Early Childhood Approach

The NDIS framework designed to guide and support children under nine and their families.

Early Connections

A support pathway for all families, regardless of whether their child will access NDIS services.

Early Intervention Supports

Targeted assistance for children under six with delays, offering short-term, goal-based support.

The NDIS Early Childhood Approach is designed to support children under 6 with developmental delay and children under 9 with disability, along with their families, to access timely and appropriate supports.

It’s about giving children the best possible start in life, building their capacity and independence while guiding families to access services that suit their child’s needs.

Key point: Children under 6 do not require a formal medical diagnosis to receive support through this approach. Early identification and early intervention are central to maximising developmental potential.

Early Childhood Partners

Early childhood partners are local organisations funded by the NDIS to deliver the Early Childhood Approach. Their teams may include:

  • Occupational therapists
  • Speech pathologists
  • Early childhood educators

Roles of Early Childhood Partners:

  • Understand your child’s unique needs
  • Recommend early connections and supports
  • Guide families through NDIS applications if required
  • Provide professional expertise and clinical guidance

Your Child Doesn’t Need a Diagnosis to Get Help

If you have concerns about your child’s development, it’s best to start with a professional who knows your child well:

  • Your child’s doctor
  • Early childhood educator
  • Child health nurse

Common Concerns About Development

These might include how your child:

  • Plays and moves around
  • Takes care of themselves (dressing, feeding, hygiene)
  • Socialises with other children
  • Communicates what they want

Early childhood partners use this information to connect you with the right supports, even if your child is not yet NDIS-eligible.

Early Connections: Support Regardless of NDIS Eligibility

Early connections ensure that children get the supports and services they need, whether or not they are NDIS participants.

Your early childhood partner will help you access:

  • Mainstream and community services
  • Practical information
  • Peer and family connections
  • Early supports
  • Assistance to apply for the NDIS

Mainstream and Community Services:

Early childhood partners help children participate in local services:

  • Childcare, kindergarten, preschool, occasional care, playgroups
  • Schools
  • Health services: GP, paediatrician, child health nurse, vision and hearing services
  • Community health services: Dietetics, child mental health services
  • Family support services: Parenting groups, counselling

These connections help integrate children into supportive environments and provide families with ongoing guidance.

Practical Information:

Early childhood partners provide tailored advice on:

  • Typical child development
  • Everyday learning strategies
  • Promoting independence in home and community routines
  • Behavioural guidance and social skill development

This guidance is practical and actionable, allowing families to incorporate learning into daily life.

Connecting with Other Families:

Peer support and parent networks offer:

  • Shared experiences with families in similar situations
  • Opportunities to celebrate your child’s uniqueness
  • Advice on navigating services, funding, and early intervention programs

Early childhood partners help facilitate these connections to build community and reduce isolation for families.

Early Supports:

Early supports are provided for children under 6 with developmental concerns.

Definition: A developmental concern is a delay in a child’s development that may not fully meet the NDIS definition of developmental delay.

Early supports include:

  • Goal-focused programs tailored to your child’s needs
  • Building everyday learning and independence skills
  • Supporting parents and caregivers to provide consistent guidance at home

Assessment for early supports considers:

  • Parent reports and professional observations
  • Developmental screening and assessment tools
  • Evidence of impact on function
  • Whether mainstream or community services can meet the child’s needs

Developmental Delay and the Early Childhood Approach

What is developmental delay?

Developmental delay occurs when a child finds it harder to perform everyday tasks compared to peers, such as walking, talking, dressing, or feeding themselves.

How Early Childhood Partners assess developmental delay:

  • Talking with parents about day-to-day life
  • Reviewing reports from doctors, therapists, and teachers
  • Observations in natural environments (home, childcare, playground)
  • Assessment tools to compare development against age-appropriate milestones

Next steps:

  • If criteria are met, the early childhood partner may recommend applying for NDIS support
  • If criteria are not fully met, the partner may recommend other early connections or supports

No Early Childhood Partner in your area:

  • NDIA staff will provide direct support
  • Parents can submit NDIS Access Request Forms with supporting documentation
  • Contact NDIS: 1800 800 110

Support for Children with Hearing Loss

Children under 7 with permanent hearing loss:

  • May be referred to Hearing Australia with parental permission
  • Evidence will be forwarded to the NDIA for NDIS access
  • Early connection ensures timely intervention and access to supports

Next Steps:

  • Early childhood partner discusses support needs
  • Supports application to the NDIS
  • NDIS planner develops a plan including capacity-building funding

No Early Childhood Partner locally:

  • NDIS planner will assist directly
  • Guides available for families of deaf or hard-of-hearing children

Steps to Access the NDIS

1. Talking to Your Partner
The first step is to share your concerns with your early childhood partner. They are trained professionals who will listen to your observations about your child’s development, discuss your family’s circumstances, and help you decide whether the NDIS is the right pathway. These conversations are informal, supportive, and centred on what matters most to your child and family.

2. Collecting Reports and Evidence
If your child may need NDIS supports, you will be asked to provide information about their development. This can include medical reports, assessments from health professionals, or school/day-care observations. Your early childhood partner will guide you on what evidence is required and can help you gather it, so you do not feel overwhelmed.

3. The Access Request Process
To apply, an Access Request Form must be completed and submitted to the NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency). This form includes details about your child’s functional abilities, challenges, and the impact on daily life. Your early childhood partner can assist in filling out the form and ensuring all relevant documentation is included.

