If you have a concern about your child's development, your first point of contact will usually be your health or education professional.

This person may be your family doctor, early childhood educator or child health nurse. Your health professional may also refer you to an NDIS early childhood partner.

Your early childhood partner will gather information to understand your child’s development, so they can connect you to the right supports.

Some of the ways they already do this is through:

• talking to you
• asking for information prepared by the professionals who know your child well
• observing your child in their usual environment
• using assessment and screening tools to understand your child’s development. 

Your early childhood partner will help you connect with the right supports at the right time. This may include early supports. 

Early supports are delivered by your early childhood partner through individual and group sessions for up to 12 months.

They are designed to build capacity in families, carers and children to promote everyday learning.

Early supports use a goal focused approach documented in an early supports plan, which addresses specific concerns about your child’s development, like sharing strategies with families and carers so they can best support their child to build skills.