Fequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I choose more than one service provider from the panel?
A: Families are able to use the early intervention funding to choose the services that best suit their child. They are able to spend the funding package with any number of the providers on the approved panel.
Q: If I don’t spend all the money in the one financial year, can I carry it over to the next year?
A: Families can choose to use the funding within a short period of time while the child remains eligible or spread the funding over the course of the financial year or longer. Any unspent funds can be carried over to the next financial year with no more than $6,000 used in any one financial year and only while the child remains eligible.
Q: Can I use the $6,000 funding package to purchase resources?
A: Families are able to purchase equipment and supporting materials with their funding package if they are recommended as part of an intervention and are for the benefit of the child. These items can only be purchased if they are supplied by a panel service provider.
No more than 35% of the total funding (i.e. $2,100 per financial year) can be spent on resources.
Q: How do I know how much of the funding package has been spent?
A: There are two ways for families to keep track of how much of the funding package has been spent. Firstly, the service provider must provide families with a copy of the invoice for services that have been received. Secondly, FaHCSIA will provide families with a monthly Activity Statement detailing the payments that have been made to service providers on a family’s behalf. This statement will be e-mailed or posted (if an e-mail address has not been provided). An Activity Statement will only be sent if a claim has been made in the previous month, and will only include services that have been claimed; not those that have been scheduled.
Q: Is there support for families living in the country to access the early intervention services?
A: Families in rural and remote areas may also be eligible for an additional one off payment of $2,000 in recognition of the additional challenges they face in accessing services. An Autism Advisor will be able to advise a family if they are eligible for this payment and how the payment can be used.
Q: Is there additional support for families from non-English speaking backgrounds?
A: Interpreters can be arranged to support families with an application for the early intervention funding prior to, and during, an appointment with an Autism Advisor.
Q: Can I access early intervention services through both the State and Australian governments?
A: The funding for early intervention services provided by the Australian Government adds to the funding that is already available for early intervention services through the State Government (Disability Services Commission). Families are able to access services through both sources of funding.
Process for applying for State and Federal early intervention services
Q: What happens when my child is no longer eligible for the early intervention funding?
A: Children will become ineligible to access the funding once they turn 7, provided they have been made eligible prior to their 6th birthday.
There are also a number of the initiatives under the Helping Children with Autism package that support families with school age children, such as Medicare and workshops and online information. Families are able to contact an Autism Advisor about these initiatives and other services that may be available through the State government.
Q: What happens to unused funding once my child becomes ineligible?
A: Any leftover funds that are not used while a child is eligible remain within the Helping Children with Autism package to be made available for other eligible children.
Medicare
Q: Can I use the three Medicare benefit schemes at the same time?
A: Yes. The child’s GP and/or paediatrician will determine their eligibility for accessing these schemes.
Q: Can my GP refer me to the Helping Children with Autism Medicare benefit scheme?
A: Referrals for the Helping Children with Autism scheme need to be written by the child’s paediatrician. Referrals for the Enhanced Primary Care Program and Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care only need to be written by a GP.
Q: Can I use my child’s current paediatrician to refer if they work in the public health system?
A: Only private paediatricians registered with Medicare are able to refer under the Helping Children with Autism scheme.
