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Autism spectrum disorder: overview of the services environment
When your child is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you’ll discover that many different professionals and service organisations can help you and your child. You’ll need to decide which ones are right for you. Your first step is learning about who does what and how the services system works.
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- Service providers
- Service provider approaches
- Service pathways
- State associations
- Getting answers, getting organised
- What others parents say
Service providers
The term service provider is used to describe the people and organisations that provide services and programs for children with ASD and their families.
The people are professionals with qualifications in areas such as psychology, education, speech pathology or occupational therapy. These people will also be experts in child development, especially developmental delays such as ASD.
The organisations that employ these professionals provide a wide range of intervention, therapy and support services and programs. These organisations fall into the following categories:
- state and federal government services and programs, which will usually be provided free of charge
- not-for-profit (NFP) services and programs, which are mostly funded by government and might be free or partly subsidised
- private services and programs, which might be partly funded or that you have to pay for in full.
Service provider approaches
Different service providers take different approaches. But almost all services and programs fall into one or more of the following categories.
| Approach | Description |
|---|---|
| Medical | Focus on treating key symptoms of autism and managing any medication used |
| Behavioural | Focus on teaching children new behaviours and skills by using specialised, structured techniques |
| Developmental | Aim to help children by forming positive, meaningful relationships with other people, focusing on teaching children social and communication skills |
| Therapy-based | Directly provide a specific therapy that targets specific difficulties (such as using speech therapy to develop a child’s communication skills) |
| Educational | Focus on skills development and learning in a playroom, classroom or similar teaching environment |
| Family-based | Emphasise the idea that family involvement in the therapy is central to meeting a child’s developmental needs |
| Alternative | Include a broad range of non-traditional treatments, although many are based on biology |
| Combined | Bring together elements of behavioural and developmental approaches; also informed by new knowledge about autism and development |
| Other | Include a range of interventions that sit outside the categories listed above |
You will also hear the terms specialist and generic being used:
- Specialist means that the service or program specialises in supporting children with ASD and employs staff who are experienced with ASD.
- Generic means non-specialist providers of any service to children. These services or programs might or might not have some experience with ASD. For example, they can include childcare and preschool programs. A larger generic service provider might have specialist ASD teams.
A child with ASD can go to either a specialist or generic service or program – in many cases, they can go to both. Staff in a generic service or program will often liaise with ASD specialists and attend ASD training programs.
Your decision about services and programs will depend on many things including cost, the options available in your area and your child’s particular needs.
Therapies (also called interventions) are the programs or sessions aimed at helping to promote your child's development. Services are the places and organisations that offer these therapies. A service might provide one therapy or several types.
Service pathways
At first, you might feel overwhelmed by the daunting amount of ASD information and options. Parents have said that it seems like a maze, or a complicated road map. You might find there are particular steps you need to take to use the services you’ve chosen. For example, for some services you need a referral and/or diagnosis; for others, you don’t. Some services attract funding or rebates; others don’t. How do you know, and where do you start?
State associations
In Australia, each state and territory has an autism association. These associations are good sources of information about ASD and guidance about the service options in your state or territory. They will also be able to connect you with a range of parent support groups. Several autism associations are also service providers.
Getting answers, getting organised
Parents have found that two important skills they need are asking the right questions and organising all their information.
When you start exploring services for your child, it helps to ask as many questions as you can think of:
- Let the questions pour out – there’s no question that’s not worth asking.
- Write down questions as you think of them. Otherwise the good ones might slip away.
Information overload can easily happen, so it’s important to start organising your information as soon as possible. You’ll have information about your child, and will probably collect a lot of information about ASD and service providers.
- There will be important information that you need to keep handy for future reference – assessment reports, school or program reports, application forms and details of appointments. A folder of some type is the most useful way to keep this information organised.
- You might also want to keep lists of terms, words and acronyms, websites, and books that you’ve found useful. This type of information can be stored in a notebook or computer file.
- Printed information can be stored in many ways – computer files, written journals or diaries, desktop-type files, shoeboxes, bottom drawers. It doesn’t really matter, but deciding on an approach early will save you time and confusion later.
- When it comes to deciding what information to keep, be ruthless – you don’t want to build a whole library. Try to keep the things relevant to you and your situation.
What other parents say
Parents who have been on the journey through autism services have found there are some things that really help. Some key messages are:
- There is no one way to help your child with autism. Spend time to find what is right for your child and family.
- Be prepared to change things along the way, as your child grows and develops and your preferences and service opportunities change.
- Be resilient and persevere. Keep trying and don’t let any setbacks get you down. Talking with family and friends is a great way to stay strong.
- Taking things a year at a time can help you stay grounded and relaxed when making decisions about the next stage in your child’s treatment.
- Some decisions will be just right – others might need to be changed. This is okay. While you’re discovering more about autism, your child is changing and learning new skills too.
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- Choosing disability service providers
- Types of support for your child with a disability: FAQs
- Disability professionals: what to expect
- Meeting with disability professionals
- Your partnership with disability professionals
- Disability help and support
- Disability services
- Finding and starting early intervention
- You and your partner
- Your extended family
- Help and support outside your family
- Last updated12-02-2009
- Last reviewed09-11-2010
- Acknowledgements
Article developed in collaboration with Amanda Golding, AmaGol Services.
O’Reilly, B. & Smith, S. (2008). Australian autism handbook: The essential resource guide for autism spectrum disorders. Edgecliff, NSW: Jane Curry.
