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8 Speak Out June 2016
Early Childhood Intervention Australia
(ECIA) has released the new ‘National Guidelines for
Best Practice in Early Childhood Intervention’ ahead
of the rollout of the NDIS. The guidelines aim to help
healthcare professionals provide a consistent, high
quality care to children with disabilities
across Australia.
The guidelines identify four quality areas for EI
services, comprising eight key best practices:
Family - family centred and strengths based practice
and culturally responsive practice
Inclusion - inclusive and participatory practice,
engaging the child in natural environments
Teamwork - collaborative teamwork practice,
capacity building practice
Universal principles - evidence base, standards,
accountability and practice.
The guidelines are available on the ECIA website,
and provide very welcomed improved clarity about
the principles endorsed by the NDIS, and facilitating
nationally consistent provision of early childhood early
interventions within best practice principles.
Best practice guidelines for Early Childhood Intervention
ASD-paper released
Reports from the COAG Health Council meeting
in April indicate that the Council is progressing the
admission of the paramedic profession into the
National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.
Speech Pathology Australia has repeatedly been
told that no new professions will be included in the
scheme.
Speech Pathology Australia has written to every
Health Minister and Shadow Health Minister in
Australia to seek meetings to discuss inclusion of
the speech pathology profession in the National
Registration and Accreditation Scheme. A media
release was also distributed. Subsequently a number
of meetings have been secured.
Speech Pathology Australia continues to argue to the
health ministers that the protections of public safety
afforded by national registration need to be extended
to people receiving speech pathology services in
Australia.
Ronelle Hutchinson
Manager, Policy and Advocacy
Association news
The NDIA has recently released the ‘Autism spectrum
disorder: Evidence-based/evidence-informed good practice
for supports provided to preschool children, their families
and carers’, commissioned to inform the NDIS in decisions
about provision of supports which are reasonable and
necessary. Members can find the document at http://www.
for%20Autism%20research%20report.pdf
NDIS updates
National Registration Update