Better Start for Children with Disability

If you’re the parent of a child with a bilateral hearing loss of 40dB or greater in the better ear across four frequencies, your child may eligible to access Better Start funding – an initiative of the Australian Government. Parents of eligible children will be able to access up to $12,000 (with a maximum of $6,000 per financial year) to pay for certain early intervention services.

Aussie Deaf Kids is currently compiling information for families to assist you in making choices that will have a positive impact on your child’s development and progress to school.

Here are some links and information that might assist you in the interim:

• Better Start
  The official website for the Better Start program
  http://www.betterstart.net.au/
  
  
• Better Start for Children with Disability initiative
  Information from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs including eligibility criteria and how to register your child for the funding.
  http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/disability/progserv/people/betterstart/Pages/better_start_early_intervention.aspx
  
  
• Is my child eligible for Better Start funding?
  A flow chart for children under 6 years of age, outlining different hearing losses, their eligibilty for Better Start funding and what the next steps for you might be.
  
  
• What does a hearing loss of 40dB or greater in the better ear 
across four frequencies mean?
  Find out how a 40dB HL is calculated.
  http://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/what-is-a-four-frequency-average-hearing-loss.html
  
  
• Questions and answers about Better Start
  The Better Start team at FaHCSIA answer parents questions.
  http://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/questions-and-anwers-about-better-start.html
  
  
• Audiology services and Better Start
  Australian Hearing has provided a comprehensive outline on how Audiology services, Better Start Early Intervention and Medicare items and Chronic Disease Management Medicare items interact.
  http://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/better-start-and-audiology-services.html
  
  
• Early intervention
  Information about early intervention - what is early intervention? When should you start early intervention? Where can you go for early intervention?
  http://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/early-intervention.html
  
  
• Making informed choices
  Making decisions can be difficult. This information is a guide to assist you to ask the right questions so you get the guidance and support you need from the professionals, to make the best decisions for your child and family.
  http://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/making-informed-choices.html
  
  
• Parent forums – meet other parents online
  http://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/parent-forums.html
  
  
• Parent support groups – meet other parents face-to-face
  http://www.aussiedeafkids.org.au/parent-support-groups.html
  
  
• Raising Children Network – Children with a Disability
  http://raisingchildren.net.au/children_with_disabilities/raising_children_with_disabilities.html      .
  

Updated: August 2011