Children with Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder or an eligible disability.

Children must be aged under 13 for diagnosis services and aged under 15 for treatment services.

MBS items 82030 and 82035

Item 82030 is for a health service provided by an eligible optometrist to a child under 13 years of age where the child has been referred to assist with diagnosis or to contribute to a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or Disability Treatment Plan. Item 82035 is for a health service provided by an eligible optometrist to a child under 15 years of age for the treatment of Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or an eligible disability. Both services require a referral from an eligible practitioner.

Children under the age of six with an eligible disability.

Better Start Iniative

Eligible disabilities are;

• Cerebral palsy
• Deafblindness
• Down syndrome, including mosaic Down syndrome
• Fragile X syndrome with full mutation
• Hearing impairment
• Sight impairment
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• Williams syndrome
• Angelman syndrome
• Kabuki syndrome
• Smith-Magenis syndrome
• CHARGE syndrome
• Cornelia de Lange syndrome
• Rett’s Disorder
• Cri du Chat syndrome; or
• Microcephaly

Children registered with Better Start can access up to $12,000 (maximum $6,000 per year) to pay for early intervention services. These services include:

• audiology
• occupational therapy
• orthoptics
• physiotherapy
• psychology and
• speech pathology.

Up to 35% of a child’s Early intervention Funding may be used to purchase resources, to a maximum of $2,100 per financial year, or $4,200 in total.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic conditions.

Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program

The aim of the MOICDP is to increase access to a range of health services, including expanded primary health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the treatment and management of chronic disease. This support is in the form of reimbursement, not lump sum payments.

The allocation decisions for this funding are made by the Department of Health and based primarily on identified service gaps. CheckUP is the regional fundsholder for this program. To begin the application process for this funding, fill out an Expression Of Interest form on their website. You are able to contact CheckUP through their website for support and guidance on this process.

For more information on CheckUP’s outreach programs, visit their website.

Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme

The objective of the IAHP is to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with access to effective high quality, comprehensive, culturally appropriate, primary health care services in urban, regional, rural and remote locations across Australia. This includes through Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, wherever possible and appropriate, as well as services across the entire health system that deliver comprehensive, culturally appropriate primary health care.

Individuals may apply for funding through Grant Connect. Activities eligible for grant funding include clinical services provided by AHPs. For more information, follow this link.