NDIA General Manager Media, Communications and Engagement, Maryanne Diamond, said the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) would provide Australian children who had developmental delay or disability with the reasonable and necessary supports they needed to live an ordinary life.

‘These new online resources will help parents understand how the NDIS can support their child, be it through early intervention, personal care and support, access to the community, therapy services or essential equipment,’ Ms Diamond said.

‘The NDIS is a big change, but there’s things parents can do in the lead up to get NDIS Ready, such as find out when the NDIS will be available in their area and think about their child’s goals.’

The free resources cover many common queries including: what is the NDIS, how parents can access it, how to go about choosing services, early intervention and transitioning from Better Start and Helping Children With Autism to the NDIS.

Several videos feature real-life stories from parents of children with disability who are already receiving support from the NDIS.

Associate Professor Julie Green, Executive Director Raising Children Network, said the new videos and articles provided parents with valuable support.

‘The NDIS provides new choices for parents, along with questions about what support is available for their child and how best to access it,’ Associate Professor Green said.

‘Our partnership means raisingchildren.net.au provides practical information for parents seeking to understand what the NDIS means for supporting their child’s individual needs.’

The NDIS national rollout began on 1 July 2016. The Scheme will grow to support 140,000 Australian children aged 0 to 14 with disability. The NDIS is being introduced in stages over the next three years to ensure it is successful and sustainable.

The Raising Children Network website is visited by over 40,000 Australians each day and contains more than 2,200 resources on parenting from pregnancy to teens.

The new NDIS resources are freely available at raisingchildren.net.au/ndis.

For further information or to arrange an interview with Associate Professor Julie Green, Executive Director Raising Children Network, please contact:

Natalie Perrin, Media and Communications Advisor
nperrin@parentingrc.org.au
0407 839 298