You can get in touch with local support services via:

• Your NDIS local area coordinatorExternal link or NDIS Early Childhood PartnerExternal link
• Your local child and family health care centreExternal link
• Your family GP
• Your local council, and
• My TimeExternal link, a free government-supported service for parents of children with disabilities.

Government resources

• The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)External link
• NSW Government disability servicesExternal link
• The Australian Government Disability GatewayExternal link
• Caring for children with a disabilityExternal link

Supported playgroups

Lead by early childhood facilitators, supported playgroups are parent or carer and child get-togethers aimed at building your child’s confidence and helping them develop social skills.

These are some of the playgroups designed for children with disability or additional needs. You may also be referred to other playgroups in your local area.

• Playconnect PlaygroupsExternal link - Playconnect is a playgroup program for children on the autism spectrum or with developmental delays and their families, with over 40 locations across Australia
• My Time Local GroupsExternal link - MyTime is an organisation for parents and carers of children with a disability, developmental delay or chronic medical condition. It has local groups which meet regularly.

You can also use the Playgroup NSWExternal link website to search for different kinds of playgroups across the state, including playgroups dedicated to children with disability or additional needs.

General disability and carers support organisations

You may find the following organisations can give you support, depending on you and your child’s needs:

• Carers AustraliaExternal link
• Children with Disability AustraliaExternal link
• All Means All - Australian Alliance for Inclusive EducationExternal link
• Family AdvocacyExternal link
• People with Disability Australia’s Wayfinder HubExternal link
• Re-imagine AustraliaExternal link

Organisations for specific disabilities

These are some of the organisations set up to help support people with specific disabilities.

• Vision AustraliaExternal link
• Deaf Children AustraliaExternal link
• Cerebral Palsy AllianceExternal link
• Down Syndrome NSWExternal link
• Autism Spectrum AustraliaExternal link
• Autism Awareness AustraliaExternal link
• Spinal Cord Injuries AustraliaExternal link
• Rare Voices AustraliaExternal link