Lottie Nottage, a young girl recently diagnosed with autism. She highlights not only the obstacles that children with developmental needs face in Tasmania, but the triumphs. Her mother, Anna Nottage, is advocating for the continuation of a pilot program that significantly reduced wait times for pediatric assessments, which has been a vital resource for families in similar situations. This program helped ensure that Lottie got the early intervention and support she needed while waiting to be seen by a pediatrician.
At barely two-and-a-half, Lottie’s slow development worried Anna enough to get her pediatrician involved. With long waits common, Anna opted to sign up for the pilot. Thanks to this program, she was quickly connected to Dr. Jones at the Royal Hobart Hospital’s developmental clinic for urgent assistance. Due to this initiative, Lottie’s wait time for a full assessment decreased significantly. It dropped from more than 2 years down to under 3 months!
The Impact of Early Support
The pilot program that Dr. Jones took part in was designed to meet the needs of children just like Lottie. This provided parents with the ability to access much more thorough assessments. These assessments took a comprehensive look at a child’s life, including their home environment and experience at school.
The assessments identified autism and ADHD. They uncovered problematic sleep routines and lack of support in schools as prevalent issues. Dr. Jones emphasized the importance of identifying each child’s specific needs:
“In the 18 months … we managed to reduce that wait time [for children seven and under] from over two years to essentially less than three months for those kids to be assessed and supported.”
This preventive, community-based strategy ensured that children in need of a structured, more formal evaluation would quickly get access to services they needed.
“We could tease out which kids needed which layer of support.”
Anna Nottage thanked Dr. Jones for helping her through the complicated waitlist to get Lottie the care she needs. She wants to make sure the program continues making a positive difference in her daughter’s life, and she implores the Health Department to protect its funding.
A Mother’s Plea for Continuation
Don’t get rid of [the program]. That’s an important program, Anna said. She’s convinced, like us, that every parent is facing what she faced, overwhelmed and at odds with pediatricians and encouraging, nurturing environments. Her plea reflects the urgent need for continued assistance for families facing developmental challenges:
Anna pointed out that a lot of kids need something in between, while there’s a formal assessment process and some treatment gets started.
“There are a lot of parents probably going through the same thing.”
Unsurprisingly, given the success of the pilot program, lively discussions have immediately turned to what comes next. Early intervention is key in treating developmental issues such as ADHD and autism. As Ella Haddad points out, “It’s really important to remember that early intervention is key when it comes to diagnosis and treatment of things like ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions.”
“They haven’t got a paediatrician and need that stopgap for children with behavioural or developmental needs,” she remarked.
A Call to Action
Lottie is now a patient of one of the new pediatricians at a private clinic. The shift from the pilot program doesn’t bode well for other families being able to access it. The continuing need for sustained support is evident as parents, with deadlines looming, wait to hear what will happen to the program.
Lottie is now receiving care from one of the new pediatricians at a private clinic, but the transition from the pilot program raises concerns about accessibility for other families. The urgent need for ongoing support remains clear as parents await decisions regarding the program’s future.
