Media release: Doctors in the dark on support for kids

The Federal Government says the Thriving Kids program, due to start on 1 October, will provide support for children aged eight and under who need extra help with their development, progressively replacing individualised NDIS plans.

State and territory governments are responsible for much of the program rollout, including providing information to help families find the right supports where they live and taking measures to ensure the workforce is ready.

But six weeks out from its commencement, AMA SA President Associate Professor Peter Subramaniam says there is a concerning absence of information.

'Paediatricians and GPs on the clinical frontline are telling us there is genuine fear among families about the transition from the NDIS to Thriving Kids. In South Australia, that fear is being compounded by an unsettling absence of information,’ A/Prof Subramaniam says.

'Doctors are the first port of call for families with developmental concerns, but right now if a parent of a young autistic child asks their paediatrician how and where they will be able to access support under the Thriving Kids program, that paediatrician is unable to provide answers. 

'Regardless of views about the NDIS reforms themselves, families deserve certainty about what comes next.'

AMA SA is calling on the South Australian Government to publish the South Australian Thriving Kids service model and transition arrangements before the program begins on 1 October, so families know what supports will exist and how to access them.

AMA SA is also urging the South Australian Government to establish formal consultation with doctors to help design and implement the program and ensure no child falls through the cracks during the transition.

'It's essential that no South Australian child loses access to support during the transition from the NDIS to Thriving Kids,' A/Prof Subramaniam says.

'The success of Thriving Kids depends on GPs, paediatricians and child health clinicians. It is important they are engaged in its rollout.

'The evidence for early, family-centred intervention is strong, and done well, Thriving Kids could genuinely help young South Australians with autism and developmental delay thrive.

'But families deserve clarity, clinicians deserve a seat at the table, and with only six weeks until commencement, the time to provide both is now.'

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