Early Connections: Supporting Children Under 9 & Their Families
Early Connections are part of the NDIA’s nationally recognised early childhood approach. They are intended to support children younger than 9 and their families when there are concerns about development or when a child has a disability. Early Connections can be accessed regardless of whether a child is eligible for the NDIS, and a child does not need to have a diagnosis to start getting help through Early Connections.
Early Connections are best understood as a pathway to get the right information and supports early, reduce delays in accessing help, and strengthen a child’s participation in everyday settings (home, childcare, community activities, etc.) while also supporting family wellbeing. This does not automatically mean an NDIS application is required or appropriate in every situation. The Early Connections pathway is designed to respond to a child’s needs, not a single “one size fits all” process.
What are Early Connections?
Early Connections are funded by the NDIS and are available when families have concerns about development or where a child has a disability. Early Connections are for children younger than 9. The focus is on building on the child’s strengths and supporting the skills they need to participate in everyday activities. Supports and services are individualised and based on the child’s needs and the family’s circumstances.
The purpose is to ensure families can access supports and services matched to the child’s needs as early as possible because early supports can improve long-term outcomes and opportunities for the child.
They can support families whether or not the child becomes an NDIS participant. Some Early Connections supports are available to families living in Australia regardless of citizenship or visa status, while NDIS participation eligibility still requires meeting residence requirements.
Early Connections are delivered in line with the National Best Practice Framework for Early Childhood Intervention. This framework describes evidence-informed approaches to high-quality early childhood intervention in Australia.
Accessing Early Connections
Early Connections are accessed through early childhood partners. Early childhood partners are teams of early childhood professionals, including childhood teachers, educators, and allied health professionals. They are funded by the NDIA to deliver the early childhood approach. Early childhood partners use observations and assessment information to understand a child’s development and identify suitable supports.
Families often start by speaking with a General Practitioner (GP), child health nurse, health service, or early childhood educator. These professionals can be a practical first point of contact and can refer families to an early childhood partner. Referral information can help the early childhood partner understand what concerns have been raised and what supports have already been tried.
After initial contact (or a referral), an early childhood partner contacts the family to discuss next steps and identify the right level of support.
Early Childhood Partners
Early childhood partners gather information to understand a child’s development and needs, but they do not make diagnoses. If a family wants a diagnosis, the early childhood partner can support them to connect with appropriate professionals (such as a GP).
Early childhood partners gather information in multiple ways including conversations with parents/carers about day-to-day life like how a child plays, communicates, interacts, self-cares, and expresses needs.
The NDIA also describes the use of an ecomap which is a diagram that maps a child’s current connections and supports across informal supports and mainstream/community supports. This helps identify what is working, where gaps exist, and what additional supports may help.
Early childhood partners may also review existing reports from doctors, therapists, and educators, and may use screening and assessment tools. The NDIA provides an example developmental screening tool called the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), used alongside observations, parent reports, educator input, and other functional assessments.
What Might Early Connections Include
There are several types of Early Connections supports that may be offered, often in combination depending on a child’s needs:
1. Connections to mainstream and community services
Early childhood partners may connect families to mainstream and community supports such as early childhood education services (childcare, preschool, playgroups), schools, health services (GPs, paediatricians, child health nurses, hearing and vision services), community health services, and family support services (peer groups, counselling).
2. Practical information relevant to a child’s development
Depending on needs, an early childhood partner may provide practical information and strategies that can be used in daily routines. The NDIA lists common topics such as play, communication, behaviour, and best practice in early childhood intervention.
3. Connections with other families for peer support
Early childhood partners may connect families to peer support networks where families can share information and experiences, build confidence, and reduce isolation. These supports may be one-to-one or group-based and online or face-to-face.
4. Early supports (for some children younger than 6)
Early childhood partners may recommend a short period of early supports for children younger than 6 who have developmental concerns. Early supports are described as capacity-building and goal-focused, delivered in everyday settings. They are typically offered for 3 to 6 months (up to a maximum of 12 months where required). An “early supports plan” is used to document goals, likely support needs, what is happening currently, and next steps with families receiving a copy of the plan.
Examples of early supported listed by the NDIA include:
Parent workshops (behaviour, feeding, toileting, etc.)
Strategies to support participation (such as visual supports for communication or environmental changes)
Building the capacity of mainstream services support the child
Support to prepare for transitions (such as starting preschool or school)
5. Support to apply to the NDIS (where relevant)
Families can choose to apply to the NDIS on behalf of their child while using Early Connections. Early childhood partners can support families to gather information and evidence for an application, including evidence about how a child’s functional capacity is affected.
If a child becomes an NDIS participant, information is collected through Early Connections (goals, assessments, and connections) can inform NDIS planning.
Remote & Very Remote Areas
Early childhood partners are not located in remote and very remote areas. In those circumstances, the NDIA recommends families speak first with a doctor, child health nurse, early childhood educator, or other health professional, and notes that someone from the NDIS will work directly with the family to make Early Connections.
After Early Connections
The Early Connections journey may be brief or may extend over several months. Families can reconnect with an early childhood partner at any time while the child remains under 9 years of age. If ongoing support is likely to be needed after a child turns 9, families can be connected to a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) as their partner in the community.
Early Connections are designed to provide timely, practical support for children younger than 9 and their families when there are concerns about development or disability. They can include links to mainstream and community supports, practical information and strategies, peer support connections, short-term early supports (for children under 6), and assistance to apply to the NDIS where appropriate.
Early childhood partners play a central role in gathering information, understanding a child’s needs, and recommending the right combination of supports while eligibility decisions remain with the NDIA.
Get the Support You Need with Purple Leopard Plan Management
At Purple Leopard, we’re here to help participants to navigate the complexities of the NDIS. Contact us today to learn how we can support you in getting the most out of your NDIS plan!
For more information on your NDIS Access Request visit: ndis.gov.au
Or Call the NDIS
For Participants: 1800 800 110
For Providers: 1300 311 675