Thriving Kids Is Coming in October 2026: What It Means for Developmental and Psychological Assessment
The new Thriving Kids program will begin rolling out in October 2026, changing how developmental support is provided to young children. It is intended for children aged eight and under with developmental delay or autism and low-to-moderate support needs.
The first question will no longer necessarily be, “What is the child’s diagnosis?” Instead, families may initially be asked: “How is this child developing, what are they finding difficult, and what support could help?”
This is a potentially important shift. Children do not always develop evenly, and concerns may emerge before the reason for them is clear. A young child may be slower to develop communication, independence, social interaction, emotional regulation, play or everyday living skills without yet having an established diagnosis.
Thriving Kids is intended to allow families to obtain some forms of assistance without waiting for a formal diagnostic process. General supports will begin becoming available in NSW from October 2026, followed by targeted, time-limited supports from January 2027. The program is expected to become fully operational nationally in January 2028.
If you are concerned about your child’s development but are unsure what the difficulties mean, an initial consultation with Dr Gill SH Walker at INPSYGHT can help determine whether developmental, cognitive, adaptive or diagnostic assessment would be useful.
What is developmental delay?
Developmental delay means that a young child is developing more slowly than expected in one or more important areas. These may include:
Developmental delay is a description of the child’s development rather than necessarily a final diagnosis. Some children catch up with appropriate support. For others, the delay may be an early indication of autism, intellectual disability, a language or learning disorder, another developmental condition, or a combination of difficulties.
This is why a developmental concern should be considered broadly. Focusing too quickly on a single diagnosis can overlook the child’s overall pattern of strengths and difficulties.
Psychological assessment can help establish whether a child’s development is broadly consistent with age expectations, whether particular areas are significantly delayed and whether the pattern suggests that further diagnostic investigation is warranted.
INPSYGHT can assess a child’s cognitive and developmental profile and examine how their abilities affect learning and everyday functioning. The assessment is selected according to the child’s age, presentation and referral questions rather than using the same tests for every child.
Why is everyday functioning important?
A diagnosis alone does not explain how much assistance a child needs. Two children with the same diagnosis may function very differently at home, preschool, school and in the community.
Both Thriving Kids and the NDIS are placing increasing emphasis on functional needs.
Relevant questions may include:
Standardised measures can help turn these observations into a clearer and more objective functional profile. The Vineland-3 examines adaptive functioning across communication, daily living skills and socialisation. The PEDI-CAT examines daily activities, mobilityand social/cognitive functioning, together with the way responsibility for more complex everyday tasks is shared between the child and caregiver.
These measures do not determine eligibility or funding by themselves. They need to be interpreted alongside developmental history, observation, cognitive information and reports from the people who know the child well.
At INPSYGHT, measures such as the Vineland-3 or PEDI-CAT may be included when clinically appropriate. The resulting report explains the child’s strengths, developmental difficulties, everyday functioning and areas of support need - not simply their test scores.
Where does autism assessment fit?
Autism is specifically included within the stated scope of Thriving Kids. However, a child will not need an autism diagnosis before receiving Thriving Kids support.
That does not make autism assessment unnecessary. A comprehensive autism assessment may be helpful when differences in social communication, behaviour, sensory processing, emotional regulation or flexibility are persistent and require clearer explanation.
Assessment may help families understand whether the child meets diagnostic criteria for autism, whether another condition better explains the presentation, or whether several developmental factors are interacting.
An autism assessment at INPSYGHT may incorporate developmental and clinical history, information from parents and teachers, direct observation using the ADOS-2, a developmental interview such as the ADI-R, and cognitive or adaptive-functioning measures where appropriate.
The outcome should be more than a yes-or-no diagnostic answer. It should explain how the child experiences and responds to their environment and identify useful recommendations for home, education and intervention.
Families seeking greater clarity about possible autism can contact INPSYGHT to discuss a comprehensive assessment. A diagnosis cannot guarantee access to Thriving Kids or the NDIS, but it may provide important clinical understanding and guide appropriate support.
What about intellectual disability?
Assessment for intellectual disability requires consideration of both cognitive ability and adaptive functioning. A low cognitive score alone is insufficient; the assessment must also examine how the child manages the conceptual, social and practical demands of everyday life.
This makes the combination of cognitive and adaptive assessment particularly important. Where intellectual disability is identified, the report can describe the nature and extent of the child’s impairment, its likely developmental consequences and the support they require.
Intellectual disability may be relevant to NDIS access when it results in permanent and substantial functional impairment. As with other conditions, however, eligibility is determined by the NDIA after considering the complete evidence and applicable legal requirements.
INPSYGHT can provide cognitive and adaptive assessment where intellectual disability or broader developmental impairment is being considered. Reports integrate the assessment findings with developmental history and everyday functioning rather than relying on IQ alone.
What assessments are not primarily about Thriving Kids or the NDIS?
INPSYGHT also assesses specific learning difficulties, dyslexia, giftedness and school readiness. These services can provide valuable information for families and schools, but they should not be presented principally as pathways to Thriving Kids or NDIS funding.
Educational learning and ordinary school adjustments are generally the responsibility of the education system. Assessment may support school planning and accommodations, but that is different from demonstrating eligibility for disability-specific funding.
The strongest focus for an assessment relating to Thriving Kids or the NDIS is therefore:
How can psychological assessment help?
Where clinically indicated, a comprehensive assessment can bring together:
The report may also provide clinical and functional evidence for consideration in an NDIS access application or plan reassessment. The NDIA does not fund diagnostic assessments, including autism and IQ assessments, although an independently obtained report may be submitted as supporting evidence where relevant.
Neither an assessment nor a diagnosis can guarantee access to Thriving Kids, the NDIS or a particular level of funding. Decisions remain with the relevant government body.
If your child has developmental difficulties and you are unsure whether you need developmental, cognitive, adaptive or autism assessment, contact INPSYGHT or arrange an initial consultation with Dr Gill SH Walker. Child-friendly assessment appointments are available in Manly and Belrose on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Government arrangements are continuing to develop. This article is current as at September 2026 and should be read alongside the latest official guidance.
Further information
- Australian Government: Thriving Kids
- Australian Government: planned Thriving Kids supports
- Australian Government: NDIS reform implementation timeline
- NSW Government: Thriving Kids in NSW
- NDIS: eligibility requirements
- NDIS: examples of disability evidence