Her son Michele has autism,and he participated in a groundbreaking program called Inklings,which is funded by the NDIS.
Alianna with her son Michele and his sister.Supplied
“The support and therapies[Michele has received] have been an absolute game-changer,” Alianna says.
“Michele is so much happier,he’s really thriving now,and it’s so beautiful to see.”
Stories like Alianna’s and Michele’s are the human reality that lies behind the newspaper headlines and pundits’.
With – many of whom have autism or other neurodiverse profiles – the Government has recently announced that more support will be provided outside the NDIS.
The review,launched by NDIS Minister Bill Shorten,recommends that places such as schools and early childhood education centres be better equipped to support children with disabilities.
For those of us advocating for better access to early childhood education for all Australia’s children,this recommendation is welcome.
As well as providing practical steps forward,it acknowledges that support for children with disability and neurodiverse profiles is not a cost,but an investment. And perhaps the best time this investment can be made is in the first five years of life.
The Inklings program has found that identifying social communication delays in babies as young as six months,and giving their parents the tools to help them develop,sets them up to thrive and that they will face fewer struggles later in life.
But Australia’s early childhood education sector is under strain.. Many don’t have the support they need to identify and act on developmental delays that may be an early sign of disability.
And many parents simply can’t afford to send their children to early childhood education in the first place,with a.
The NDIS is one of the greatest pieces of social policy we have seen in Australia since Medicare. When I was premier of South Australia,I was proud that our state was the first launch site for the NDIS,beginning with support for young children with disability.
But as policymakers are increasingly recognising,the NDIS is not the answer to everything.
All the institutions people come into contact with during their lives – from childcare centres to schools,hospitals and housing services – have a role in supporting people with disability.
Providing that support right from the start is key to setting kids up for a happy and fulfilling life.
With the right support,early childhood educators can identify and assist children with early developmental differences and create environments that support them and their families to thrive in the long term.
And when speech pathology,occupational therapy and other health and disability services are provided on-site at early childhood education centres,kids can receive the support they need in familiar settings.
The evidence is there,and we know what we need to do. Now it is up to governments to act.
A first step for the federal government would be to make early childhood education more affordable by abolishing or amending the activity test for the childcare subsidy,as recommended by the Productivity Commission,Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce.
This would get more children into childcare,where they would benefit from formal education tailored to their abilities.
Early identification and intervention are life-changing. As Michele’s mum Alianna puts it:“He can communicate so much more effectively with us and everybody around him,which has completely opened up his world.”
All children deserve support to thrive,right from the very start of their lives. Investing in early childhood education is the key.
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