A Rockingham mum is feeling reassured after enrolling in a world-first program in WA for babies showing early signs of autism.
Telethon Kids Institute’s Inkling’s program supports babies aged six to 18 months old who are showing early differences in their social interaction and communication development.
Vicki Rosewall’s son Logan, 5, has profound autism which was first noticed when he was 18 months old.
Early intervention is key for children with autism and Ms Rosewall was determined to find out if her daughter Brooklyn, who turns two in April, needed supports in place before she started school.
Aware of autism’s strong genetic link, Ms Rosewall began attending Inklings through Logan’s speech and psychology service.
Inklings helped her discover there were many ways Brooklyn was trying to communicate with her that she had missed.
“Brooklyn is a chatterbox in contrast with entering the program and she’s doubled her vocabulary as a result,” Ms Rosewall said.
“It’s really incredible the skills she’s developed.”
Ms Rosewall, who is studying psychology, said Inklings helped her get in touch with her daughter’s non-verbal cues and behaviour.
“It’s very hard as a parent to notice subtle changes and subtle requests,” Mr Rosewall said.
“Basically the session is five minutes of recorded play.
“They give you an activity which changes throughout the course, like turn-taking or sharing food, and ask ‘What do you think her response was there and what do you think she was trying to tell you?’.
“I then got copies of the video to show my husband and for homework.”
Inklings is funded in WA by the NDIA as part of a new partnership between NDIA, Telethon Kids, Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) and WA Country Health Service.
It will run for three years and involve 700 WA families.
Minister for the NDIS Bill Shorten and WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson announced the partnership last week.
Mr Shorten said it was a game-changing pilot that many families in Australia were excited to take part in and see the results.
“The program puts Australia at the head of the world in redefining early childhood supports,” he said.
“What we learn from Inklings has the potential to change the way we help our littlest Australians who have delays.
“The Albanese Government is excited to fund this program to eligible families in WA as it will allow us to explore new ways in how we go about supporting future generations.”
Ms Sanderson said it was great to see such a groundbreaking program such as Inklings emerge out of WA.
“The hope is that Inklings will help support parents and provide easy access to developmental support for babies experiencing a delay in social and communication skills,” she said.
“It means parents can also be proactive in their approach to their baby’s development and if they have an ‘inkling’ about a delay in these areas, they will be empowered to act.”
The Inklings Program builds on landmark research by Telethon Kids Institute, University of Manchester, La Trobe University and CAHS, which found improvements in parent-child interactions and children’s language skills.
Professor Andrew Whitehouse, the Angela Wright Bennet Professor of Autism Research at Telethon Kids and UWA, welcomed the Federal and State Governments’ support of Inklings.
“It’s a great feeling to see translation of this life-changing research actually making a difference to families who need support so that each child has their very best chance to reach their potential,” Professor Whitehouse said.
Caregivers who live in WA can either be referred by a health professional or enquire directly to Inklings to see if they are eligible to participate in Inklings.
To find out more about the Inklings Program, visit inklings.org.au/wa.