Overview of Australia's Thriving Kids Program and Childhood Developmental Delay

Australia's Thriving Kids Program and Developmental Delay Explained

A new disability support scheme, the "Thriving Kids" program, is scheduled to commence rolling out in mid-2026. This program is positioned as an alternative to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for children diagnosed with "mild to moderate" autism or developmental delay.

Developmental delay refers to a child not meeting expected age-level milestones. According to Dr. Gehan Roberts, a paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, this term encompasses lags in various skill areas:

• Play and social skills
• Motor skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Self-regulation skills
• Communication skills

Communication is frequently cited as the most common area for delays. For instance, children are expected to use single words by their first birthday and two-word phrases by their second. Failure to meet these milestones may lead to the application of the term 'developmental delay', indicating a need for enhanced monitoring and potential intervention.

Examples of developmental delays include difficulties with legible writing, such as dysgraphia, and challenges with motor coordination, known as dyspraxia, which might manifest as frequent falls without protective reflexes.

If a potential developmental delay is observed, primary care services are recommended as a starting point. Maternal and child health nurses and general practitioners (GPs) can assess parental concerns and identify areas for closer monitoring. Subsequent actions may include continued observation, referral to specialists for targeted interventions, or parent education. Therapists often provide strategies for parents to implement at home to reinforce progress.

Currently, therapies for developmental delays are accessed via state government-funded community health centres or private practitioners, often funded through the NDIS. The government's perspective is that extensive NDIS packages for children with developmental delays do not consistently yield optimal outcomes, and some children may have been "overserviced."

The "Thriving Kids" program aims to enhance the capacity of existing community services, including state-run child health services, GPs, and educational settings, to support families. Plans also include a potential new Medicare item for bulk-billed three-year-old health checks to detect developmental concerns early.

The precise design and implementation of the "Thriving Kids" system remain under development, which has prompted discussion within the disability sector and among families. Prior to the NDIS, a network of support systems existed, and there is an expectation that Thriving Kids will expand available options for families.

Dr. Roberts states that the majority of children experiencing early developmental delays show improvement with intervention. An estimated 15 to 20 percent of children encounter some form of developmental delay. For children who do not improve as anticipated, evaluating for underlying neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability is important. Children with "significant and permanent disability" are slated to retain NDIS access.

Parents are advised that progress is non-linear and varies among children. Milestones are considered markers, not indicators of a child's inherent value. Parents are encouraged to trust their intuition regarding their child's development and to seek information from evidence-based sources if concerns persist. The focus is on parents understanding their child's strengths and developmental needs, and on empowering parents in their role to provide daily input.