Thriving Kids Autism Helpline

Thriving Kids is providing supports to families and their children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism, and low to moderate support needs. It will build on existing systems of support for children and families in their community where they are available.

It will help identify extra developmental needs earlier and connect children and families to the right support.

Thriving Kids is a connected network of services that families can access from October 2026. Supports will grow over time. All supports will be rolled out by 1 January 2028.

The Thriving Kids Autism Helpline is part of the Thriving Kids initiative. It is funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and delivered by Amaze.

No. You can contact the Thriving Kids Autism Helpline as soon as you notice a developmental difference or delay, or if you have questions about autism. Your child does not need an autism diagnosis or referral.

You don’t need to have any specific information or documents ready before you call. Our advisors will ask you some questions about your child, your family and what you would like help with so they can provide information and advice relevant to your situation.

If you have information about assessments, services or supports your child is currently receiving, you may find it helpful to have this available, but it is not required.

The Thriving Kids Autism Helpline is for parents, carers, and kin of children aged 0 to 8 who have questions about their child’s development, developmental differences or autism.

Professionals supporting children aged 0 to 8 and their families are also welcome to contact the helpline for information and advice.

You can contact us whether you are just starting to have questions about your child’s development, considering an autism assessment, navigating a diagnosis or looking for information and support.

No. The helpline is here to answer questions you may have about autism and development. If you would like to access other supports, we can let you know about them and how to access them.

You can use the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) to speak to an advisor in a language other than English. TIS National provides operator-assisted access to an immediate phone interpreter in over 160 languages. To access this service, call the TIS National Contact Centre on 131 450 and ask to speak to the Thriving Kids Autism Helpline on 1300 654 789. If preferred, you can call the Thriving Kids Autism Helpline and ask us to connect you with an interpreter in your preferred language.

You can talk to us about your child’s development or autism and ask questions about topics such as:

• developmental differences or delays
• signs of autism
• autism assessment and diagnosis
• navigating Thriving Kids supports in your state or territory
• your child’s strengths and support needs
• communication, sensory differences, behaviour and emotional regulation
• starting school and other transitions
• finding appropriate supports and services including the NDIS
• navigating health, education and community services
• understanding what your next steps might be.

Not sure if your question fits? You can still contact us, and we can help you work out what to do next.

Please note: The Thriving Kids Autism Helpline can provide general information, advice and support but does not deliver the Thriving Kids services managed by state and territory governments.  These services will be introduced gradually, with some commencing from 1^st October 2026 and all expected to be operating by January 2028.

No. The Thriving Kids Autism Helpline does not provide autism assessments or diagnosis.

We can provide information about autism and the assessment and diagnosis process; help you understand your options and support you to work out appropriate next steps.

The Thriving Kids Autism Helpline provides information, advice and support to parents, carers and kin of children aged 0 to 8.

If your child is aged 9 or older, you can also access free autism information, advice and support through Amaze’s Autism Connect helpline on 1300 308 699.

We can help you with information and resources relevant to your query. We can also talk to you about the types of services and supports that may be relevant to your child and family and help you find appropriate options in your area.

We can also provide information about relevant health, education, community and government supports and services.

Yes, the Thriving Kids Autism Helpline is a free service for parents, carers, and kin of children aged 0 to 8. 

If you call the Helpline from Australia, including Norfolk Island, local call charges may apply depending on your phone or mobile provider. There is no cost to contact the Helpline by email, webchat, or online contact form. You can also use these options to request a callback.

Yes. The Thriving Kids Autism Helpline is available to parents, carers and kin of children aged 0 to 8 across Australia. You can contact the Helpline by calling 1300 654 789, Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm across all Australian time zones, using the enquiry form on our website, or sending an email to [email protected].