4. NDIA Involvement
Once submitted, the NDIA reviews the application and evidence. They may contact you for further clarification or request additional information. This step ensures that all decisions are made fairly and in line with NDIS legislation.

What to Expect Next?

  • If your child is eligible: You will meet with your early childhood partner or an NDIS planner to create an individualised NDIS plan. This may include early intervention funding, therapies, and other supports tailored to your child’s goals and needs.
  • If your child is not eligible: You will still receive help through Early Connections, which provides practical advice, strategies, and links to community and mainstream services. This ensures families receive guidance and support even without an NDIS plan.

By following these steps, families can feel confident that they will be supported at every stage, whether or not their child enters the NDIS.

NDIS Evidence Requirements By Disability

Treating health professional

Any member of a multidisciplinary team:

  • ABI health professionals.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Care and need scale (CANS) (17 years and over)
  2. World Health Organisation disability assessment schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under).

Health professional

Autism diagnosed by a specialist multi-disciplinary team, paediatrician, psychiatrist or clinical psychologist:

  • Paediatrician
  • Psychologist
  • Psychiatrist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Speech Therapist.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V)
  2. Vineland adaptive behavior scale (Vineland-II)
  3. World Health Organisation disability assessment schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 (17 years and over) or
  4. PEDI-CAT (16 years and under).

Treating health professional

  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physical Therapist
  • Pediatrician
  • Physiotherapist.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Gross motor functional classification scale (GMFCS)
  2. Other: Manual ability classification scale (MACS)
  3. Other: Communication function classification system (CFCS).

Treating health professional

  • Audiologist.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Hearing impairment responses and groupings guide (17 years and over) or,
  2. PEDI-CAT (16 years and under)
  3. Other: Hearing acuity score

Health professional

Any member of a multidisciplinary team, such as a:

  • Paediatrician
  • Psychologist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Speech Therapist.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V)
  2. Vineland adaptive behavior scale (Vineland-II)
  3. World Health Organisation disability assessment schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under).

Treating health professional

  • Neurologist
  • Disease steps trained Nurse examiner.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Disease steps
  2. Patient determined disease steps (PDDS)
  3. Other: Expanded disability status scale (EDSS).



Health professional

  • Paediatrician
  • Psychiatrist
  • General Practitioner (GP)
  • Psychologist (in limited circumstances).

Other specialist health professionals who can provide evidence:

  • Clinical Psychiatric staff (eg. Mental health/Psychiatric nurses, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers)
  • Mental Health Allied Health Professionals
  • Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN) trained mental health staff (including Mental Health Peer Workers).

Disability evidence

A statement from a treating health professional, including information about:

  • how long they have been working with you
  • evidence of the mental health condition, a diagnosis is helpful if available
  • treatments you have explored and any you have not tried (with reasoning)
  • how your mental health condition impacts on your everyday life (a functional assessment may be helpful).

Functional assessments (in order of preference): 

These can be provided by a treating health professional or other people as listed above:

  1. Life Skills Profile 16 measure (LSP-16)
  2. Health of the Nation Outcomes Scale (HoNOS)
  3. World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS).

Find out more about providing supporting evidence on the Psychosocial disability page.

Treating health professional

Any member of a multidisciplinary team:

  • Neurologist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Recreational Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Psychiatrist.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Level of lesion, or
  2. American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (ASIA/AIS)
  3. World Health Organisation disability assessment schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 (17 years and over) or
  4. PEDI-CAT (16 years and under).

Treating health professional

Any member of a multidisciplinary team

  • Neurologist.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS).

Treating health professional

  • Ophthalmologist.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Vision impairment questionnaire (17 years and over) or
  2. PEDI-CAT (16 years and under)
  3. Other: Visual acuity rating.

Health professional

Any member of a multidisciplinary team, such as a:

  • Paediatrician
  • Psychologist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Speech Therapist.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V)
  2. Vineland adaptive behavior scale (Vineland-II)
  3. World Health Organisation disability assessment schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under).

Health professional

  • Paediatrician
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Speech Therapist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Social Worker.

Disability evidence (in preference order)

  1. World Health Organization disability assessment schedule
  2. (WHODAS) 2.0 (17 years and over)
  3. PEDI-CAT (16 years and under).

For some disabilities, information about impact on functionality may not be required

Eligible for NDIS Funding? Ready to Take the Next Step?

Congratulations on meeting the eligibility requirements! Let us guide you through the application process and help you access the support and services you need with confidence.

How Do i Apply?
  • Children under 6 with developmental delay
  • Children under 9 with disability

No. Children under 6 do not need a medical diagnosis for early childhood approach supports.



Early childhood partners assess using observations, parent reports, assessments, and professional reports.

  • Mainstream services (school, childcare, health)
  • Practical information for families
  • Peer and parent networks
  • Early supports for children under 6
  • Assistance to apply for NDIS

  • Hearing Australia can refer your child to the NDIS
  • Early childhood partners will assist with planning and supports

  • NDIA staff will provide direct support
  • You can submit NDIS Access Request Forms
  • Ongoing support is available through doctors, therapists, or educators

  • Capacity-building supports
  • Early intervention funding
  • Therapies (OT, speech, physiotherapy)
  • Equipment and specialised services as needed

  • Visit the NDIS website or call 1800 800 110
  • Partners will assess needs and connect you to supports

Yes. Early childhood partners will guide you on community, educational, and health service participation.

It varies depending on your child’s needs. Early supports are goal-focused and flexible, supporting children until they transition to NDIS or community services.


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