Choosing the right support for your family

Early Childhood intervention and support for developing children, especially children with disabilities, developmental delays, differences, or neurodivergence in Australia is an evolving landscape. If you are feeling confused around what you need, and where, when or how to access best intervention services for your child, you are certainly not alone. The good news is, you are in the right place for some initial guidance around getting the ball rolling and choosing the right supports for your child, and family. 
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How do I identify what my child and family need at this early stage? 

A great place to start is by reading the article in Thrivary entitled “What to do if you have developmental concerns”. In it contains a very useful process to follow to understand the developmental issues that may be a priority for you and your child, in relation to future intervention options. 

The later part of that process focuses on “Ask”, and “Do”. Hopefully you have reached out to a primary care provider such as a child health nurse or a general practitioner to discuss your observations, support needs or concerns. If not, this may be a good time to make an appointment so it can happen sooner rather than later. 

If accessing a primary care practitioner at this time is difficult for some reason, or if by chance the initial appointment did not finish in a way that you are satisfied with, here are some additional options for you to consider:

1. Phone or visit your local health district’s child development service, if one exists in your area, and chat about your observations, support needs or concerns. Sometimes, child development services do not require primary care referrals in order to access initial advice or schedule a first appointments. Check if this may be the case in your local area. 
2. Request an alternative general practitioner or child health nurse appointment. This could be with a specific aim of completing a developmental or behavioural screening tool or checklist for your child. Surveillance, screening and checklist tools can be very helpful, in addition to your observations, in helping guide next steps for action, including identifying needed support services.
3. Speak to trusted adults in your community, or others who care for children e.g. early years education and care providers, teachers, support workers etc, to explore additional options for support or action at this stage.

I understand my child and family’s needs. Now how do I access available supports?

Well done for identifying your child and family’s area(s) of need at this stage, as this in itself can be an overwhelming task. The next important step is to seek referrals to relevant services in your area that can provide the support you are seeking for your child and family at this stage. This is usually an action supported by your general practitioner, but may also occur by engaging directly with your local child development service or child health nurse. 

Different service providers will offer different areas of support. When considering child development and behaviour in the early years, there are a number of different providers that can support children and families. These may include: 

1. (Developmental) Paediatricians: Medical specialists with a focus on child development, growth and wellbeing, medication and developmental disorders. 
2. Child Psychiatrists: Medical specialists with a focus on child mental health and medication.
3. Allied Health Professionals, such as:
   1. Speech Pathologists: with a focus on speech development, understanding of language, expression of language, social communication, and feeding.
   2. Physiotherapists:  focusing on physical development, and may include support relating to muscle strength, coordination, endurance, positioning, or mobility.
   3. Occupational therapists: focusing on activity and participation, and may include consideration of environments, play skills, developmentally-appropriate activities, sensory-motor development, fine motor skills, social development, self-care and self-regulation. 
   4. Psychologists: with a focus on behavioural development, relationships, adjustment, self-regulation, family functioning, social development, thinking and learning skills. 
   5. Social workers: supporting families with resource access, needs identification, housing, transport, child safety and wellbeing, and other social issues/needs.
4. Support workers and people with lived experience, including:some text
   1. Other parents
   2. Allied health assistants
   3. Inclusion support workers in education settings
   4. Child or family support workers
   5. National Disability Insurance Scheme navigators, planners, and other service staff

My child and family have more than one area of need. What service should I prioritise first?

It is not uncommon for there to be more than one area of need identified in relation to your child’s development and/or your family’s wellbeing. It is important to consider your priorities and goals for child and family when considering which service(s) to prioritise first. Please see the article entitled “How to set goals for your child and your family” for further ideas to support goal-setting and decision-making for your child and family. 

Sometimes, service availability in your area may have an influence in your decision-making around the order of services your child and family will receive. One service or provider type may have a shorter waiting list than another in your area. It is also OK to be accessing multiple services at the same time, if this is something you can manage and your child has co-existing needs in these different areas. The choice is yours so consider your available options, your priorities and your  needs, and you will arrive at the right decision for child and family.

How do I decide between Private versus Public Service Options, and when should the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) be considered?

The number and make-up of private and public services in your area is typically unique to your region. Consider your child and family’s needs, time and financial resources available, service waiting times, child and family priorities, and service offerings when making decisions for your child and family. Talk to your primary care providers and trusted adults or caregivers in your community to support your decision-making. Remember, there is no rule about one being better than the other, and some of our country’s best practitioners work across both private and public services. In considering whether the NDIS is an appropriate fit for your child and family at this stage, please see:

https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/families-and-carers/early-childhood-approach-children-younger-9