June 2004

Monash provides autism training

The Government will provide $400,000 over four years to Monash University to deliver specialist autism training to early childhood workers across Victoria.

Making the announcement as part of National Autism Awareness Week, Community Services Minister Sherryl Garbutt said Monash University’s Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology would deliver training programs and provide expert advice to workers across the early childhood sector—including early childhood intervention workers, kindergarten teachers and maternal child health nurses.

‘The Government is committed to providing the best possible services to children with disabilities so they can reach their potential and lead fulfilling lives.

‘This new program will train early years workers to better support children with autism and their families.

‘It will equip staff with specialist skills and knowledge to better identify children with autism and cope with their special needs.’

The new program will actively involve parents and include workshops, training and expert advice for early years workers, as well as providing workers with information on autism through a website, fact sheets, pamphlets and a quarterly newsletter.

The Monash team will be headed by leading autism expert Professor Bruce Tonge.

Ms Garbutt said the initiative would assist early childhood workers to develop skills to more effectively support children with autism in their local communities.

‘Research shows that children with autism do better when they get the right support within their home and local communities.

‘At the moment, many families with children with autism are forced to travel great distances to specialist early childhood intervention service centres.

‘By training workers across the early years sector, we aim to better support children with autism and their families where they live.’

Ms Garbutt said the training program was part of an extra $6 million over four years for early intervention services announced in last year’s budget.