Department  of Social Services previously funded early childhood intervention and supports

Early Days Workshops

Early Days Workshops provided flexible and tailored support for parents and carers of children with autism, or disability including those from diverse cultural and Indigenous backgrounds, and those living in rural and remote areas. The workshops helped parents and carers to:

  • better support their children
  • learn new coping skills
  • more effectively manage the pressures they face in raising their children
  • create links within their local community.

Funding for this service ceased on 31 December 2022. 

PlayConnect Playgroups

The PlayConnect Playgroups targeted children aged 0-6 years with autism or autism-like symptoms. They usually met weekly for two hours during school terms. During playgroup sessions, parents, carers and children participated in a variety of play activities and experiences specifically suited to the needs of children with autism.

Funding for this service ceased on 31 December 2022. 

Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres

In 2009-10, the Australian Government established six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres. These centres were established to provide early learning programs and specific support for children aged zero to six years with autism in a long day care setting. They also provided parents with support in the care of their children and gave them the opportunity to participate more fully in the community. Through their affiliations with universities or hospitals, the centres were established with a research and workforce training component to help achieve a better understanding of autism and increase workforce capacity.

The centres supported the capacity of:

  • children with autism to participate in child care, early learning and education settings to interact with other children and transition to further educational and therapeutic settings;
  • parents and carers of children with autism to participate in the community and manage the needs of their children with autism; and
  • the early childhood sector to develop strategies to improve access, collaborate to facilitate research and develop best practice and to build workforce capability.

Service delivery models for the Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres were based on best practice principles for working with children with autism.

Intake and enrolment of children is managed by each Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre. A child’s place at a centre needs to be funded either through a child’s individualised National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan or directly by a family. 

Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre were established in each of the following locations:

Location Service Name Service Provider
South Western Sydney KU Marcia Burgess Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre KU Children’s Services
Brisbane Queensland Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre – AEIOU for Children with Autism AEIOU Foundation
Adelaide Anglicare – SA, Daphne Street Child Care and Specialist Early Learning Centre Anglicare South Australia Inc
North West Tasmania North West Tasmania Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre St Giles Society
Melbourne La Trobe University Community Childrens Centre La Trobe University
Perth First Steps Autism Day Care Midland The Autism Association of Western Australia

Transition to the NDIS

DSS, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), and service providers actively supported children receiving early intervention supports at Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres to transition to the NDIS to ensure they continue to receive required supports.

Evaluation of the Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres

In 2012, O’Brien and Rich Research Group conducted an evaluation of the Government’s six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres. They found that the centres’ comprehensive and quality early intervention services were highly valued by families.

A summary of the Evaluation recommendations, the Government response and existing and proposed actions is also available.

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