National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1248
To: Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs
Re: NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill 2026
I am writing as the parent and primary carer of my son who is autistic and lives in Queensland. I am submitting this to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs in response to the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill 2026. I am writing about Schedule 1 Part 3 of the Bill, which requires every funded support to arise “directly†from the specific impairment a person was assessed for.
My child’s autism does not present alone. He also has ADHD, anxiety, and a sleep disorder. These conditions interact constantly and cannot be separated into neat categories. The support my child needs, such as occupational therapy for executive function / behaviour support to manage anxiety-driven meltdowns / 1:1 support during transitions — addresses needs that cut across all of these conditions at once. Under this Bill, the NDIA could determine that this support does not ‘directly’ arise from the autism diagnosis and therefore should not be funded.
My child’s presentation would not change. His needs would not change. But his funding could be removed or reduced. This is not a theoretical risk. Many autistic people are already being told their co-occurring conditions are not part of their NDIS-recognised impairment. Research published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (Guan et al., 2021) confirms that the majority of autistic people have at least one co-occurring condition. These are not separate issues. They are part of the same person. I ask the Committee to remove the word â €œdirectly†from the Bill and restore the NDIA’s obligation to fund support for the whole person, not just an isolated diagnosis.
Yours sincerely,