Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre
National Early Days Workshops
In April 2009 The Parenting Research Centre (PRC) was appointmented by the Australian Government to run a four-year $12m national workshops program for families and carers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). PRC is working in partnership with key Autism research and service delivery organisations including the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre at La Trobe University.
One in 160 Australians are believed to have autism, with approximately 2,500 children diagnosed annually. Every year, the workshops program will provide support and education for 2,500 carers of young children, focusing on the time of diagnosis, when families most need information about autism and how to tackle their child’s complex needs.
The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre was involved in the submission for this tender (The Helping Children with Autism Initiative) to FAHCSIA and in preparing content for the website. The Parenting Research Centre is the lead agency. Other partners in this project include RMIT, Monash, and Autism Victoria.
Early Days Workshops are held in small groups and are led by experienced facilitators. Workshops cover information and strategies to help in the early days of a family's journey.
The Early Days Workshop runs over one full day and gives parents and carers the opportunity to meet other parents and share ideas and experiences.
Early Days is fully funded by the Australian Government. The Early Days workshop is provided free of charge to parents and family carers. Each family who attends the introductory workshop is eligible to receive a $100 support payment to help cover costs such as travel and childcare.
