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Brisbane
hil * brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au Cc dr én S info@brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au
Therapy Providing services to Brisbane clients.
Submission to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability
Submitted by: Brisbane Children’s Therapy
Date: 1 October 2025
Executive Summary
Brisbane Children’s Therapy welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Thriving Kids Initiative. Drawing on more than two decades of practice with neurodivergent children and young people, we caution against returning to large, government-run therapy teams, which have historically been costly and inefficient. Instead, we recommend strengthening existing private and community-based supports, reintroducing clear navigation pathways for families, upskilling the therapy workforce to deliver outcome-focused and neuroaffirming supports, and helping families use therapy time purposefully. More therapy is not always better — what matters is quality, relevance, and coordination. A modernised, neuroaffirming, cost-effective approach will deliver better participation and well-being outcomes for children and young people.
About the Submitter
lam an Occupational Therapist with over 23 years of experience working with children and young people (0-18 years) across Australia and the UK. Through my private practice, Brisbane
Children’s Therapy, | have supported hundreds of neurodivergent children and their families —
including autistic individuals (Levels 1 and 2) and those with developmental delays. My work spans homes, schools, and community settings, building on children’s strengths, supporting participation, and helping families access sustainable and effective supports.
Key Submission Points
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Avoid Reverting to Outdated Government-Based Therapy Teams It appears the proposed model risks returning to large, government-based multidisciplinary therapy teams, often run by NGOs under contract. While well-intentioned, this approach is not cost-effective or flexible enough to respond to the highly individual needs of neurodivergent
children. When | worked in these models more than 15 years ago, the cost to provide therapy
was calculated at over $200 per hour—before current inflation and workforce shortages. There is no clear evidence this approach would deliver better access or outcomes for children and families.
: FT
Brisbane
hil * brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au Cc dr én S info@brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au
Therapy Providing services to Brisbane clients.
Rebuilding these systems would require enormous investment and risks repeating inefficiencies that prompted the development of the NDIS and the growth of family-directed service models.
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Strengthen and Leverage Existing Infrastructure Rather than dismantling or duplicating well-established private and community-based services, invest in strengthening what already works. Independent allied health providers offer accessible, child- and family-centered care, often tailored to neurodivergent ways of thinking and processing. These practices can scale if families are supported with better navigation and clear entry pathways, reducing waiting times and confusion.
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Reinstate a Navigator Model for Early Access like the Autism Advisor Program Families need clarity and direction early. Programs such as Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) and Better Start, alongside targeted Medicare items, were well-received and effective
for many of the 300 families | worked with during that time. A navigator or advisor service
could triage families, explain available supports, and connect them to suitable services, without forcing them through unnecessary bureaucracy or limiting their choice.
The previous Autism Advisor Program demonstrated how effective this model can be. Autism Advisors were often trained therapists or experienced health professionals with deep knowledge of local and national services, funding options, and evidence-based interventions. They could provide families with tailored recommendations and, importantly, if a parent felt overwhelmed or unable to reach out, the advisor could directly contact therapists and service providers to introduce and link the family in. This practical, proactive approach saved time, reduced stress, and helped children access therapy and supports earlier.
Importantly, these navigators should also provide evidence-based information and resources to help parents recognise developmental differences early and understand practical next steps. This could include milestone checklists, early signs of autism and developmental delay presented in neuroaffirming, parent-friendly language, and guidance on how to support their child at home while waiting for services. Navigators should also be able to link families to early training programs such as Early Days workshops, which empower parents to understand their child’s developmental profile, build practical strategies at home, and feel more confident when engaging with therapists and educators.
This model is also cost-effective. Early, accurate guidance prevents unnecessary or inappropriate referrals, reduces delays in diagnosis and therapy access, and helps families use their resources more efficiently. By equipping parents with clear direction and practical
: FT
Brisbane
hil * brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au Cc dr én S info@brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au
Therapy Providing services to Brisbane clients.
strategies from the start, families can avoid the “trial and error’ cycle of mismatched supports and reduce pressure on already stretched specialist services. Over time, this leads to better developmental outcomes, less crisis-driven service use, and more sustainable support pathways.
