Better Start for Children with Disability

About Better Start

Better Start provides funding for early intervention services. To access Better Start children with an eligible diagnosis must register before they turn 6 years old. Families will have until the child turns 7 to access funding.

Children are eligible for Better Start if diagnosed with one of the following disabilities:

• Cerebral palsy

• Deafblindness

• Down syndrome, including mosaic Down syndrome

• Fragile X syndrome with full mutation

• Hearing impairment

• Vision impairment.

The thresholds that apply to these disabilities have been determined by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in conjunction with advice provided by an Expert Reference Group.

Cerebral palsy

All children with a confirmed diagnosis of cerebral palsy will be eligible for Better Start.

Deafblindness

All children with a diagnosis made by a specialist multidisciplinary team which includes an ophthalmological and audiological evaluation (therefore application of a threshold is not necessary) will be eligible.

Down syndrome

All children with a confirmed diagnosis of Down syndrome, including those with mosaic Down syndrome, will be eligible.

Fragile X syndrome

All children will be eligible if they have a confirmed diagnosis of Fragile X syndrome with full mutation.

Hearing impairment

Children will be eligible if they have a hearing loss of 40 decibels or greater in the better ear, across four frequencies (including children with permanent conductive hearing loss and auditory neuropathy).

Sight impairment

Children will be eligible if they have vision of less than orequal to 6/18 or equivalent field loss, in the better eye with correction.

Contact US

Call us on 1800 242 636 to speak with an advisor about the Better Start Program