinators for early childhood, co-designed with families and services and explicitly neurodiversity-affirming. These roles would support families and ease workload for existing professionals by coordinating care and strengthening referral pathways, without replacing specialist services or community-controlled supports.

39 Johnson, C., Dawson, G., Smith, R., Gandhi, S., Hearps, S., Quach, J., Oberklaid, F., & Darling, S. (2025). Feasibility and acceptability of Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinators in Australian primary schools: A mixed-methods study. School Mental Health, 17, 674-684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-025-09763-0.

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• Ethical oversight: We suggest establishing clear ethical guidelines and possibly an oversight mechanism for programs under Thriving Kids. This could be a committee that includes autistic adults, people with disability, families, and independent experts to review new intervention methods for ethical soundness. It’s part of workforce support too, giving practitioners guidance on what is considered acceptable practice today. For instance, the committee might issue an advisory that physical restraints or aversive techniques (historically used in some behaviour programs) are not allowed; or that any research involving children through Thriving Kids must adhere to participatory methods where appropriate.

Recommendation 5:

Develop a delivery and training strategy as a pillar of Thriving Kids:

• Develop autistic leadership and business ownership so that peer delivery is a primary channel and autistic people get paid to deliver services to autistic people.
• Mandate that any service provider receiving funds trains their staff in the areas above (neurodiversity, social model of disability, trauma, cultural safety, human rights).
• Fund scholarships or bursaries to attract new therapists and educators into underserved areas or specialties (like more speech therapists who speak languages other than English).
• Create a National Training Curriculum in partnership with universities and professional bodies, so that these critical topics are standardised (e.g., ensuring that courses for early childhood educators include a module on inclusion of autistic or neurodivergent children, children with disability or that paediatric training covers how to discuss neurodiversity or developmental delay with parents).
• Provide resources for self-education too, including an online portal with short courses or videos about these concepts that any teacher, doctor or support worker can access for free.

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Investing in the workforce is investing in quality support for children. When professionals feel confident and knowledgeable about inclusive, respectful practices, families get better service and children flourish. This strategy will also make these careers more attractive. People enter human services to help others and giving them the right tools and understanding increases job satisfaction as they see children truly thrive.

6. Drawing on International and Domestic Best Practice

International Best Practice

Australia should not reinvent the wheel if good models exist elsewhere. Thriving Kids can draw inspiration from international best practices and align with our commitments under global frameworks.

• UN Conventions and inclusive policy: As noted, Australia is a signatory to the UN CRPD and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). These treaties call for inclusive systems, early support, and putting the child’s best interests first. Many countries have had success reforming early childhood services. For instance, Ireland developed a nationwide early childhood intervention program to comply with rights obligations, focusing on integrating therapy into regular preschool settings with support aids⁴⁰. Italy has long had an inclusive education system by law, even at kindergarten level, children with disability are in regular classes with additional assistance as needed⁴¹. These examples show that inclusion from the start is feasible and beneficial.

40 Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. (n.d.). The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM). Access and Inclusion Model. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://aim.gov.ie/.

41 Ianes, D., Demo, H., & Dell’Anna, S. (2020). Inclusive education in Italy: Historical steps, positive developments, and challenges. Prospects, 49, 249-263. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09509-7.

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Successful models used elsewhere include:

• New Zealand’s early intervention system: In Aotearoa, the Ministry of Education provides early intervention support through teams that travel to childcare centres or homes. They emphasise working alongside the child’s regular caregivers (teachers or parents) to implement strategies, rather than pulling the child out for isolated sessions. This keeps the child in natural environments and builds the capacity of those around them⁴². However, evaluations highlight structural and implementation barriers, the need for culturally responsive delivery (especially with whanau Maori), rural access constraints, and workforce/scale challenges⁴³.
• North American indigenous communities: In several First Nations communities in Canada, parent-child groups grounded in traditional songs and stories (e.g., Parent-Child Mother Goose) operate within Indigenous early-years services. Some sites pair these groups with speech-language support or use SLP-developed curricula such as Moe the Mouse, and evaluations report gains in parent-child interaction and early language⁴⁴. This kind of blending of cultural life and developmental support could be replicated in Australian Indigenous communities. It aligns with the idea of community-led, culturally grounded early supports, which could be supported under Thriving Kids.
• WHO’s Caregiver Skills Training (CST): The WHO Caregiver Skills Training (CST) programme has been piloted in more than 30 countries and is designed for delivery by briefly trained non-specialists using a cascade (train-the-trainer) model with group sessions and home visits⁴⁵. Early studies in low-resource settings report improved caregiver skills, reduced stress, and gains in children’s communication/adaptive behaviour, and large cluster-RCTs in Kenya and Ethiopia are underway.

