Great News.
Connect Therapy, has now been approved by the Australian Government as an official autism service provider under the “Helping Children With Autism” package.
Most of our non-Australian readers will have no idea what this means…
So what does this mean?
The Australian Government has committed $190 Million to help support families with children aged 0-6 who have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Essentially, families will be able to access up to $12,000 of funding to pay for approved early intervention services for their child.
This is great news for families and although $12,000 doesn’t go along way when it comes to specialist intervention services for autism, every bit helps!
It has felt very good coming on board with the program as a recognised autism provider after many years helping families and professionals working with children with autism… we can’t ask for a better endorsement than from the government 🙂
Since becoming an approved provider, the MOST ASKED QUESTION we’ve been getting from families has been…
Can we use Fahcsia funding to order your Training Programs and DVDs?
The answer is YES.
This will generally need to be done through your approved Fahcsia provider.
Read on…
Using your Fahcsia funding to purchase autism resources
Step 1 – Firstly, you need to be eligible and approved to access the funding in order to receive services from an approved Fahcsia service provider.
Step 2 – Once you are working with an approved provider or therapist, find the resources you would like to purchase and tell your therapist that you would like them to incorporate them into your child’s treatment plan.
Your therapist will need to endorse the resources in order to include them in your child’s treatment plan. Most providers are happy to work with you to maximise your funding and get all the help you can!
We are also very happy to speak with any therapists or professionals wishing to find out more about our training resources so they can get a better understanding of how they may be able to help.
Step 3 – Your provider then orders the resources and supplies them to you. They then claim back the cost of the resources through Fahcsia as they are already doing for other services they are already providing under the funding.
Note: The Autism Association of NSW and several other approved organisations have already purchased our Autism Essentials Programs on behalf of their clients using Fahcsia funding.
So it’s fairly straightforward. It’s just a matter of knowing how the system works 🙂
IMPORTANT!
If you live in Australia and haven’t already applied for the funding, then I would strongly recommend that you do so. You definitely don’t want to miss out!
Further information about the Helping Children with Autism Package available from www.fahcsia.gov.au, www.health.gov.au/autism and www.deewr.gov.au
If you live outside Australia then I would also encourage you to inquire about any grants or funding initiatives that may be available in your country. Your first call should probably be to your national Health Department.
So to wrap this up. This is excellent news for Australian families. If your child is 0-6 years of age and has already received a diagnosis of ASD, then get going, apply for the funding and track down the best programs and services to help your child as soon as you can. Because I imagine the waiting lists for many services might be overflowing!
best wishes
Monique
PS: If you are stuck on waiting lists then the Autism Essentials Training Program can be and great resource if you need immediate access to a program that will rapidly increase your knowledge and skills and help you gain an in depth understanding of your child and how you can best help them. What’s more it will nicely complement and enhance any programs that you are already doing.
PPS: If you live in Sydney and are interested in using your funding to do our intensive 4 month In-home Therapy Program (with me as your therapist), then please register your interest early to avoid long waiting periods. The cost of the full program is $4,500 and is fully claimable using your funding.
Tags: Connect Therapy, Fahcsia, Funding, Helping Children With Autism Package
