Helping Children with Autism
The Helping Children with Autism program
The Helping Children with Autism program was implemented on 1 July 2008 across the Department of Health and Ageing, the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
The package assists children with autism or any other pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) such as Rett’s Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome or childhood disintegrative disorder.
Department of Health and Ageing
In 2008, the Helping Children with Autism program created new items in the Medicare Benefits Schedule to provide early intervention services from eligible allied health professionals (occupational therapists, psychologists, and speech pathologists) for children diagnosed with autism or any other pervasive developmental disorder.From 1 July 2011, children eligible for the Helping Children with Autism program have access to a broader range of allied health professionals. Medicare items are available for eligible children to access services form eligible audiologists, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, psychologists and speech pathologists.
Medicare items are available for:
- paediatricians and psychiatrists to diagnose and develop a treatment and management plan for a child aged under 13 years on referral from a general practitioner;
- audiologists, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, psychologists and speech pathologists to provide up to four services in total per child per lifetime, to collaborate with the paediatrician or psychiatrist on the diagnosis, where required. These services must be provided before the child’s 13th birthday; and
- audiologists, occupational therapists, optometrists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, psychologists and speech pathologists to provide up to 20 early intervention treatment services in total per child per lifetime following a diagnosis of autism/PDD for the child, and consistent with the treatment and management plan prepared by the referring practitioner. These services must be provided before the child’s 15th birthday, provided an autism/PDD treatment and management plan was in place before the child’s 13th birthday.
Better Start for Children with Disability initiative
