Submission to the

By The Learning for Life Autism Centre

October 2025

Contact: Nicci Godsman, CEO
The Learning for Life Autism Centre
25-27 High Street South, Kew VIC 3101
redacted

Introduction

The Learning for Life Autism Centre (L4Life) is an NDIS-registered, Victorian not-for-profit established in 2004 by parents and professionals to make evidence-based early intervention affordable and accessible. We support autistic and other neurodivergent children, and children with developmental delays (2 –18 years), through Early Intervention (EI), Allied Health (AH) services (school-age consultancy, Positive Behaviour Support, social skills programs), standardised assessments, family support, and our whole-school inclusion program Inclusion Works®.

Our Mission and Approach

L4Life delivers evidence-based, child-focused services that build skills, confidence, and meaningful inclusion for autistic and other neurodivergent children. We combine early intervention, school and community support, educator training, and family collaboration with research and advocacy to improve outcomes. Equity is at the heart of our model: we are committed to ensuring that cost is never a barrier, and that every child has the support they need to grow, learn, and belong.

We welcome the Inquiry into the Thriving Kids Initiative. Thriving Kids is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a system where children with mild to moderate developmental support needs are identified early, supported effectively, and thrive in mainstream settings — without needing to rely on the NDIS.

Our Vision – “Best Possible Thriving Kids”

In a best-case scenario, Thriving Kids would make it unnecessary for children with mild–moderate support needs to rely on the NDIS because mainstream systems would already be capable, consistent, and inclusive:

• Inclusion is built in.
  All educators would have the skills to support children and have ongoing access to resources and professional development. Every Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) service and school would also have an on-site inclusion champion – an expert trained inclusion/education specialist on the ground.
• Attitudes and skills align.
  Inclusion would be expected, not optional. Current resistance to inclusion, where special schools are often seen as the solution, would be replaced with mainstream educators who have both the desire and the strategies to support all learners.
• Early checks, early action.
  Screening would be embedded in preschool and early primary (Prep/Grade 1), with scaffolded, multidisciplinary assessment pathways that remove pressure from parents.
• Tiered, individualised supports.
  Universal strategies would be complemented by targeted groups and one-to-one supports. Children needing individualised programs would access them within mainstream activities, not be excluded from them.

• Integrated hubs, not new silos.
  Allied health professionals would be co-located with schools/ECEC where possible. Where hubs aren’t feasible, supports would still be embedded into existing systems.
• Parents supported, not burdened.
  Families wouldn’t shoulder the administrative load. Instead, a qualified key worker would coordinate assessments and supports, while parents would access structured education sessions (like a Medicare-style 6–10 session model) at key milestones (eg: diagnosis, school transition) to understand and implement options.
• Whole-community inclusion.
  Teachers, coaches, and instructors in sport, recreation, arts/drama would be upskilled to ensure children are included in community life. Families would have the choice of both integrated and autism-specific options.

TOR 2 – Effectiveness of Current and Past Programs

What works:

• L4Life Early Intervention Consultancy (EI-C):
  Clinical Consultants observe in ECEC, home, and playgroup settings, develop Learning Support Plans (LSPs), and train parents, educators, and the wider community to implement strategies.
• L4Life EI-Full Service Model (FSM):
  Adds Therapy Assistants, with structured supervision, for children needing more intensive support. Putting a trained Therapy Assistant with a student in childcare or school positively impacts their learning and sets them up for life-long learning.
• School-Age Consultancy (SAC):
  Providing specialist consultation for individual students within school environments enables children to receive the support they need at the same time their educators also receive training.
• Inclusion Works®:
  Inclusion Works® works – embedding a coach to deliver a whole school program for 12 months allows all staff to receive individualised coaching to learn to implement inclusive education practices every day.
• Positive Behaviour Support (PBS):
  Behaviour Support Plans enables children to remain safe and included in their community, reducing stress for families and educators. They provide a big picture summary of a child’s support needs. This support can be done at different levels and in some cases will require more complex and considered NDIS funded supports.
• Social Skills programs:
  Structured, evidence-based programs like Secret Agent Society (SAS), delivered by trained staff and linked to home and school, are effective.
• Specialist community programs:
  Initiatives like Aussie Hoops demonstrate that tailored entry programs with higher staff ratios can act as stepping-stones to mainstream participation.

