Call to Action 2 - Early Intervention For Pre-Schoolers
We call for early intervention services that are governed by the following principles
- That every child has access to a minimum 10-15 hours of support per week
- That there is a waiting period of no more than 3 months between diagnosis and service provisio
- That equitable access is provided for all children with special consideration given to families in rural and remote regions.
This is a critical priority for the following reasons:
- All research to date demonstrates that early intervention leads to better outcomes for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
- There are a number of significant stressors that impact on both the family and individual that are exacerbated by an unresponsive service system
- Sustainable positive outcomes are achieved by providing effective support in the early years.
Progress
- In March 2006, the State Government announced an additional $4 million over four years for autism early intervention. The release and allocation of these funds is still pending as at January 2007
- The Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs (February 2007) recommends that the next Commonwealth State Territory Disability Agreement includes a commitment of additional funding for early intervention.