NDIS early childhood approach in Perth: support for children under 9
The NDIS early childhood approach is for children younger than 6 with developmental delay or younger than 9 with disability. In Perth, you start by contacting the early childhood partner, Uplyft (formerly Wanslea), on 1300 969 645. Children younger than 6 don’t need a diagnosis, and your child doesn’t need to be eligible for the NDIS to get early connections. If your child needs longer-term support, the partner can help you apply to the NDIS.
This is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice, and it doesn’t consider your child’s situation. Perth Disability Connect is an independent directory, not an NDIS partner or provider, and we’re not part of the NDIS. Rules for children are changing, so check the linked source before you rely on them. Rules are current as at 29 September 2026.
Whether a teacher has raised a concern or you’ve noticed something yourself, this guide covers who the early childhood approach is for, what it offers and who to call in Perth. It also covers what happens at 6 and 9, and what the new Thriving Kids program means.
Who is the NDIS early childhood approach for?
The NDIS early childhood approach is for 2 groups of children (NDIA, How to get help for your child):
| Your child | Can they use the early childhood approach? |
|---|---|
| Younger than 6, with developmental delay or concerns | Yes. No diagnosis needed. |
| Younger than 9, with disability | Yes |
| 9 or older | No. They work with a local area coordinator instead. |
The NDIA says “Children younger than 6 don’t need a diagnosis for the early childhood approach.” The upper age used to be 7. The NDIA raised it to younger than 9, phased in from 1 July 2023 (NDIA news, 19 May 2023). Some provider pages still give age ranges like “0 to 6” or “0 to 7”, which are out of date.
Your child doesn’t need to be an NDIS participant to start. The NDIA says “Your child doesn’t need to be eligible for the NDIS for early connections.”
What does the early childhood approach offer?
The early childhood approach gives families early connections first, and helps with an NDIS application only if a child needs more (NDIA, Guide to the early childhood approach).
- Early connections: links to community and mainstream supports, information about your child’s development, and other families for peer support.
- Early supports: for children younger than 6 with developmental concerns, the partner can provide short-term early childhood intervention. The NDIA says “This is usually for a short period of 3 to 6 months. It can be up to 12 months.”
- Help to apply to the NDIS, if your child is likely to meet the eligibility requirements, and support to use the plan once your child is a participant.
The NDIA describes the approach as “child and family centred” and “delivered in everyday settings.” Everyday settings, the NDIA says, “includes their own home, childcare, playgroup, preschool and other places where they play with family or friends”. The NDIA also says “Support from early connections may be all that you and your child needs through the early childhood approach.”
Early childhood partners don’t diagnose. The NDIA says “We don’t fund diagnostic assessments. You can access these through mainstream and community supports” (NDIA, Early childhood approach guideline). Partners also don’t approve NDIS plans or funding.
Who is the early childhood partner in Perth?
In Perth, the NDIS early childhood partner that delivers the early childhood approach is Uplyft, formerly called Wanslea. As listed by the NDIA in August 2026, Uplyft covers all 6 Perth metro regions, plus Great Southern, Inner Wheatbelt and South West (NDIA, Western Australia).
- Phone Uplyft on 1300 969 645 or email [email protected].
- You can contact the partner yourself, or ask your family doctor, early childhood educator or child health nurse to help.
- If you’re not sure who your partner is, call the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
Some WA Health pages still name Wanslea. The NDIA’s current listing is Uplyft (formerly Wanslea), so you’re calling the same service.
When does a child need the NDIS?
Most children in the early childhood approach don’t need to become NDIS participants. A child becomes an NDIS participant only if community and mainstream supports aren’t enough and they meet the NDIS requirements. For young children, that usually means the early intervention requirements in section 25 of the NDIS Act.
“Developmental delay” has a legal meaning. It applies only to a child under 6. The NDIA says it means your child “needs specialist services from more than one professional working as a team for longer than 12 months” (NDIA, Early intervention eligibility requirements). Delays that don’t meet that definition are called “developmental concerns”, and those children can still get early supports from the partner.
For autism, the NDIA’s Applying to the NDIS guideline puts autism at severity Level 2 or Level 3 on List A. These are conditions that are “likely to meet the disability requirements” (NDIA, Applying to the NDIS guideline). A list is a guide to the evidence, not a promise. The NDIA decides eligibility on your child’s evidence.
The NDIS doesn’t pay for childcare. The NDIA says “The NDIS is not responsible for early childhood education and care or education needs of a child with developmental delay or disability.” NDIS supports work alongside your child’s childcare or preschool.
Our guide to how to apply for the NDIS covers the application steps.
