Helpful Websites (7-12 years)
Table of Contents
NDIS
The NDIS website contains lots of information to help you no matter what stage you are at. There are booklets you can download, videos and Easy Read information. You can begin at this page:
NDIS
From here, you will find information and videos to explain each stage.
Planning Resources
NDIS
This NDIS page has booklets to help you understand the NDIS, develop some goals for your child’s NDIS plan, get ready for a planning meeting and use NDIS plans and funds to find and purchase services and supports.
NDIS Participants
Autism Queensland
Autism Queensland has a Family Goal Setting Tool to help families identify and prioritise goals for their child as well as the family’s needs for information, support, and ways of participating in their community. SWAN has copies of this resource at our office that families can borrow.
Autism QLD – Family Goal Setting Tool
Association for Children with a Disability
Association for Children with a Disability have a free downloadable pre-planning workbook to help you prepare for NDIS plan meetings.
ACD NDIS Planning Workbook
Developmental Disability WA (DDWA)
DDWA’s ‘Making Changes through Goal Setting’, is a step-by-step workbook to guide you through a series of questions to help set goals for your child and create a road map to help your child achieve the goal.
DDWA Planning and Making Choices
Down Syndrome WA
Down Syndrome WA’s pre-planning workbook is for people with any kind of disability and any age to prepare for NDIS plan meetings.
Down Syndrome Resources
Recreation
All children benefit from taking part in leisure activities such as sport, hobbies, dance and other skills classes, and from informal play. For autistic children, it is perhaps even more important to find ways they can take part in these activities to gain those physical, social, emotional, creative and intellectual benefits. As a parent/carer, it can feel challenging when it comes to finding activities that suit your child’s interests and that are welcoming and supportive. Here are some places to begin:
Local Community Directory
One of the best sources of information is your local Community Directory. You can find out about all kinds of services, facilities and groups in your local government area. You can use a search function to find up to date information on sporting clubs, hobby groups, music, dance and drama classes, games clubs, Scouts, play centres, outdoor play spaces, swimming pools, gyms, Coder Dojo and much more.
SWAN Services Directory
You can find information about sport and recreational activities and services on the SWAN website using the search function. You can also call or email SWAN to discuss ideas and get information and advice on what’s available.
Therapy and Social Groups
Some therapy providers organise group programs for primary school aged children. These groups often run during school holidays and sometimes after school or on weekends. These programs target friendship social skills, emotion awareness and regulation, and building other skills. They can also provide an opportunity to interact and build friendship with peers with similar interests and experiences. These group programs are often tailored to the needs of the young people, and change regularly. Also available are:
- Secret Agent Society: is available through Outloud Developmental Services and Stepping Stones Therapy Services in Bunbury.
- AutStars is available from SWAN.
Mental Health
There is a range of mental health services and support organisations, for children and adults, that you can access in the south west of WA. You can use the search function on the SWAN website (swanautism.org.au) to find a range of government and non-government services and private mental health practitioners.
The Mental Health Commission also has a search engine to help you find services in your area. swanautism.org.au/my-services
Here is a handy list of some services in the south west:
South West Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) – Bunbury
CAMHS provides free mental health programs to infants, children and young people up to the age of 17.
WA Country Health Service
Mental Health Services
Phone(08) 9722 4300
Access time 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM Mon-Fri
Kids Helpline
Kids Helpline is a free, private, and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25. Counselling from Kids Helpline is available by phone, Webchat and email. Parents can also assist kids to contact Kids Helpline. You can explain that your child is autistic, and that you are helping them to learn to use Kids Helpline.
Phone: 1800 551 800
Kids Helpline – For parents
Kids Helpline also has a wealth of resources on their website for parents. The Kids Helpline website has information and advice on a wide range of topics to help parents support a child who is experiencing anxiety, bullying, exam stress, abuse, family breakdown and much more.
Headspace
Headspace Bunbury, Busselton, and Margaret River are free, confidential services that help young people aged 12 to 25 with mental health support from skilled social workers, psychologists and GPs.
Headspace Bunbury
8 Spencer Street
Bunbury WA 6230
Phone: (08) 6164 0680
Email: info@headspacebunbury.org.au
Headspace Busselton
7 Harris Rd
Busselton WA 6280
Phone: (08) 6164 0680
Email: info@headspacebunbury.org.au
Headspace Margaret River
36 Station Road
Margaret River WA 6285
Phone: (08) 6164 0680
Email: info@headspacebunbury.org.au
eHeadspace
eHeadspace provides free online support and counselling to young people aged 12 – 25 and their families and friends.
