Maternal nurses to be trained to spot autism in toddlers in Victoria

September 5, 2018
Spured on by the treatment of her autistic son, Sarah Blyth says teachers need more support from the government.

More than 1200 Victorian maternal and child health nurses will be trained to spot autism spectrum disorder in toddlers.

Premier Daniel Andrews todau announced A$1.1 million to fund the online and face-to-face training to identify the disorder as early as possible, part of a broader $19 million early childhood service investment.

La Trobe University's Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre will train nurses to spot the signs in about 80,000 toddlers aged 12-to-24 months each year, Families Minister Jenny Mikakos said.

"This is about giving every child every chance to succeed and making sure those living with autism have the same opportunities as everybody else," she said.

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