Navigators should remain engaged as children grow, ensuring a seamless transition between child and maternal health services, playgroups, early childhood education and care, primary school, and mainstream community participation.
- Invest in Workforce Capability and Professional Development Supporting children well requires therapists who are confident in delivering evidence-based, outcome-focused, and neuroaffirming supports. The system should invest in professional development (PD), mentoring, and collaborative training opportunities so clinicians can work together across disciplines, reduce duplication, and improve impact. More therapy hours alone do not guarantee better outcomes; what matters is that sessions are purposeful, skill-building, and well-targeted.
Families should also be supported to understand that “more therapy is not always better”, so they can use their precious time and resources effectively and focus on what truly drives participation and well-being.
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Use Current, Respectful Diagnostic Language Consistent and neuroaffirming terminology matters. Using the DSM-5 categories—Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 and Level 2, and developmental delay provides clarity and aligns with functional needs-based support planning. Terms like “mild” or “severe autism” are outdated and can be stigmatising or misleading.
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Embed Equity and Cultural Safety All supports must be culturally safe and accessible. Navigators and therapists should be trained to work respectfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. This includes ensuring access to interpreters, translated resources, partnerships with trusted community organisations, and workforce initiatives that encourage diversity and cultural competence.
Brisbane : : h e 5 brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au Cc ildr en’s info@brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au
Therapy Providing services to Brisbane clients.
- Provide Clear, Tiered Funding Pathways Funding should be transparent and linked to functional impact and participation goals:
e Autistic children requiring lower-level support / developmental delay: time-limited packages to enable early skill-building, transition support, and access to community.
e Autistic children requiring higher-level or ongoing support: flexible, longer-term packages to maintain participation and well-being across settings.
This could build on the HCWA and Better Start model, which families understood and used effectively. Clear, goal-directed therapy funding and access to diagnostic and planning supports are simpler and more cost-effective than rebuilding large government teams.
- Learn from International and Domestic Best Practice International experience shows the benefit of family-centred navigation and early access models. The UK’s community-based health visitor system and New Zealand’s neuroaffirming early intervention programs demonstrate how linking health, early learning, and family support systems can reduce delays in identification and improve outcomes. Australia should build on these lessons while strengthening current local models.
Recommendations
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Do not revert to fully government-run therapy models — these are costly, rigid, and historically ineffective.
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Create funded navigation pathways — so families can access the right supports early, with clear evidence-based resources and practical next steps.
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Ensure cultural safety and equity — invest in navigators and therapists who can support First Nations and CALD families with culturally informed practice.
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Invest in therapist capability — provide accessible, ongoing PD, mentoring and collaboration so clinicians deliver neuroaffirming, outcome-focused supports.
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Guide families to use therapy intentionally — help them understand that more therapy is not always better; quality and coordination matter most.
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Use consistent, respectful diagnostic language — aligning with DSM-5 and neuroaffirming principles.
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Reintroduce clear early intervention funding packages — similar to HCWA and Better Start but modernised.
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Support and scale existing private/community providers — rather than replacing them, empower them to meet demand.
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Brisbane : : 2 d 9 brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au Chil ren S info@brisbanechildrenstherapy.com.au
Therapy Providing services to Brisbane clients.
- Maintain continuity across systems — ensure navigation and support continue through child health, early education, and into mainstream schooling.
Final Statement
Families thrive when they can access the right supports early, with clarity, flexibility, and choice. Large, centralised therapy teams are not financially sustainable and risk reducing personalised care. A modernised, neuroaffirming, and clearly structured funding and access model, built on the strengths of existing service capacity, underpinned by cultural safety, and supported by an upskilled, collaborative workforce, will lead to better outcomes for children and young people, respect neurodiversity, and deliver better value for public funds.