⁴² Ministry of Education. (2024, October 22). Learning support in the early years. https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/early-learning/learning-support/learning-support-early-years ⁴³ Allen + Clarke. (2019). Evaluation of the Children’s Teams: Final report. Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children. https://www.orangatamariki.govt.nz/about-us/research/our-research/childrens-teams-evaluation-report/ ⁴⁴ Tsartlip First Nation. (n.d.). Parent–Child Mother Goose program. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://tsartlip.com/parent-child-mother-goose-program/ ⁴µ World Health Organization. (2022, March 31). WHO’s training for caregivers of children with autism goes online. https://www.who.int/news/item/31-03-2022-who-s-training-for-caregivers-of-children-with-autism-goes-online

• Inclusive preschool frameworks in Europe: In many European countries, inclusive early childhood education frameworks emphasise planning for diversity (often via frameworks related to Universal Design for Learning (UDL, which unfortunately design for as many people as possible, often excluding marginalised groups), collaborative work among educators and support specialists, and embedding children with special needs in mainstream preschool settings. Evaluations show consistently improved social development for children with disabilities and improved social attitudes among typically developing children⁴⁶. When inclusion is well-resourced and well-implemented, it tends to benefit all children.

Rejecting outdated practices: Internationally, there’s a clear shift away from segregated, intensive behaviour-change programs as the default and toward neurodiversity-aligned, developmentally supportive approaches. The emphasis is on co-designed supports that build communication, autonomy, participation, and mental health, improving quality of life rather than “normalising” autistic behaviours. This direction aligns with contemporary research and autistic community feedback that prioritise meaningful outcomes and rights-based inclusion⁴⁷. Thriving Kids can position Australia at the forefront of this modern paradigm in early childhood services.

Domestic Best Practice

This section evaluates three publicly funded or promoted programs, Inklings, Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS), and Positive Partnerships, against the guiding principles outlined in this submission (See below). Each program is assessed for its alignment with trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, culturally respectful, evidence-based, and co-designed practices. Independent peer-reviewed evaluations that align with neurodiversity values⁴⁸ are prioritised to ensure objectivity and transparency.

⁴⁶ European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. (2017). Inclusive early childhood education: Literature review. ​ ⁴⁷ Leadbitter K., Buckle, K. L., Ellis, C., & Dekker M. (2021). Autistic self-advocacy and the neurodiversity movement: Implications for autism early intervention research and practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 635690. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.635690 ⁴⁸ Pellicano, E. and den Houting, J. (2021), Annual Research Review: Shifting from ‘normal science’ to neurodiversity in autism science. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 63: 381-396. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13534

Inklings (iBASIS-VIPP version 9 Early Support Program): Inklings is a parent-mediated, child-led early support program for infants aged 6-18 months showing early signs of autism. It is based on the IBASIS-VIPP model and delivered in South Australia and Western Australia

Inklings (iBASIS-VIPP version 9 Early Support Program)

⁴⁹ Bent, C. A., Aulich, A., Constantine, C., Fidock, E., Dwyer, P., Green, C., Smith, J., Gurba, A. N., Harrington, L. T., Gore, K.-E., Rabba, A. S., Ayton, L. N., Fordyce, K., Green, J., Jellett, R., Kennedy, L. J., MacDuffie, K. E., Meera, S. S., Watson, L. R., Whitehouse, A. J. O., & Hudry, K. (2025). Autistic and autism community perspectives on infant and family support in the first two years of life: Findings from a community consultation survey. Autism, 29(9), 2282-2296. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241762077

Inklings (iBASIS-VIPP version 9 Early Support Program)

Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS): MHiPS is a whole-school mental health capacity-building initiative implemented in Victorian primary schools. It places Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinators (MHWCs) in schools to support early identification an intervention.

Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)

⁵⁰ Johnson, C., Dawson, G., Smith, R., Gandhi, S., Hearps, S., Quach, J., Oberklaid, F., & Darling, S. (2025). Feasibility and acceptability of Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinators in Australian primary schools: A mixed-methods study. School Mental Health, 17, 674–684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-025-09763-0

Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)

Positive Partnerships: Positive Partnerships is a national initiative providing professional development and resources to educators and families of autistic students. It is funded by the Australian Government and delivered by Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect).

Positive Partnerships

⁵¹ Johnson, C., Dawson, G., Smith, R., Gandhi, S., Hearps, S., Quach, J., Oberklaid, F., & Darling, S. (2025). Feasibility and acceptability of Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinators in Australian primary schools: A mixed-methods study. School Mental Health, 17, 674–684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-025-09763-0

⁵² Syeda, S., & Bruck, S. (2022). Building bridges: Evaluating Positive Partnerships’ impact on school–family collaboration. School Community Journal, 32(1), 119–138. http://www.adi.org/journal/2022ss/SyedaBruckSS2022.pdf

Positive Partnerships

Recommendation 6:

Thriving Kids should invest in adapting and scaling lived experience and evidence-informed programs, drawing on both international exemplars and promising Australian initiatives. This means:

• Require independent safety and impact evaluations of domestic programs (e.g., Inklings, MHiPS, Positive Partnerships) before adopting them as foundational. Evaluations must be conflict-free, pre-registered, include adverse-effects monitoring, and demonstrate no net harm, especially for neurodivergent students and priority communities. Results must be public.

⁵³ Syeda, S., & Bruck, S. (2022). Building bridges: Evaluating Positive Partnerships’ impact on school – family collaboration. School Community Journal, 32(1), 119–138. http://www.adi.org/journal/2022ss/SyedaBruckSS2022.pdf

• Create pathways for successful pilots to move into broader rollout, with continuous, independent evaluation (including adverse-effects monitoring) and co-design/governance by autistic, neurodivergent, and disabled people, ensuring they are resourced to maintain fidelity to trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming principles.
• Establishing a knowledge translation hub that synthesises learnings from both Australian and overseas models, and makes this information accessible to policymakers, practitioners, and families.

7. Seamless Transitions through Mainstream Systems

One frequent complaint from families is that support systems are fragmented; early intervention (0-6 years) might be separate from school supports, which are separate from community health, etc. Transitions (like starting preschool, starting primary school) can be very stressful and often families feel like they are “starting over” at each step, re-explaining their child’s needs. Thriving Kids should aim to create a seamless continuum so that children and families experience consistent, coordinated support from infancy right through to school age and beyond⁵⁴.

Transition to school: The step from early childhood services into formal schooling is critical, and children with developmental delay or autism are more likely to experience smoother adjustment when information, strategies, and relationships carry forward. Practice guidance and reviews recommend a formal process where early learning services, families, allied health, and schools collaborate, share what works, and plan supports in advance (e.g., agreed strategies, goals, and reasonable adjustments aligned with the DDA and school policies)⁵⁵.

In Victoria, Transition Learning and Development Statements (TLDS) already provide a structured way to pass key information to the receiving school; making this standard practice for children with additional needs would strengthen continuity.

⁵⁴ Podesta, L. M., & Bosman, A. M. T. (2025). Neglected Issues Encountered by Autistic Young Adults and Those With Autistic Traits: A Scoping Review. Emerging Adulthood, 13(3), 768–789. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968251327246 ⁵⁵ Department of Education (Vic). (2023). Transition - early childhood to school (Policy & Guidance). https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/transition-early-childhood-school/policy

Schools should also hold transition meetings with parents and relevant providers before commencement to co-design supports (for example, aide time, sensory-friendly spaces, and communication plans). Programs like Positive Partnerships offer practical tools for joint planning, and evaluations have reported improvements in parent-teacher communication and shared understanding, outcomes that are relevant to transition planning⁵⁶.