What happens at 6 and at 9
2 birthdays matter in the early childhood approach, and they work differently.
| Birthday | What changes |
|---|---|
| 6 | A child who joined the NDIS because of developmental delay needs an eligibility reassessment. To stay, they need an impairment that’s likely to be permanent. |
| 9 | Your child moves from the early childhood partner to a local area coordinator. |
The NDIA says “We’ll talk to you about this before your child turns 6.” In the NDIA’s own worked example, the child leaves the NDIS at 6 and “continues to get her supports from community and mainstream services”. Turning 9 isn’t described as a reassessment. In Perth, the local area coordinators for children 9 and over are Mission Australia and APM, depending on your region.
You can also choose for your child to leave the NDIS at any time.
What is Thriving Kids?
Thriving Kids is a new program for young children that sits outside the NDIS and alongside the early childhood approach. It’s the first phase of Foundational Supports. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing describes Foundational Supports as “services available outside the NDIS for people with disability and developmental delay” (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, About Thriving Kids).
- It’s for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs.
- The Department says “Children will not need a diagnosis to get support through Thriving Kids.”
- It starts rolling out from October 2026, and “All supports will be rolled out by 1 January 2028.”
- Children with permanent and significant disability, including autism or developmental delay with high support needs, “will continue to be eligible for the NDIS, subject to usual arrangements” (NDIA news, 5 February 2026).
- The Department says “There are no changes to how people access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) until 1 January 2028.”
In WA, the Department of Communities says Thriving Kids services “will be progressively introduced between 1 October 2026 and 1 January 2028”, starting with a trial phase. The State Budget includes “$361 million in joint funding over five years” (WA Department of Communities, Thriving Kids). When we checked on 29 September 2026, neither the Department nor WA had published how Perth families will access Thriving Kids, so check those pages for updates.
Help in Perth outside the NDIS
Outside the early childhood approach, Perth has the Child Development Service, run by the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS). It gives “free assessment and support to children with developmental delay or difficulty who live in the Perth metropolitan area” (CAHS, Child Development Service).
- It’s for children under 16 with an eligible Medicare card who live in the Perth metro area.
- Parents can refer their own child online, or call 1300 551 827.
- CAHS says “For some services there may be a lengthy wait”, and it tells you the expected wait once your referral is accepted.
- It offers assessments, including a neurodevelopmental assessment (which covers ADHD and autism) for children with significant concerns across several areas of development. It doesn’t offer long-term therapy.
- Children with NDIS funding “may still be able to access Child Development Service diagnostic and medical services”.
A good first step is your child health nurse, who offers free health and development checks. Book on 1300 749 869 (8:30am to 5pm weekdays).
Finding therapists for your child in Perth
On 27 September 2026, we counted 153 providers registered with the NDIS Commission for early childhood supports, with an approved registration and a head office or outlet in metro Perth (postcodes 6000 to 6199). That’s our count of the Commission’s public Provider Register. Registration isn’t a quality rating, it doesn’t tell you who has a vacancy, and plan-managed or self-managed families can also use unregistered providers.
Our allied health and therapy directory scores Perth therapists on their public Google reviews, and our guide to starting NDIS therapy covers what to expect at the first appointment.
You don’t need to wait for a diagnosis to get help for a young child in Perth. Call Uplyft or your child health nurse, and let them help you work out whether early connections, the Child Development Service, Thriving Kids or the NDIS is the right fit.
FAQ
Q: What is the NDIS early childhood approach? A: The NDIS early childhood approach is the NDIA’s way of supporting children younger than 6 with developmental delay or younger than 9 with disability, and their families. It starts with early connections to community supports, and helps families apply to the NDIS if a child needs longer-term support.
Q: Does my child need a diagnosis for NDIS early intervention? A: Not if they’re younger than 6. The NDIA says children younger than 6 don’t need a diagnosis for the early childhood approach. To become an NDIS participant, a child still needs to meet the NDIS requirements.
Q: Who is the NDIS early childhood partner in Perth? A: Uplyft (formerly Wanslea), on 1300 969 645, as listed by the NDIA in August 2026. It covers all 6 Perth metro regions.
Q: How long do early supports last? A: The NDIA says early supports are usually for 3 to 6 months, and can be up to 12 months.
Q: What happens to NDIS early intervention when my child turns 6? A: If your child joined the NDIS because of developmental delay, they need an eligibility reassessment after turning 6. To stay in the NDIS, they need an impairment that’s likely to be permanent.
Q: Is Thriving Kids replacing the NDIS for children? A: No. Thriving Kids is for children aged 8 and under with low to moderate support needs. Children with permanent and significant disability stay eligible for the NDIS, and access to the NDIS doesn’t change until 1 January 2028.
Q: Is Perth Disability Connect an NDIS partner? A: No. We’re an independent directory that scores providers on their public Google reviews. We don’t give developmental or eligibility advice, and we’re not part of the NDIS.