What doesn’t work:

• Kindergarten Inclusion Support (KIS)/Education Support (ES) roles and Wellbeing coordinators within schools:
  Without adequate qualifications, supervision, or role clarity, these supports will have limited impact.
• Community exclusions:
  Many children are still excluded from swimming lessons, Auskick, and other community programs due to lack of staff training and tiered supports.
• Unstructured groups:
  Social programs without clear curriculum, structure, or trained facilitators fail to generalise into everyday life.

Recommendations (TOR 2):

1. Scale consultative in-situ coaching models (EI-C, SAC, Inclusion Works®) nationally.
2. Fund tiered supports in mainstream settings (universal → targeted → individualised).
3. Upskill KIS/ES staff with mandated training and ongoing competency-based supervision by professionals with the relevant qualifications to provide the ongoing professional development.
4. Set minimum professional standards (eg social workers, psychologists etc) for people in wellbeing roles within schools.
5. Commission structured, evidence-based social skills programs with school/home integration and delivered by professionals with the relevant qualifications.
6. Support inclusion in community sport/recreation/arts/drama through targeted grants and training.
7. Embed early screening in ECEC and Prep–Year 1 with funded referral pathways.

TOR 4 – Workforce Support and Training

Gaps:

• Massive staff shortages in education and allied health.
• ES/KIS funded roles and wellbeing coordinators within schools lack training and clear expectations.
• Funding often spreads support thinly across a cohort rather than targeting those with greatest need.
• Pay and recognition are inadequate to attract or retain qualified staff.

What L4Life shows works:

• Therapy Assistant pathway with supervision:
  Structured training, supervision, and progression pathways (TA → Clinical Consultant) build capability and retention.
• Permanent Clinical Consultants: Early childhood professionals and behaviour specialists who coach across environments (home, ECEC, schools).
• Leadership development and structured supervision: Formalised support structures sustain workforce quality and prevent burnout.

Recommendations (TOR 4):

1. Establish national competency standards and funded supervision/on-going professional development for ES/KIS roles.
2. Fund traineeships and micro-credentials for TA→Allied Health and teacher→inclusion specialist pathways.
3. Provide salary loadings/funding for schools and ECEC centres to employ Inclusion Champions.
4. Invest in time, release and in-situ facilitation for educators to embed coaching into practice.
5. Create regional multidisciplinary panels/hubs to extend scarce expertise.

TOR 6 – Seamless Transitions

Challenges:

• Kinder and EYC often start transition planning too late (Term 4), while L4Life begins mid-year to give families time.
• Differences in pedagogy between kinder and school create a shock for children.
• Children often spend the first year of Prep in a prolonged transition, leaving some children behind their peers.
• The biggest gap: support is tied to a single environment (centre or school), leaving no one responsible for consistency across home, ECEC, school, and community.

What works (L4Life practice):

• EI-C and SAC consultants bridge home, ECEC, school and community settings, ensuring strategies travel with the child.
• Phased TA support continues into Prep, tapering as teachers/Education Support Staff build capacity.
• Portable plans (LSPs/BSPs) keep strategies consistent across settings.
• Family Support services advocate and guide parents through transitions.
• Practice-based orientation sessions help children rehearse routines before school starts.

Key point of difference:

Thriving Kids must recognise that effective transition support is cross-environmental. The central role is a qualified key worker with evidence-based expertise and relevant professional qualifications, operating across home, ECEC, school, and community. This role cannot be tied to a single centre or school. To be effective in supporting a child’s development it must connect environments, coordinate professionals, and hold continuity for the child and family.

Recommendations (TOR 6):

1. Fund transition packages that explicitly include qualified cross-environment key workers.
2. Mandate early transition planning (mid-year prior) with joint meetings across settings.
3. Develop portable support plan templates (LSPs/BSPs) with accountability for use.
4. Fund hubs or visiting consultants who can work in the child’s environment, not just offices.
5. Require practice-based orientation sessions in schools, supported by the key worker.

Conclusion

Thriving Kids should be transformative. It should scale what already works, fix what doesn’t, and place equity at the centre.

• Early identification and parent coaching must be universal.
• Consultative coaching models (EI-C, SAC, Inclusion Works®) should be embedded in all ECEC and schools.
• Workforce sustainability requires structured training, supervision, and recognition.
• Transitions must be cross-environment, led by qualified key workers.
• Parents should be supported, not left to carry the system.
• Community life must be accessible and inclusive.

At L4Life, we know that when children are given the right support early — and when families, educators, and communities are equipped alongside them — children gain the skills, confidence, and sense of belonging they need to thrive.

We are ready to share our models, outcomes, and workforce frameworks with the Committee to support a successful rollout of Thriving Kids.