What I want every parent to know about early intervention

By Lucilyn Montano, Behaviour Support Specialist, Lizard Centre QLD

Over the years, I’ve sat with a lot of worried parents. Many arrive feeling unsure, sometimes a little frightened, and almost always wondering whether they’ve left it too late or jumped in too soon. If that’s you right now, I want to start with something I tell every family I meet: you’re not on your own, and you don’t have to have all the answers yet.

I’m a behaviour support specialist here in Queensland. Before I came to Brisbane, I spent years as a special education teacher, working with young children in the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. In that time, I’ve seen how much of a difference the right support makes when it starts early. I’d love to share what I’ve learned, in the hope it makes your next steps a little clearer.

You don’t have to wait for a diagnosis

This is the question I hear most: “Do we need a diagnosis before we can start?”

I really believe in getting a proper diagnosis from the right professionals. It matters. But I just as strongly believe in acting early, while your child is still little and learning so much every day. The early years are when children grow fastest, so there’s a lot to be gained from starting sooner rather than later.

While you wait, read up from sources you trust. The more you understand, the more confident you’ll feel supporting your child at home.

One more thing. In my experience, it’s often a teacher or a relative who first notices something, not the parents. If that’s how it happened for you, please don’t feel you missed anything. That little nudge is usually just what helps a family take the first step.

What good support actually looks like

I want to clear up something I see all the time. A lot of parents worry their child is too young to learn, or they picture therapy as something strict and serious.

It really isn’t. For young children, the best learning usually looks like play. Through a simple game, your child might be learning to take turns, to ask for what they want, or to cope when something changes. Play isn’t filling in time. It’s how little ones learn, and a good therapist uses it gently and naturally.

Five things I’d tell you to look for

When families ask me how to choose a good service, I always come back to the same five things. They make good questions to ask, too.

1. The right people.Make sure trained, qualified staff are working with your child directly, not from a distance.
2. A team that talks with you.You should feel comfortable asking questions, and confident you’ll get honest answers.
3. Reports on time.You should get reports and paperwork when you need them, without having to chase anyone.
4. Everyone working together.Your child’s therapists, teachers, carers and you should all be on the same page.
5. Clear, realistic goals.Look for goals that make sense, and methods backed by real evidence, not the latest trend.

Above all of these, you should feel heard. I want every family I work with to feel valued and involved at every step. If that’s how a service makes you feel, it’s a very good sign you’re in the right place.

Making sense of the NDIS

The funding side can feel just as confusing as everything else, and I understand that completely.

One thing many families don’t realise is that your NDIS funding can cover a few different kinds of support, like behaviour support, speech therapy and occupational therapy. Each one does a different job. If you pour everything into one area, you can miss out on help that would really make a difference, so it’s worth understanding what your funding can stretch to.

Here in Queensland, there’s something I love: support often happens in everyday places, like your home, your child’s preschool, playgroup, or out in the community. That’s where children feel most comfortable, and where they learn best. The support also reaches the people around your child, not just your child. You, your child’s carers and their teachers all matter.

Look after yourself, too

If there’s one thing I wish every parent heard earlier, it’s this: please look after yourself as well as your child.

When good information is hard to find, it’s easy to feel frustrated, alone, even stuck. I’ve watched parents carry so much on their own. You don’t have to. Reach out to the right people, and ask for support for yourself, too.

You know your child better than anyone. With the right team beside you, you don’t have to do any of this alone.

FAQs

Do I need a diagnosis before starting early intervention?

No. A formal diagnosis from a qualified professional is important and worth pursuing, but you do not have to wait for one to begin. You can start while your child is hitting or missing developmental milestones, and acting early gives them the best possible start. Researching reliable information will also help you support them at home in the meantime.

How do I know if an early intervention provider is good quality?

Look for trained, certified professionals working directly with your child, open and honest communication, timely access to reports and documents, strong collaboration between everyone involved, and credible assessments with realistic, evidence-based goals. Most importantly, a good provider will make you feel heard, valued and involved throughout.

Can NDIS funding be used for more than one type of therapy?

Yes. Your NDIS funding can be spread across different support categories, such as behaviour support, speech therapy and occupational therapy, each playing a distinct and complementary role in your child’s development. Concentrating it all in one area can mean missing out on other supports that would help.

What makes early intervention in Queensland different?

Queensland and the NDIS both encourage support to be delivered in natural learning environments such as the home, school, playgroups and the community. They also focus on the people around the child, including parents, carers and educators, recognising the important role they play, rather than working with the child in isolation.

Is play a real part of therapy, or just a way to fill time?

Play is a legitimate and powerful part of learning, not filler between the “real” work. A common misconception is that learning must be rigid or forceful to be effective. For young children, play is one of the most natural and effective ways to build communication, tolerance and connection.

Glossary

• Early intervention:Support provided as early as possible to help a child build key skills, often before or soon after a diagnosis, during the years when development moves most quickly.
• NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme):The Australian scheme that provides funding for supports and services for eligible people with disability, including early childhood intervention.
• Allied health:Qualified health professionals who are not doctors or nurses, such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists and behaviour support practitioners.
• Developmental milestones:The skills most children develop by certain ages, such as speaking, walking or playing with others. Reaching them differently can be an early sign that extra support may help.
• Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA):A practitioner who has completed advanced qualifications and certification in behaviour analysis and is trained to design and oversee evidence-based intervention programs.
• Behaviour support:Therapy that helps a child build helpful skills and reduce behaviours that get in the way of learning, using positive, evidence-based strategies.
• Occupational therapy:Therapy that helps a child develop everyday skills, from fine motor tasks to managing sensory needs and daily routines.
• Evidence-based practice:Methods and interventions backed by research and proven results, rather than trends or assumptions.