An early childhood partner can work with you to develop an NDIS plan, identify goals, and find supports to best meet needs.
Image Description: Early Childhood Professional sitting with a clipboard talking to a young girl.
NDIS early childhood partners are teams of early childhood professionals, including therapists and educators, who deliver services to support the NDIS early childhood approach. They have experience and expertise in working with children with developmental delay or disability and their families to identify the type and level of support a child needs to achieve the best outcomes.
They use their knowledge of child development to gather information about how your child – or a child you care for - does everyday activities to help work out the supports they need.
They can also provide short term early intervention supports, or help you request access to the NDIS if your child needs these supports longer term.
Your early childhood partner will speak with you about the different ways you and your child can receive supports.
This can include:
Connecting you to mainstream and community services
Providing practical information that’s relevant to your child’s development
Connecting you to other families
Providing information about accessing early supports
Supporting you and your child with an application to join the NDIS
Accessing an early childhood partner is free, and you do not need a referral or diagnosis from a medical professional to access support through the NDIS early childhood approach.
Visit the NDIS website to find an early childhood partner in your area.
If you live in a remote area of Australia - you may have difficulty accessing NDIS early childhood partners.
Speak with your doctor, child health nurse, early childhood educator or another health professional if you have concerns about your child’s development or disability. They should be able to connect you to available community and mainstream services and, if relevant, help you submit a request to access the NDIS.
Have more questions about early childhood partners? Or, can share some experiences or tips? Come join the discussion and log into Kinora. The community would love to hear from you.
Check out the ‘Connecting with an early childhood partner’ video from the NDIS for an insight into the work of early childhood partners. Click the link below