Integrated services model: We recommend moving toward integrated children’s services in which multidisciplinary “Child Development Teams” (health, education, disability) follow cohorts across settings and share information (with consent) so families aren’t repeating their story to multiple systems. Australian examples already exist: South Australia’s government-run Children’s Centres co-locate early learning with child and family health and parenting supports⁵⁷; Tasmania’s Child and Family Learning Centres integrate education, health and community services⁵⁸; and the Connected Beginnings program jointly funds “backbone” teams to coordinate education, maternal/child health and family supports in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities⁵⁹.

Recent Australian literature also describes and evaluates “child and family hub” models that integrate health, education and social care in one place. Together, these show integrated hubs are feasible policy options that reduce service fragmentation and improve coordinated support⁰.

⁵⁶ National Center for Early Development & Learning. (1999). Transition to kindergarten (NCEDL Spotlights, No. 2). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED674002.pdf ⁵⁷ South Australia Department for Education. (2025, April 16). Services and programs offered at children’s centres and children and family centres. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/parents-and-families/child-care-services/childrens-centres/services-offered-childrens-centres-and-children-and-family-centres ⁵⁸ Department for Education, Children and Young People (Tas.). (n.d.). Child and Family Learning Centres (CFLCs). [Reference details as per source] ⁵⁹ Department of Education (Australian Government). (n.d.). Connected Beginnings. https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/providers/extra-support/community-child-care-fund/connected-beginnings ⁰ Calik, A., Liu, H.-M., Montgomery, A., Honisett, S., Van Munster, K.-A., Morris, T., Eapen, V., Goldfeld, S., Hiscock, H., Eastwood, J., & Woolfenden, S. (2024). Moving from idea to reality: The barriers and enablers to implementing Child and Family Hubs policy into practice in NSW, Australia. Health Research Policy and Systems, 22, 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-024-01164-0; Loveday, S., White, N., Constable, L., Gates, A., Sanci, L., Goldfeld, S., & Hiscock, H. (2024). Lessons learned from the implementation of an integrated health and social care ‘child and family hub’ — A case study. International Journal of Integrated Care, 24(9), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.8631

Flexible eligibility and transition safeguards (no redirection from the NDIS): One problem families face is when a child makes gains, eligibility for a program may drop away even though a child can’t cope in mainstream without support. Likewise, a child might be considered “too young” for certain school supports until they have a formal diagnosis.

We need to smooth these arbitrary cliffs without redirecting autistic children off the NDIS. For instance, Thriving Kids could work with the NDIS and state systems to ensure there is no gap at key ages. Services should taper rather than cut off, and school support (like an Individual Education Plan and any necessary funding) is in place so that the child’s support is continuous. Children who are not eligible for the NDIS should be able to access free, high-quality, trauma-responsive, neuro-affirming, culturally safe supports through Thriving Kids, including short-term transition “bridge” supports delivered via health or education. Rigid criteria can inadvertently cause regressions; flexible support based on actual needs at transition points is better and must not involve moving eligible autistic children out of the NDIS.

Family navigation support: Transitions are not just hard on children; parents often feel lost moving from one system to another (e.g., from the comfy early childhood setting into the big school system). We propose some form of “family navigator” or case coordinator be offered during major transitions. This could be a professional or a trained parent mentor who can attend a transition meeting with the family, help them understand the new environment’s expectations, and ensure the child’s support needs are understood by the new providers.

If Thriving Kids can fund a small number of such navigator-type roles, it would ease stress significantly. A smooth transition means the child is less likely to have a rocky start, which in turn means fewer negative experiences (like suspensions or crises) later.

Consistency of approach: If the earlier parts of our recommendations are implemented (training, neurodiversity culture, etc.), then ideally the philosophy of support remains consistent across systems. That is, a family shouldn’t go from an early intervention program that was play-based and accepting, into a school that is punitive or tries to “discipline out” the autism.

