PARENTS
Discovering your child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder can be a stressful time. We have put the following steps together to help you navigate the service maze.
Help is out there in many forms and from many agencies. Parents have to be persistent, resilient and informed. Do not be afraid to ask for and insist on help that best suits your family circumstances.
Navigating the Maze
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FIRST is identification of the possibility that your child may have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This involves contact with a multidisciplinary assessment team to determine the diagnosis.
TIP: You do not have to wait for a diagnosis before you can contact support services. Seek help as soon as you feel ready.
THEN comes the task of learning all about the services that are available. There are several groups of services to navigate, click on services in the left hand menu for a detailed list.
AT THE SAME TIME it is important to increase your knowledge. Read, read, read is our advice. We have put together a specialist reading list that we update regularly. We also recommend you become a member of Autism Victoria so you can access our specialist library.
For further information on the "Helping children with Autism Funding Initiative" please follow this link to next page. http://www.autismvictoria.org.au/helping_children/
Parent Support Groups
Support groups can be an invaluable resource for parents. First and foremost they provide a friendly space or understanding ear. These groups can also work on other levels, such as helping to create a sense of community and lessen feelings of isolation from the wider community that people who are affected by ASDs may feel. In a practical sense they can provide important information on local services and supports (such as an informed opinion on local schools) and can sometimes act as something of a ‘middle man’, in terms of liaising with local government on issues that affect you as a collective of individuals with similar concerns. Some of these groups may also run parent training sessions or social skills groups.
Please click here for a list of Victorian parent support groups
If you find that there is no support groups in your area, you may want to start your own!
Please click here for some tips you get you started
Helpful Victorian Websites for Parents
- Autism Help - www.autismhelp.info
- Early Childhood Intervention Services - www.ecis.vic.gov.au
- Department of Education and Early Childhood Development- http://www.education.vic.gov.au/
- Disability Online - www.disability.vic.gov.au
- Better Health Channel - www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
- Autism Behavioral Intervention Association (ABIA) - www.abia.net.au
- Asperger Syndrome Support Network (ASSN) - http://home.vicnet.net.au/~asperger/
- Raising Children Network - http://raisingchildren.net.au/children_with_autism/children_with_autism_landing.html