Early Autism Supports for Children and Families Across Western Australia

At Belong Health, we provide autism support services for children under 9 and their families across Western Australia through Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Psychology assessments, Counselling, Positive Behaviour Support, parent coaching, and telehealth services.

Every autistic child is unique, with their own strengths, interests, communication styles, sensory experiences, personality, and support needs.
Our approach is neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based, collaborative, and family-centred.

We focus on supporting children to:

• Participate meaningfully in everyday life
• Build confidence and emotional wellbeing
• Develop communication and regulation strategies
• Access supportive environments
• Build independence and participation skills
• Feel understood, safe, and supported across home, school, and community environments

Whether your child has a diagnosis, is waiting for assessment, or you are beginning to explore autism-related differences or support needs, our team is here to support your family.

---

Understanding Autism in Early Childhood

Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference that affects how a person experiences, communicates, interacts with, and responds to the world around them.

Autistic children may experience differences in:

• Communication and interaction
• Emotional regulation
• Sensory processing
• Play and social participation
• Attention and focus
• Routines and transitions
• Learning and information processing
• Flexibility and predictability needs
• Participation across everyday environments

Every autistic child is different.

Some autistic children may:

• Prefer routines and predictability
• Experience sensory sensitivities or sensory-seeking preferences
• Communicate in different ways
• Need additional support navigating group environments
• Experience emotional overwhelm or shutdowns
• Develop skills differently from peers
• Have strong interests and passions
• Need support with transitions or daily routines

Autism support should focus on understanding the child, supporting participation, respecting neurodiversity, and building practical strategies that align with the child’s strengths and support needs.

---

Autism Support and Thriving Kids WA

Families across Western Australia may also be hearing more about Thriving Kids WA and the new Foundational Supports system.

Thriving Kids WA is expected to support children aged 0-8 years with developmental differences, autism, developmental delays, and low-to-moderate support needs through earlier and more accessible developmental supports.

The direction of these supports focuses on:

• Early developmental support
• Family-centred approaches
• Parent and caregiver capacity building
• Participation in everyday environments
• Supporting children where they live, learn, and play
• Accessible supports before challenges become more significant

​Autism supports may include:

• Occupational Therapy
• Speech Pathology
• Parent coaching
• Emotional regulation support
• Behaviour support strategies
• School readiness support
• Developmental guidance
• Telehealth services

Learn more about Thriving Kids WA

---

Accessing Autism Support Before Diagnosis

Some families notice autism-related differences before receiving formal diagnosis or specialist assessment.
Children do not always need a formal diagnosis to begin accessing developmental support.

​Families may seek support when noticing:

• Communication differences
• Sensory processing differences
• Emotional regulation needs
• Differences in social interaction
• Repetitive play or routines
• Difficulty with transitions
• Participation challenges at childcare or school
• Attention or focus differences
• Emotional overwhelm in busy environments

Early support can help children and families build:

• Communication strategies
• Emotional regulation supports
• Sensory-informed routines
• Participation strategies
• Confidence across everyday environments
• Practical supports for home, school, and community life

Belong Health supports children with:

• Formal autism diagnoses
• Emerging developmental differences
• Suspected autism pathways
• Functional support needs impacting participation

---

Occupational Therapy for Autistic Children

Occupational Therapy can support autistic children to participate more comfortably and confidently across everyday environments and routines.

Occupational Therapy may support:

• Emotional regulation
• Sensory processing differences
• Fine motor development
• Motor planning and coordination
• Daily routines and transitions
• Self-care and independence skills
• School participation
• Attention and concentration
• Play and social participation
• Participation in community environments

Our Occupational Therapists work collaboratively with families to develop practical, sensory-informed, and individualised supports that align with the child’s strengths and support needs.

Learn more Paediatric Occupational Therapy

---

Speech Pathology for Autistic Children

Speech Pathology supports autistic children with communication, language, interaction, participation, and feeding support where needed.

Speech Pathology may support:

• Communication development
• Social communication
• Understanding and expressing language
• Play-based interaction
• Emotional expression
• Participation in group environments
• Feeding and mealtime support
• Building communication confidence

We value all forms of communication and support children in communicating in ways that feel meaningful, functional, and supportive for them.

Our approach does not focus on making children appear “less autistic.” Instead, we focus on supporting communication, participation, connection, and emotional wellbeing.

Learn more Paediatric Speech Pathology

---

Parent Coaching for Autism Support

Parents and caregivers play an important role in supporting autistic children across everyday life.
Parent coaching may help families build confidence with:

• Emotional regulation strategies
• Sensory supports
• Communication approaches
• Daily routines
• Transitions and flexibility
• School participation
• Behaviour support strategies
• Community participation
• Understanding autistic experiences and support needs

Our parent coaching approach is:

• Neurodiversity-affirming
• Collaborative
• Practical
• Strengths-based
• Family-centred

We work alongside families to develop practical and sustainable supports that align with the child’s individual needs and family goals.

Learn more Parent Coaching

---

Positive Behaviour Support for Autistic Children

Some autistic children may communicate stress, overwhelm, sensory overload, frustration, anxiety, uncertainty, or unmet needs through behaviours that impact participation at home, school, or in the community.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) focuses on understanding the reasons behind behaviours while helping children, families, educators, and support networks build supportive, safe, and meaningful environments.

Positive Behaviour Support approaches may help:

• Understand behaviour and support needs
• Identify triggers and environmental factors
• Develop emotional regulation and co-regulation strategies
• Build supportive routines and transitions
• Support communication and participation
• Reduce overwhelm and stress
• Develop sensory-informed supports
• Support participation across home, school, and community environments
• Create practical strategies for caregivers and educators

Our approach focuses on understanding behaviour within the context of:

• Communication differences
• Sensory processing
• Emotional regulation
• Environmental demands
• Anxiety and stress
• Participation challenges
• Functional support needs

We do not use approaches focused on compliance, masking, or forcing autistic children to suppress autistic traits. Instead, our approach is neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based, and focused on supporting wellbeing, participation, communication, emotional safety, and quality of life.

Learn more about PBS for Children

---

Counselling and Emotional Wellbeing Supports for Autistic Children

Autistic children and their families may also benefit from counselling and emotional wellbeing supports to help navigate emotions, relationships, anxiety, stress, confidence, self-understanding, and everyday experiences.

​Counselling and emotional wellbeing supports may help with:

• Emotional regulation
• Anxiety and worries
• Confidence and self-esteem
• Emotional expression
• Friendship and social connection
• School-related stress
• Family adjustment and wellbeing
• Coping strategies
• Understanding emotions and sensory experiences
• Building emotional resilience and self-understanding

Our counselling approach is:

• Neurodiversity-affirming
• Collaborative
• Strengths-based
• Family-centred
• Tailored to each child’s communication style, sensory profile, strengths, interests, and support needs

Supports may focus on:

• Building emotional awareness and coping strategies
• Supporting emotional regulation
• Helping children express thoughts and feelings safely
• Supporting family communication and relationships
• Building confidence and participation across everyday environments
• Developing practical and supportive everyday strategies

Our goal is to create safe, respectful, and supportive environments where autistic children and families feel understood, heard, supported, and empowered.

Learn more Counselling for Children

---

Psychology Assessments for Autism

Belong Health provides child Psychology assessment services that may support families exploring autism pathways.
Assessment services may include:

• Autism assessments
• ADHD assessments
• Combined Autism and ADHD assessments
• Cognitive assessments
• Functional and developmental assessments
• Parent interviews and questionnaires
• School and developmental information gathering

​Assessments can help families, educators, and healthcare professionals better understand the child’s developmental profile, strengths, support needs, learning styles, communication differences, and participation needs.

Our assessment approach is respectful, collaborative, strengths-based, and neurodiversity-affirming.

Learn more about Child Psychology Assessments

---

School Readiness and Autism Support

Some autistic children may benefit from additional support preparing for school or navigating school transitions.
School readiness support may help with:

• Emotional regulation
• Sensory regulation
• Communication and interaction
• Transitions and routines
• Independence skills
• Participation in classroom environments
• Attention and concentration
• Managing overwhelm in group settings

Our supports focus on helping children participate comfortably and confidently while building practical supports for families and educators.​

Learn more about School Readiness

---

Telehealth Autism Supports Across WA

Belong Health provides telehealth autism support services across Western Australia, including regional and remote communities.
Telehealth may support:

• Parent coaching
• Emotional regulation strategies
• Behaviour support guidance
• Communication support
• Developmental consultation
• School consultation
• Sensory support strategies

Telehealth can provide flexible access to developmental supports regardless of location and may integrate naturally into everyday routines and family environments.

Learn more about Telehealth Developmental Support

---

Our Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach

At Belong Health, we recognise autism as a neurodevelopmental difference, not something that needs to be “fixed.”
Our approach focuses on:

• Respecting neurodiversity
• Supporting participation and wellbeing
• Building confidence and self-understanding
• Supporting communication and emotional regulation
• Creating supportive environments
• Empowering families with practical strategies
• Supporting meaningful everyday participation

We aim to help autistic children feel safe, supported, understood, and empowered to participate in ways that align with their individual strengths, interests, and support needs.

---

Supporting Families Across Western Australia

Belong Health supports children and families across:

• Mandurah & Peel Region
• Perth Metro
• Regional WA
• Remote WA communities
• Telehealth across Western Australia

​We provide flexible support options including:

• Home visits
• School visits
• Community-based supports
• Telehealth appointments
• Clinic-based services

---

Contact Belong Health
​
If you would like to learn more about autism support services, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Psychology assessments, parent coaching, emotional regulation support, school readiness supports, Positive Behaviour Support, or telehealth services, contact Belong Health today.

Our team supports children and families across Perth, Mandurah, regional WA, and throughout Western Australia.

Call us

Email us

Frequently Asked Questions - Autism Support for Children Under 9 in WA

Does my child need a formal autism diagnosis to access support?
Not always. Many children benefit from developmental support based on communication differences, sensory processing differences, emotional regulation needs, or participation challenges before receiving a formal diagnosis.

What age groups do you support?
Belong Health supports children across a range of developmental stages, including autism supports for children under 9 and beyond.

Can autism support occur at school or childcare?
Yes. Services may be delivered within home, school, childcare, clinic, community, or telehealth environments depending on the child’s goals and support needs.

Does Belong Health provide telehealth autism supports?
Yes. Belong Health provides telehealth autism supports across Western Australia.

Can autism support involve multiple services?
Yes. Many children benefit from multidisciplinary supports involving Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, parent coaching, Psychology assessments, Positive Behaviour Support, and Counselling supports.

OFFICE HOURS:      MONDAY TO FRIDAY  8:30am - 4:30pm

Belong Health's Community Services for Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Occupational & Speech Therapy Assistants, & Counselling. Our Services NOW cover Peel to Perth regions.

 13 Littleton st, Falcon

Phone: 08 9586 3934

EMAIL US

BELONG HEALTH HEAD OFFICE DETAILS