If you have concerns about your child’s development, talking to a professional who knows your child best is a good place to start. This could be your child’s doctor, early childhood educator or child health nurse.

After talking with your child’s health or education professional our early childhood partners can help you connect to the right supports. If your child is younger than 6, you do not need a diagnosis from your doctor to access support through our early childhood approach. Learn more about how to get help for your child.

Our early childhood partners are professionals with experience working with children younger than 6 with developmental delay and younger than 9 with disability and their families. They focus on delivering family-centred supports using a best practice model .

Our early childhood partners will work with you to understand your child’s needs and connect you to the supports and services that best meet the needs of your child. 

See more about how your child can get help through the early childhood approach.

Find more resources about early connections in accessible formats on the booklets and factsheets page.

What if there are no early childhood partners in my area?

Early childhood partners are not located in remote and very remote areas. If you live in an area that doesn’t have an early childhood partner, and you have concerns about your child’s development or disability you should first speak with your doctor, child health nurse, early childhood educator or other health professional.

Your child’s doctor, child health nurse or early childhood educator can:

  • work with you to understand your child’s needs 
  • provide reports, observations and assessments to evidence your child’s disability or developmental delay
  • support you to submit an Access request to the NDIA

If you live in an area with no early childhood partner, someone from the NDIA will work directly with you, to connect you to supports.

You can contact the NDIS by calling 1800 800 110, email [email protected] or using webchat.

This page current as of
17 April 2024
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