The NDIS for Children: How the Early Childhood Approach Works (and How to Get Help Without a Diagnosis)

The early childhood approach is how the NDIS supports young children with delays in their development or with disability, along with their families. The aim is simple: get the right support early, while a child's brain is developing fast, so they can build skills and take part in everyday life at home, at childcare or preschool, and in the community.

It is delivered by organisations called early childhood partners. These are local, NDIS-funded organisations with teams of professionals who have experience and clinical expertise working with young children and their families. They are your first point of contact, and they are free to talk to.

The approach now covers two groups of children:

• Children younger than 6 with developmental delay or developmental concerns (no diagnosis required)
• Children younger than 9 with disability (a confirmed diagnosis is usually needed at this age)

A key idea behind the approach is that children learn best in natural, everyday settings - their own home, childcare, playgroup or preschool - and that families know their child best. The support is family-centred: it builds your skills and confidence as a parent or carer, not just the child's, so the learning continues every day, not only during appointments.

The early childhood approach used to support children younger than 7. From 1 July 2023, the age range progressively expanded over about two years to include children younger than 9. This means more children stay with the same early childhood partner through the start of primary school, rather than changing pathways mid-transition.

The split by age matters. For children younger than 6, the pathway is built around developmental delay, and no diagnosis is required. For children aged 6 and up to 9, the focus shifts to disability, and a confirmed diagnosis is usually needed to be eligible for an NDIS plan.

If your child was already an NDIS participant and turned 7 after 1 July 2023, they generally remain with their early childhood partner until they turn 9, provided they still need that support. Because rollout and local arrangements can vary, confirm your child's exact situation with your early childhood partner or by calling the NDIS, especially around birthdays.

One of the most important and least-understood parts of the approach is that you can get help without your child ever becoming an NDIS participant. This is called early connections. The early childhood partner gives families quick access to supports that suit the child's needs, and the NDIS can help you even if your child is not eligible for an individual plan.

Early connections generally fall into a few types:

• Information and links to mainstream and community services, such as your GP, a child health nurse, community health, childcare or preschool
• Connections to other families with similar experiences, so you are not navigating it alone
• Practical information to help you understand your child's development and what to do next
• Early supports: a short period of hands-on support for younger children with developmental concerns
• Information and help to apply to the NDIS, if that is the right step for your child

This matters because many children's needs can be met without a formal NDIS plan. If a few months of the right support and some good information gets your child on track, that may be all that is needed, and it can happen far faster than waiting for a full access decision.

Early supports are a specific type of early connection for children younger than 6 who have developmental concerns. They are designed to be timely and practical, delivered while your early childhood partner gets to know your child, rather than making you wait for a plan.

If your child is offered early supports, the NDIA gives you an early supports plan that sets out your child's goals and support needs, along with possible strategies and resources. Early supports usually run for 3 to 6 months, and up to a maximum of 12 months where required. They can be provided one-on-one or in a group.

In practice, early supports can include things like parent workshops on common topics (behaviour, feeding, toileting), strategies to build your child's skills in everyday routines (for example, visual supports for communication, or small changes to the home environment), and building the capacity of services your child already uses, such as their childcare or preschool, to support them better.

To decide whether to offer early supports, the early childhood partner looks at whether their observations and your parent report show concerns, whether screening and assessment tools show development outside the typical range for the child's age, and whether there is evidence from relevant professionals of a significant impact on the child's function.

For children younger than 6, the pathway into an NDIS plan is through the early intervention requirements for developmental delay. The big advantage at this age is that you do not need a diagnosis. The early childhood partner does not diagnose; instead they gather evidence from health, allied health and early childhood professionals, alongside your observations as a parent.

Under the NDIS, developmental delay refers to a delay in a child younger than 6 that results in a substantial reduction in functional capacity, and that requires support from a combination of professionals for an extended period. "Substantially reduced functional capacity" means that on most days the child's development significantly limits their ability to take part in ordinary daily activities.

That capacity is assessed across six functional domains:

• Self-care
• Communication
• Learning
• Mobility
• Self-management
• Social interaction

Developmental delay covers a spectrum, from developmental concerns through to global developmental delay (GDD), where delays appear across several areas such as language, thinking and movement. If a child does not fully meet the developmental delay threshold, early supports may still be offered. Because the criteria and how they are applied can change, confirm the current rules at the official NDIS guidelines before you apply.

You can start at any time. The simplest first step is to contact a local early childhood partner directly, or call the NDIS on 1800 800 110. A GP, paediatrician, child health nurse or early childhood educator can also help you make that first contact and gather supporting information.

When you connect, the early childhood partner works with you to understand your child's needs and then either provides early connections, helps with early supports, or supports you to apply to the NDIS for an individual plan. If you do apply, they help make sure your evidence (such as diagnosis reports or hospital discharge summaries, where they exist) is included so the application is as complete as possible.

Early childhood partners are not located in every remote and very remote area. If there is no partner near you and you have concerns about your child's development, speak first with your doctor, child health nurse, early childhood educator or another health professional, and you can still contact the NDIS directly. Coverage and local providers differ by state and territory, so it is worth asking who covers your specific area.

If your child gets an NDIS plan, you choose the providers who deliver the therapies and supports, such as speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy or psychology. Your early childhood partner, local area coordinator or support coordinator can help you find and compare options.

Providers that deliver early childhood supports under the NDIS are overseen by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, which sets practice standards specifically for early childhood supports. Registered providers have been checked against those quality and safety requirements. You can look up registered providers through the NDIS Provider Finder.

Before agreeing to work with any provider, it is reasonable to research their services, read reviews, ask friends, family or other parents, and speak with a few providers by phone or in person. The right fit for your child and family matters as much as the service list, so take the time to compare. An independent comparison site like this one can help you shortlist and weigh up options side by side.

The early childhood approach is for children younger than 9. As your child approaches their 9th birthday, your early childhood partner talks you through what comes next, well before the day arrives, so there are no surprises.

Around the month your child turns 9, there is an official handover from the early childhood partner to a local area coordinator (LAC) in your region. All the information about your child's plan and funding is passed across, and an LAC is matched to your family. From there, support shifts from an early-intervention focus to a whole-of-life approach that follows your child's changing needs as they grow.

Not every child needs ongoing NDIS support. If your child has made enough progress, the conversation may instead be about leaving the NDIS, with mainstream and community supports continuing to meet their needs. Your partner and the early childhood transitions team help you prepare either way, including getting ready for your first plan review with the LAC.