RuralLink (WA after hours service)
Provides easy telephone access to experienced community mental health staff, with a focus on supporting people with mental health issues. Hours: 4.30pm – 8:30am Monday to Friday and 24 hours Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. During business hours you will be connected to your local community mental health clinic.
Phone: 1800 552 002
Beyondblue – 1300 224 636 or chat online at Beyond Blue
Lifeline – 13 11 14 or chat online at Lifeline
Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467 or chat online at Suicide Call Back Service
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology (AT) includes all kinds of equipment and technology to support people with disabilities. Each child is different, but some of the kinds of AT a young child with autism might need could be a communication device (AAC/
PODD), apps, or sensory equipment such as sensory clothing.
NDIS will fund some AT if it relates to a person’s disability and is needed to help them in their daily lives.
NDIS Assistive Technology Guide
Apps
Here are some links to lists of Apps for iPads and other devices that you may find useful to support your child’s development.
AutismApps is an Autism Association of WA website. It provides
comprehensive advice on complex communication, devices, and Apps that they
have reviewed.
Autism WA Apps
Indigo Australasia (formerly Independent Living Centre)
Indigo provides a range of services including assessments and advice on communication technologies and other kinds of AT including sensory equipment.
Indigo Assistive Tech Communication Solutions
Indigo Assistive Technology
They also have a searchable online equipment database.
Indigo National Equipment Database
Sensory Equipment
SWAN has a list on its website of companies that offer sensory equipment and clothing: SWAN Sensory Equipment Providers
Inclusion
Developmental Disability WA (DDWA)
‘Starting Out’, produced by DDWA and Early Childhood Intervention Australia (ECIA), is a guide for families to assist the inclusion of young children with disabilities into community life in WA. It is a comprehensive handbook focusing on inclusion in all aspects of the community.
Flipsnack ECEI Parent Guide
Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA)
Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) has produced a range of fact sheets on inclusion.
CYDA Fact Sheets
All Means All
All Means All is the Australian Alliance for Inclusive Education, working to implement an inclusive education system and remove the barriers that limit the rights of some students, including students with disabilities, to access full inclusive education in regular classrooms in Australian schools.
All Means All has produced an Inclusion Toolkit to guide parents in supporting their child’s inclusive education journey. You can download it here:
All Means All – For Parents
School Inclusion Parent Network (SIPN)
SIPN is a network of families supporting each other to navigate the school years and promoting inclusive education. SIPN has an active Facebook group that provides information, support, and connection.
All Means All – School Inclusion Parent Network (SIPN)
Developmental Disability WA
Planning Choices
This Handbook is designed for parents of children with disabilities who want to learn how to access an ordinary, typical life for their son or daughter. It looks at understanding your child’s development and helps you plan and make choices with your child to support them to reach their potential.
DDWA Planning and Making Choices
Thinking Ahead
This is a very practical handbook with a wealth of knowledge and tips to help you advocate for your child at school.
DDWA Thinking Ahead
Personal Learning Support Plans Used in Education
This booklet is about Personal Learning Support Plans; this is an umbrella term covering various kinds of plans your child may have at school. For example, an Individual Education Plan (IEP), Behaviour Support Plan, Transition Plan and so on. The booklet explains the benefits of personal support plans, how they are developed and used, and contains examples.
Department of Education – Planning for Personalised Learning & Support
Behaviour
This introductory guide is for parents, family members and carers who are worried about their child’s/family member’s behaviour. Parents can feel under a lot of pressure to ‘solve’ behaviour problems and are naturally very worried about the best approach to take. There are often complex reasons behind a child’s behaviour, and it is rarely anyone’s fault, rather it is difficult to interpret what their behaviour is trying to tell us.
DDWA Your Child’s Challenging Behaviour
Family Support
Siblings Australia
Siblings Australia works to improve the support available for siblings (brothers and sisters) of children and adults with chronic conditions including disability, chronic illness, and mental health issues. Their website contains information about sibling support – services, resources, research and policy for siblings, parents, workers, and researchers. Siblings Australia also runs workshops and has a Facebook page and a closed Facebook group.
Siblings Australia
Relationships WA
Relationships WA runs a free Family Mental Health Support Service called 4families that provides support for families and carers (including grandparents). 4families operates in areas across the southwest, linking families to a variety of
services to reduce family stress and enable children and young people to reach their full potential.
Relationships WA
Local Community Directory
One of the best sources of information for families is their local Community Directory. You can find out about all kinds of services, facilities, and groups in your local government area. For example, you can use a search function to find up to date information on playgrounds, playgroups, childcare centres, schools, parent groups, sporting clubs, counselling services and much more.
My Community Directory