NDIS for Children: Early Childhood Approach Explained

The NDIS early childhood approach helps children younger than 9 who have a developmental delay or disability. Children under 6 do not need a diagnosis to start. In south-west Sydney, a local early childhood partner called EACH talks with your family, connects you to supports, and helps you apply to the NDIS if your child needs it.

Key takeaways

• The early childhood approach is for children younger than 9. The "developmental delay" pathway is for children younger than 6.
• Children under 6 do not need a diagnosis for the early childhood approach.
• Your first contact is an early childhood partner, not a plan meeting. In the south-west Sydney region, that partner is EACH.
• Early connections are available even if your child is not eligible for the NDIS.
• Children 9 and older work with a local area coordinator instead.

What is the NDIS early childhood approach?

The early childhood approach is an NDIS pathway for children younger than 9 who have delays in their development or a disability. According to the NDIS guide to the early childhood approach, it aims to help young children build their skills, take part in daily activities and be included in their community.

It works differently from a standard NDIS application. Instead of starting with paperwork, you start with a conversation. A local organisation, called an early childhood partner, helps your family understand your child's needs and finds the right supports. Those supports focus on everyday places where children learn, like home, childcare, playgroup and preschool.

The first thing most families hear about is "early connections", so that is worth understanding next.

Who is the early childhood approach for: under 6 or under 9?

It is for children younger than 9 with delay or disability, and children younger than 6 can also use it for developmental delay. The two ages confuse many families, so here is how they fit together, based on the NDIS pages on the early childhood approach and how to get help for your child.

The NDIS separates two terms. "Developmental concerns" describes delays that do not meet the NDIS definition of developmental delay. "Developmental delay" means a child finds it much harder to do everyday things that other children their age can do, and the child must be younger than 6 and meet the definition in the NDIS Act 2013 to qualify under that heading. Either way, your first step is the same, and it does not start with a diagnosis.

Does my child need a diagnosis for the NDIS early childhood approach?

No, not if your child is younger than 6. The NDIS states that children younger than 6 do not need a diagnosis for the early childhood approach. That matters because waiting for an assessment or a specialist appointment can take months, and early support is meant to start sooner.

This does not mean the NDIS plan itself needs no evidence. If your child goes on to apply to the NDIS under the developmental delay category, the NDIS asks for evidence from a doctor, specialist or other treating professional. Your early childhood partner can tell you what to gather, so you do not have to guess.

For children aged 6 to 8, the NDIS pages we read do not say whether a diagnosis is needed for early connections, so ask your partner directly.

Who is the early childhood partner for Bankstown and south-west Sydney?

In the south-west Sydney region, the early childhood partner is EACH. The NDIS list of NSW partners names EACH for South Western Sydney, Lifestart for Sydney and South Eastern Sydney, and Northcott for Western and Northern Sydney.

On its early childhood approach page, EACH lists the Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Camden, Fairfield and Wollondilly areas among those it covers, for children aged 0 to 8. Its Bankstown office is at 37 Stanley Street, Bankstown NSW 2200. The NDIS listing for that office shows Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm, and phone 1300 003 224.

Not sure whether your suburb falls under EACH? Call the NDIS on 1800 800 110 and ask who your early childhood partner is. If your child is 9 or older, the same NSW partner list shows that Settlement Services International delivers local area coordination in South Western Sydney and Sydney.

Once you know who to call, the next question is what the first few weeks look like.

How do you get help for your child? Three steps

You get help in three steps, based on the NDIS page on how to get help for your child.

1. Speak to a health or education professional. This could be your family doctor, an early childhood educator or a child health nurse. Tell them your concerns about your child's development. They may also connect you with a partner.
2. Understand your options. Learn the difference between early connections, early supports and an NDIS plan (all covered below).
3. Contact an early childhood partner. You can be referred, or you can contact them directly using the NDIS office finder. The partner talks with you, asks for information from the professionals who know your child, observes your child in their usual environment, and may use assessment and screening tools.

You do not need a referral to make that call, and you can start at step 3 if you already know who to contact.

What are early connections and early supports?

Early connections are quick links to help, and early supports are a short program of support. The NDIS describes them as two different things, and many families mix them up.

Early connections are for children younger than 6 with developmental delay, or younger than 9 with disability. They can include links to community and mainstream services, practical information about child development, peer support from other families, early supports, and help to apply to the NDIS. Your child does not have to be eligible for the NDIS to get them.

Early supports are for children younger than 6 with developmental concerns. They usually last 3 to 6 months and can run up to 12 months. They are designed to build your capacity and your child's, across everyday settings including your home. The partner records the plan in an early support plan.

Partners can also check whether your child is likely to benefit from early support, and they monitor your child's progress and help them move on from the early childhood approach when that is the right step.

What if my child is not eligible for the NDIS, or we are on a temporary visa?

Your child can still get early connections even if they do not qualify for the NDIS. The NDIS states that your child does not need to be eligible for the NDIS for early connections, and that some early connections are available to families living in Australia regardless of citizenship or visa status.

The NDIS itself is different. Your child must meet the residence requirements to be eligible for an NDIS plan. If you are unsure where your family stands, ask your partner early. The NDIS also states that if a child does not meet the eligibility requirements, the partner can connect you with supports in your community.

For general eligibility questions beyond early childhood, our guide on whether you are eligible for the NDIS covers the basics for all ages.

When does a child need an NDIS plan instead?

A child younger than 6 needs an NDIS plan when their developmental delay meets the NDIS requirements, and the partner can support you to apply. The NDIS early intervention eligibility page lists what is needed.

For a child younger than 6, the NDIS needs evidence that your child is under 6 and meets the residence requirements. It also needs evidence from your child's doctor, specialist or treating professional showing a developmental delay that:

• is due to mental or physical impairments,
• substantially reduces your child's functional capacity compared with other children the same age, and
• means your child needs specialist services from more than one professional working as a team for longer than 12 months.

Hearing loss has its own rule: a person aged 25 or younger may be eligible with a specialist audiological assessment that meets the NDIS criteria. The same page tells you to get in touch with your local NDIS partner if you are unsure, because they can help you understand which requirements you might meet.

What happens after your child gets an NDIS plan?

After approval, your family chooses how the plan is managed and starts using the funding. You can self-manage, use a plan manager, or have the NDIA manage it, and you can mix them. Our comparison of self-managed, plan-managed and NDIA-managed plans explains the differences in plain English.

Before your first plan meeting, it also helps to know what happens in the room, and our guide to what happens at your first NDIS planning meeting walks through it. If you want to see what kinds of NDIS supports exist once a plan is in place, our NDIS services page lists the supports Care Steps Australia delivers.

Conclusion

The early childhood approach exists so families can get help early and without a long wait. For children younger than 9, it starts with a conversation with an early childhood partner. For children younger than 6, it does not require a diagnosis. In south-west Sydney, that partner is EACH, and the NDIS on 1800 800 110 can confirm which one serves your suburb.

Questions about NDIS supports in Punchbowl or south-west Sydney?

Care Steps Australia is a registered NDIS provider (see our NDIS Commission registration), based in Punchbowl and serving Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Campsie, Lakemba, Greenacre and Sydney. We are not an early childhood partner, so we do not run the early childhood approach. If you want to talk about how NDIS supports work once a plan is in place, contact our team on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

Care Steps Australia
48 Lancaster Avenue, Punchbowl NSW 2196
Phone: (02) 8201 3100
Email: info@carestepsaustralia.com.au
Find us on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZsJQgwvKcMMUVb1MA