Enabling the exercise of choice and control: How early childhood intervention professionals may support families and young children with a disability to exercise choice and control in the context of the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Abstract

THE NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE Scheme (NDIS) is progressively being implemented across Australia. The Scheme aims to more equitably and sustainably support families and young children with a disability to optimise independence and participation in all aspects of their lives, including early childhood education. A key platform of the NDIS is for people with a disability to have choice and control over decisions about service provision. It is imperative to review the research that investigates what the notion of choice and control over service provision means for families and children with a disability, and how early childhood intervention (ECI) professionals can effectively support this decision making. In this article we argue that to effectively support families and children to experience choice and control, ECI professionals must build and share specialist knowledge and expertise to support informed decision making, engage in positive relationship-building practices and develop a shared approach to accountability with families.