Independent Assessments

                                Submission 117

Dear Committee,

I am writing this submission in response to your inquiry regarding the proposed NDIS Independent Assessments.

I am a parent of a young child with the rare syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome. Since my class’s birth in 2018 I have felt traumatised when dealing with getting my child on the NDIS, with getting my child’s supports via the NDIS, fighting for my child to be included and their needs accommodated in society, and I am worn down and exhausted. I have built a team of support around our child and family which is working well yet which requires constant management. I am privileged to be educated and have the capacity to advocate for my child, yet this role has come at great personal cost.

I am extremely opposed to Independent Assessments. I am fearful they will;

• fail to adequately assess my child’s true capacity, skills and knowledge due to a process not fit for purpose;

• result in inadequate funding to support my child’s development at a crucial time in their early years;

• create anxiety, fear and behavioural issues for my child due to interacting with a stranger for assessment, and create a pattern of negative, or oppositional behaviour for future such interactions;

• further exacerbate my family’s PTSD which suffers every time we encounter NDIS, especially around plan renewal time.

Thank you for taking my comments into consideration.