The Helping Children with Autism initiative aims to address the considerable need for support and services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.
The initiatives in the package are delivered by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). They total $146 million and fall into two key categories:
- increased access to early intervention services for children aged 0-7 years
- education and support for families and carers of children with ASD.
All initiatives include support for families, carers and children from indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those from rural and remote areas.
On this page, you can find information about the following aspects of the HCWA initiative and other initiatives:
Under the recently-revised early intervention component of the package, all eligible children up to the age of seven years will have access to early intervention funding of up to $12 000 (up to $6000 per financial year), regardless of whether they have commenced school. Eligibility will be determined by an autism advisor on a case-by-case basis using nationally consistent criteria. Eligible children need to have been diagnosed and registered with an autism advisor before their sixth birthday to receive funding.
Families of eligible children can spread the funding over the course of a financial year or use it within a short period of time. Parents who had previously lost access to their early-intervention funding when their child turned six are now eligible for an additional 12 months to use these funds.
Families will choose the early intervention service that best suits their child from the FaHCSIA Early Intervention Service Provider Panel. Panel members will be reimbursed by FaHCSIA on behalf of families for services delivered. The panel is made up of providers delivering evidence-based multidisciplinary interventions.
A national program of 32 full-time equivalent autism advisors has been available across Australia since October 2008. The autism advisor program is provided by the Autism Associations in every state. Advisors assist families and carers of children who are diagnosed with an ASD by providing advice and information about the most appropriate early intervention services. The advisors provide a link between the clinical diagnosis and access to early intervention programs and support services. They also assist eligible families to access the Australian Government funding for early intervention services and grants to support families from rural and remote areas.
To access the early intervention components of the package, families must have an acceptable diagnosis. An acceptable diagnosis will be consistent with one of the following listed disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM) IV under Pervasive Developmental Disorders:
- autistic disorder
- Asperger’s disorder
- Rett’s disorder
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
- Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
The diagnosis of ASD must have been made under the new Medicare diagnosis items or by a state or territory government assessment service or by a private paediatrician or psychiatrist. The diagnosis can be made before parents contact the autism advisors.
From July 2008, the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) introduced new Medicare items. These new items are for:
- consultant physicians (paediatricians and psychiatrists) to diagnose and develop a treatment plan for children under 13 on referral from a GP
- psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists to provide up to four services in total per child to collaborate with the psychiatrist or paediatrician on the assessment where required
- psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists to provide early intervention treatment services following diagnosis (providing up to 20 services in total per child, in any combination of these providers).
Families who reside in an outer regional or remote area might also be eligible to access a one-off payment of $2000 per eligible child to cover the additional expenses associated with accessing early intervention services. This payment is in addition to both the $12 000 funding package and any outreach services available to these areas.
Eligibility for this payment will be based on the Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Australia + (ARIA+) classification. The autism advisors will advise families if they are eligible and administer this payment. This additional funding will give these families options for accessing early intervention services as well as training, respite, resources (such as computers to access online information and books), accommodation, and travel to and from support.
Early Days workshops
The Early Days program provides workshops for parents of children aged six years and under who are on the autism spectrum or who are undergoing assessment. The workshops provide information about ASD, practical ideas and hands-on strategies for dealing with issues such as behaviour, development and more. Online workshops are also available.
You can find out more about the Early Days program and face-to-face workshops from your state autism association.
PlayConnect playgroups
PlayConnect playgroups offer play-based learning for children aged 0-6 with ASD or ASD-like symptoms, as well as social support networks for families. Playgroup facilitators can also help families connect to resources in their local area. Your child doesn’t need a formal ASD diagnosis to join.
As part of the package, FaHCSIA has supported the Raising Children Network to develop a Children with Autism section on this site, raisingchildren.net.au. This provides information, online resources and interactive tools to support parents, carers and professionals.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is delivering two initiatives in addition to the HCWA package.
Positive Partnerships
This program helps improve the educational outcomes for school-aged children with ASD through:
- professional development for teachers and other school staff to support school students with ASD to achieve better educational outcomes
- workshops and information sessions for parents and carers of school students with ASD, including online access.
For more information, visit Positive Partnerships and register to use the online learning portal for parents and teachers.
Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres
The Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres provide early learning programs and specific support for children with ASD. The centres are accredited long-day child care centres and provide services based on best practice principles for working with children with ASD. Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres are currently available in the following locations: South Western Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, North West Tasmania, Melbourne and Perth.
If you would like more information about the Helping Children with Autism package, call the Helping Children with Autism Inquiry Line on 1800 778 581.
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, you can use the National Relay Service to contact any of FaHCSIA’s listed phone numbers.
Email
asd@fahcsia.gov.au (general enquiries)
asdpanel@fahcsia.gov.au (enquires regarding the panel).
The Australian Government has commissioned an external organisation – ARTD Consultants – to evaluate some components of the Helping Children with Autism package. The evaluation aims to inform government about how certain aspects of the HCWA package have been received by families and professionals. If you would like further information about this external evaluation, or would like to provide your feedback, visit the ARTD Consultants website.
