2 new intervention pilots for early signs of neurodiversity in Australian babies

Freya Lucas

May 22, 2023

Save

The Australian Government has introduced new funding to support babies aged between nine and fourteen months who are displaying early signs of autism.

A total of $22.1 million will be provided for two new intervention pilots which will focus on vulnerable infants from a diverse range of families.

Up to 1,500 babies and their families will benefit from the pilots which will be evidence-based and implement best practice design interventions for infants showing early signs of neurodiversity.

The pre-emptive early intervention pilots will be funded through to 2026-27 and have been developed in consultation with the early childhood, disability and health sectors, families and states and territories.

"We want to ensure no one gets left behind and that includes the one in six Australians with disability, including autistic Australians,” said Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth.

The pilots will address the issue of developmental concerns not being detected early enough and provide strengths-based and family-centred interventions to improve outcomes for young children and their families.

About one in 70 Australians have been diagnosed with autism, and for the growing number of Australians on the autism spectrum and with other neurodevelopmental conditions, life outcomes in education, vocation, health and family functioning continue to be far from optimal.

The 2023-24 Federal Budget included $4.9 million to support the consultation phase of the development of the National Autism Strategy including for the development of the National Roadmap to improve health and mental outcomes for people with autism.

“The National Autism Strategy will form a whole-of-life plan to improve outcomes for all autistic Australians, spanning a number of key reform areas including healthcare, education and employment,” Minister Rishworth said.

“The strong representation of people with lived experience of autism on the Council, combined with experts and researchers, ensures autistic voices will be central in the development of the Strategy.

For more information on the National Autism Strategy, visit the Department of Social Services website.

Don’t miss a thing

NSW Early Learning Commission conducts 220 unannounced visits

More than 100 regulatory officers conducted unannounced inspections at over 220 early learning services in a single-day compliance operation, as the NSW Early Learning Commission intensifies oversight across the sector.

Failing the Most Vulnerable: Two WA Childcare Providers Penalised Over Supervision Breaches

In February the Western Australian State Administrative Tribunal handled two separate disciplinary proceedings brought by the CEO of the Department of Communities against out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) providers. Both cases highlight critical failures in active supervision, particularly concerning highly vulnerable children diagnosed with autism who managed to wander away from their respective services unnoticed.

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Water safety remains at the forefront of national concern, as drowning continues to be the leading cause of accidental death for children aged 0-4.

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

The journey to embed ecological identity is a personal one, as identity sits close to one’s heart and is shaped from our own foundational years. For myself, it was founded in warm summer afternoons playing in the rockpools along the beaches in Sydney, discovering the names of all the little creatures that lurked there, including the starfish that suctioned to my curious fingertips.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.