We need to bring schools and communities along in the same culture shift. Positive behaviour support in schools, trauma-informed teaching, universal design for learning are approaches education departments are adopting that align well with what we propose for early childhood. Thriving Kids can collaborate with education initiatives (like the Disability Strategy for schools) to ensure continuity. For example, if a child uses pictures to communicate at their early therapy, the school should be aware and continue to provide that communication method.

Recommendation 7:

Focus on creating bridges, not gaps, between systems:

• Develop a Transition to School protocol for any child in Thriving Kids programs, which might include a transition planning meeting and a document that goes to the school outlining the child’s strengths, triggers, successful supports, etc., with family consent.
• Fund transitional support packages and short-term support when a child moves to a new setting (like a teacher’s aide for the first 6 months of school even if not permanently allocated, or a few extra therapy sessions around that time for consultation).
• Ensure representatives from health, disability services, and education are all part of Thriving Kids governance or working groups, so policies are coordinated.
• Consider an “information passport” concept where key information travels with the child (managed carefully with privacy in mind) so they don’t have to be reassessed repeatedly, unless necessary.

By making transitions smooth and child-centred, we uphold the principle that support should follow the child, not the other way around. A truly child-centric system is one where services hand off to each other seamlessly, ensuring continuous care. This reduces family stress and sets the child up for success in each new environment.

Guiding Principles for Ethical Early Supports

Based on the above, we propose that all early childhood supports (whether under Thriving Kids, the NDIS, or mainstream services) should be held to a set of core guiding principles.

These principles ensure quality and accountability:

1. Trauma-Informed, Neurodiversity-Affirming, culturally respectful, and equitable: Programs must be delivered in ways that do no harm, embrace neurological differences, respect each child’s cultural background, and are accessible regardless of location or background. This means, for example, avoiding any practices that inflict fear or pain (trauma-informed), not forcing children to hide their autism (neuro-affirming), involving cultural knowledge and language as needed (culturally respectful), and ensuring even families in remote areas or without wealth can get the same quality support (equity). Supports must also be explicitly aligned with disability rights frameworks (CRPD, CRC) and subject to independent review.
2. Monitoring for risk and harm: There should be safeguards to continuously monitor how children, families and providers are responding to supports. If any unintended negative effects are observed, there must be mechanisms to address or stop them. This could involve independent oversight or regular check-ins with families plus independent harm-monitoring processes. The goal is to prevent situations like children becoming traumatised, families being disempowered, or providers being pressured to deliver practices that contradict ethical or rights-based standards. If something isn’t working, the approach should be adapted quickly and transparently.
3. Informed consent and family autonomy: Parents (and where appropriate, children) must give informed consent to any intervention. This includes being told the risks, benefits, and alternatives, being clearly informed about potential long-term outcomes, and notified when such outcomes have not been studied. Consent is not a one-time form; it’s an ongoing conversation. Families should also have the autonomy to opt out or seek a second opinion without penalty. Services should respect family decisions and empower them with balanced information, not pressure. For example, it is unacceptable for families not to be told that observed behaviours may be early indicators of autism, as this withholds critical information that could support timely diagnosis, appropriate supports, and the child’s identity development. Consent processes must be culturally safe and disability-affirming.

4. Provider competence (training and supervision): Anyone delivering supports to young children should be properly trained and supervised. There should be minimum qualifications or certifications in the relevant approach, and ongoing professional development. Programs must also publish what supervision or coaching their staff receive, for example, does a junior therapist get regular mentorship? This ensures fidelity to good practices and helps maintain standards. If a program can’t demonstrate its staff are well-trained and supervised, it should not be expanded under public funding. Supervision should also include reflective practice on ethics, rights, and lived-experience feedback
5. Evidence-based practices: Programs should be based on peer-reviewed evidence and undergo evaluation. New or innovative practices are welcome, but they must be evaluated rigorously and transparently. Claims of success should be backed by data. Where evidence is mixed or there’s uncertainty, this should be openly acknowledged, and a cautious approach taken. Priority should be given to approaches with replicated, independent evidence (e.g., parent coaching models backed by multiple RCTs). At the same time, we support continued research and innovation but done in ethical partnership with participants.
6. Co-create with stakeholders (power-sharing not just consultation): All supports must be co-designed and co-governed with autistic, neurodivergent, and disabled people (including children and youth where appropriate), families, and relevant community members, from problem framing through to delivery, evaluation, and iteration. This includes leadership and decision-making roles, not just advisory positions.

