Early years

Support groups can be an invaluable resource especially for Autistic people, parents and carers, and other family members. They can provide a friendly, non-judgmental and open space to share challenges and triumphs. Read more about support groups.

Many organisations in Victoria offer support groups and informative workshops for parents:

• EACH’s Family Relationship Support for Carers is a statewide service that supports family members caring for someone with a disability or autism. FRSC provides free counselling and ‘Future Planning’ services.
• Autism Valued hosts support groups for its members, including groups for parents and carers.
• MyTime is a free support group for parents and carers of children with a disability (not autism-specific), developmental delay or chronic medical condition.
• PlayConnect playgroups offer play activities suited to the needs of children aged 0-6 years on the autism spectrum where the parent/carer attends as well.  Siblings and other family members are welcome to attend.

• Carer Gateway is a national advice and support service for carers, including advice on respite.

As awareness of autism grows, so do the number of specific treatments and approaches. Amaze recommends that you speak with your medical practitioner about therapies, and make decisions based on available evidence.

The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) is Australia’s first centre dedicated to autism research. It has a strong focus on research translation through the development of evidence-based tools, and collaborates with other autism research centres and institutes both in Australia and internationally.

Raising Children Network also has an excellent detailed guide to therapies.

Use the search tools below to find therapists near you.

• Australian Psychological Society – Find a Psychologist 
• Occupational Therapy Australia – Find an Occupational Therapist 
• Speech Pathology Australia – Find a Speech Pathologist