For Parents and Carers
Guidelines on Pathways to Care
This guideline is intended to assist parents and carers to mnake sense of the system which exists to support them and their child with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour and/ or mental health problems at different ages and stages.
Association for Children with a Disability
The Association for Children with a Disability (Victoria) has released The 7th edition of Through the Maze online- Through the Maze booklet English (3 MB PDF). It includes information about services and supports for children with a disability and their families living in Victoria. Although Victorian based it has a good overview of the types of services available. This document is also in Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese.
Autism Community Network
The Autism Community Network (ACN) is a charity focused around building a strong community of support for those impacted by autism in NSW. ACN support the community through varied ways.
- Provide support groups, social groups, kids clubs and information days
- Use volunteers with lived experiences to run activities, people who understand the needs and issues first hand
- Connect people through Secret Status Facebook pages to communicate with the network, on a local area level, connecting with their local communities
- Member login to enable booking in to events, update their own information and recommend services
Resources:
Transition out of school guides
The National Disability Coordination Officer Program has produced a series of booklets to help with transition out of school.
Planning for life after school is often called transition planning. Young people make many transitions as they move into adulthood – these might include starting a new job or a new course, moving house or getting married. Making transitions is exciting, but can also be challenging. People who plan their transitions well, with help where needed, are likely to have a better outcome than those who don't. There are lots of decisions and preparations that all young people have to make when planning for transition. There are also some extra things that young people with a disability should consider, and some additional support that can help them to plan well for life after school. As a parent or carer, there are also lots of things you can do to help your young person prepare.