7. Choice and flexibility: No single approach works for everyone. Families should be offered a range of support options and be able to choose what fits their child and their life. For instance, some may prefer home visits, others group sessions; some might align with a therapy approach, others might want a more educational or play-based service. Thriving Kids should not be a one-program-fits-all initiative but a menu of supports. Importantly, choosing one support shouldn’t exclude a child from others if multiple supports are beneficial (e.g., a child could do a community playgroup and see a speech therapist; it’s not either/or as long as it’s coordinated). Flexibility also means services should adapt to family routines, not all parents can do weekday 9-5 appointments, so offering evening or weekend options, or telehealth, increases accessibility. Equity in choice also requires culturally safe adaptations and accessible information for families to compare options.

These guiding principles echo Australia’s obligations under international law. Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) requires that the best interests of the child are a primary consideration in all actions affecting children. Article 23 of the CRC recognises the right of children with disability to special care, assistance and dignity⁶¹. Similarly, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) makes clear in Article 7 that children with disabilities enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others, and in Article 24 that they have the right to inclusive education. Article 25 of the CRPD further requires access to the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination⁶². Together, these provisions affirm that early supports must be inclusive, ethical, and rights based. By formalising these principles, the Thriving Kids Initiative can set a gold standard for early childhood supports in Australia aligning practice not only with best evidence, but also with our binding treaty commitments.

⁶± United Nations. (1989, November 20). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Treaty Series, 1577, 3. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child ⁶² United Nations. (2006, December 13). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Treaty Series, 2515, 3. https://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convoptprot-e.pdf

Conclusion

In conclusion, we strongly urge that the Thriving Kids Initiative be shaped around dignity, inclusion, and lived experience informed, evidence-based support for children with developmental delays or autism. We must move away from outdated paradigms that see disability as a “deficit” or deny neurodivergent identities, and toward approaches that empower children and families through rights-based, trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming practices.

Our submission highlights the need for:

Early supports that inform and uplift parents, rather than confuse or scare them.

Interventions that are measured by happiness and genuine progress, not by how well a child can hide their differences with independent, conflict-free evaluation and monitoring for unintended harm.

Systems that wrap around families in the community, instead of making families jump through hoops.

Special attention to those who have been marginalised, ensuring every child, Indigenous, CALD, remote, or otherwise, has equal opportunities to thrive through community-led and culturally safe design.

Skilled, compassionate professionals who are continually learning and reflecting the values of neurodiversity and cultural respect with supervision, ethical oversight, and peer leadership from autistic and people with disability.

Global best practices adapted for our local context, so we are providing world-class support here in Australia but only scaling programs once independent evaluation confirms effectiveness and no net harm.

Lifelong perspective, smoothing the path from early years into schooling, so that supports are not lost at key moments with co-designed transition protocols and family navigation supports.

We believe these changes are not just preferable but necessary and essential. They are in line with Australia’s commitments under international law, including the UN CRPD and CRC, and reflect the aspirations of countless families who want their children to be happy, included, and supported as they grow.

As a necessary foundational support, the Thriving Kids Initiative has a vital mission. By incorporating the recommendations we’ve provided, grounded in research and the lived experiences of autistic people and families, this initiative can truly live up to its name. It can ensure that all kids with developmental delays or autism in Australia are given the chance to develop their strengths, participate fully in society, and thrive as themselves.

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute. We are available for further consultation and would welcome the chance to discuss these ideas at a public hearing. Together, we can build a future where neurodivergent children are not just supported, but celebrated, as thriving kids.