Early Autism Supports

Children can receive supports in the classroom from 12 months of age and a formal diagnostic assessment of autism is not required.

All classrooms are mainstream, high quality early childhood education settings, located at the La Trobe University Community Children’s Centre (Bundoora) or external centres within 30 minutes’ drive of La Trobe.

Each child’s skills in the classroom are assessed and evaluated twice per year, and their learning and developmental support needs are identified.

Learning goals are developed based on this assessment, their NDIS plan goals, and the priorities of the family and education team. Goals related to the child’s health, safety and well-being are prioritised first, followed by skills to support a child’s participation in the classroom daily routines such as toileting and mealtimes. Building on shared learning experiences with an adult and peers are then incorporated. Each child receives between 10-16 individualized goals across developmental areas relevant to their focus areas.  For example, using and understanding communication, play and social engagement,  fine and gross motor skills, and personal independence..

Each child’s progress is monitored through careful data collection, including:

• Key workers and therapy assistants regularly take data after practising a child's goals in the classroom, using our secure ASDCapture Data App
• Each week, the child’s Key Worker reviews the data to monitor how the child is progressing
• The Key Worker will monitor whether a child is consistently using the skill outlined in the teaching step, inconsistently using the skill, or needing additional supports. This information will be utilised to progress the goal to the next teaching step (for skills consistently used) or to review helpful changes to the teaching step to support learning (e.g. using additional/different prompts, resources, etc).

• High-quality childcare environments that promote engagement in joint activities with peers have been found to positively impact on social and communication development (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network, 2000, 2003). The Early Autism Supports aims to provide autistic children with rich social and learning opportunities in a high quality and social group early learning and care environment, combined with personalised early supports.
• Our Early Autism Supports provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ for families; early supports, long day care alongside peers, and access to Allied Health specialists familiar with your child.
• We have extensive knowledge and experience working with autistic and neurodiverse children, our approach is neurodiversity-affirming, we are empathetic and warm, and we strive to ensure that families feel heard, supported, and empowered

We are a registered NDIS service provider and fees are payable using your child’s NDIS plan and/or private funds.

Fees are charged according to the current NDIS Price Guide, against line items for Capacity Building Supports for Early Childhood Interventions and Therapy Assistant - Level 2.