Seek support because we know “it takes a village”. A list of public services and resources available for autistic children
We at Acorn Autism understand how stressful and disorientating life may become after your child receives, or is waiting for, an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Navigating which services and resources are available to you can be incredibly overwhelming.
So, in the presence of all this information, where do you start? Who do you ask for help first? What services are you looking for? When do you start seeking support?
Below, this post will outline services and resources we recommend you look into when it comes to seeking support for your whānau and finding out information about ASD here in Aotearoa.
General Practitioner
In our opinion, your first port of call when seeking information about ASD and steps going forward for your child and whānau is to talk to your General Practitioner (GP). They will be able to present you with a lot of helpful information surrounding your child’s diagnosis and set you up with advice on who to contact next and which services you should be seeking out. Your GP may also choose to refer you on to a specialist, which would be fantastic! If that’s not the case you are able to self-refer (on behalf of your child) to the District Health Board (DHB) to seek further services.
Your GP will most likely make use of, and recommend you have a look at, the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) ASD Quick Card. This resource is used by health and education practitioners who make initial clinical assessments for ASD. It is a useful tool for you and your whānau as a good starting point to learning about ASD. It may also be a helpful resource to use when explaining ASD to others.
Needs Assessment Service Coordination (NASC)
The direction your GP will most likely point you in is to get a ‘needs assessment’ for your child through a NASC agency, this website will help you find an agency in your local area. A ‘needs assessment’ is an important step towards getting support services and funding that your child and whānau deserve. For a more detailed explanation of NASC you can visit this website.
Ministry of Health
A helpful resource when looking for information surrounding ASD would be to visit the MoH’s web page specific to ASD. This website contains a lot of information about ASD in general as well as resources specific to New Zealand, such as New Zealand’s ASD Guideline and a page dedicated to accessing disability support services for your child.
District Health Boards
The Auckland District Health Board (ADHB ) is the Government’s funder and provider of health services to people living in the Auckland district. Included in their job is funding disability services and they also operate three committees, one being the Disability Support Advisory Committee. For a more in depth look into the Disability Support Advisory Committee’s work and current agenda you can visit this link.
If you live outside of the scope of the ADHB you can visit this link to find the website of your district health board.
Early Intervention Services
The Ministry of Education (MoE) can aid you in finding Early Intervention Services (EIS) for your child. This service provides support for a child who has a significant development or learning delay, physical disability, behaviour or communication difficulty that significantly affects their ability to participate and learn either at their educational facility or home. The child does not need a diagnosis to receive support.
EIS staff work with the child, their whānau and their early childhood education service at any time from birth until the child starts school/kura. The quantity and type of support offered differs depending on the child and their needs. They may be offered access to an early intervention teacher, education support worker, Kaitakawaenga (Mäori cultural advisors), psychologist, and/or a speech and language therapist. Follow these links here and here for more information about this service.
To discuss this service, speak with your doctor, staff at your early childhood education centre, your Plunket nurse (or call PlunketLine for free advice on 0800 933 922), your iwi health authority, or someone in your local Special Education office (or call the Special Education information line on 0800 622 222). Alternatively, you can find an article all about EIS on our blog.
Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour Service
Resource teachers in learning and behaviour (RTLB) are trained teachers who work with children experiencing learning or behaviour difficulties. They can support teachers by offering them specific training or they can work individually with children. For further information see the Ministry of Education’s website regarding RTLB services. If you are interested in this service, please discuss with your child’s school if a request for support is right for your child.
Ongoing Resourcing Scheme
The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) is for students who require the highest levels of specialist support at school (approximately 1% of the school population). The ORS provides services and support to eligible children. This includes access to specialists (such as speech-language therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists), additional or specialist teachers, teacher aides, and additional resources. Once a student is in ORS, they remain in the scheme throughout their schooling years. See here for more information concerning eligibility criteria.
Specific Behaviour Support
Behaviour support is available to children that display behaviours which significantly impede their learning or ability to interact positively with others. The focus of this service is on children whose main difficulty is their severe behaviour.
Behaviour support is available through Explore Specialist Advice. Explore provide support for challenging behaviour using a Positive Behavioiur Support Model. In order to receive a referral, you will need to contact your local NASC.
A psychologist or special education advisor works with your child and whānau and their school to discover the reasons behind your child’s behaviour and put in place strategies to change and manage it.
If you think your child has significant behaviour difficulties which could benefit from support, discuss this service with your child’s teacher, the school principal, or a kaitakawaenga (Māori cultural advisor at the Ministry. See here to read more information about this service.
Te Kahu Tōī, Intensive Wraparound Service
Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS) differs from other available services, as it delivers a holistic, whānau-centred approach to helping children who experience significant challenges in their life. As stated on the MoE’s website, IWS aims to help young people to “learn new, positive ways of behaving, stay at their local school or return there after time at a residential special school, behave in a positive and social way, and enjoy a successful life at school and home.” The young person and their whānau work with an Intensive-Wraparound Facilitator and Psychologist to decide on goals, put the plan into action, and monitor progress and make changes as needed.
Applications to receive this service are made by MoE’s Learning Support staff, RTLBs and day specialist schools or fund-holder schools.
High and Complex Needs
High Complex Needs (HCN) supports whānau with young people who have high and complex needs. They work with multiple government and non-government agencies to develop intensive plans to help children make positive changes to their lives.
The referral process for HCN can be lengthy. If a young person is receiving assistance from at least two agencies (such as MoE, MoH, or Oranga Tamariki), and has complex needs which are not being met in their local area, a practitioner from one of these agencies may refer them to their local Interagency Management Group, who then meet once a month to discuss referrals. If they then accept the referral, the HCN planning process would begin, otherwise they would give recommendations on what else could happen for the young person. To find out more about this service please visit the HCN website.
Family Services Directory
The Family Services Directory will help you find local support services for both individuals in need and their whānau.
Kids Health
Kids Health is a New Zealand based informational website spanning a wide range of health and wellbeing topics. Their page on Autism has information surrounding ASD that is appropriate for all ages. They also have a page dedicated to advice on ‘Coping When Your Child Has A Diagnosis Of A Chronic Illness Or Disability’.
Not-For-Profit Organisations
Remember that this list is not comprehensive of all the support services that are available to help you, your child and your whānau. However, we believe it is a strong starting point for your ASD journey.
Please always feel free to contact us at Acorn Autism if you have any questions and/or have an interest in our services and becoming a part of our little corner of the ASD community here in Auckland, New Zealand.