National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1283
Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Re: NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill 2026
I request that my contact details are not published please.
I am writing as the parent and primary carer of my two children, my girl, 9, and boy, 6, who are both autistic, as well as with other challenges, and live in QLD. I am submitting this to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs in response to the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill 2026.
My main concerns about this bill are as follows:
The proposed increased reliance on ‘parental responsibility’, (the NDIA must legally presume that parents are responsible for providing “substantial care and support”.) the proposed new increased administrative requirements and increased use of automated systems including to assess eligibility the proposed removal of autistic children and reduction of social supports from the program
I am neurodivergent myself plus have type 1 diabetes. In addition to managing my own health and caring for my two children, I also support my ageing mother who lives alone and has lung cancer. I have already stopped working full time to facilitate as much care as I can give, and to be frank, I am exhausted. I likely need some therapy myself, which also comes down to finding more time and funds to do so. Should this bill go ahead, and we lose supports we will need to assess what funds and schedule we have left to afford to ensure the children continue to have what they need for the best change at long-term positive outcomes. I am already stretched to my limit and do not know how I could provide further substantial care and support.
The proposed amendments for increased admin requirements and use of automated systems, including for assessing eligibility, are concerning. Firstly, because the assessment process has yet to be developed, so a proposed bill is set to pass without knowing what the practical implications will be for us. Secondly, disability is not a one size fits all approach and incorrect decisions due to a lack of nuance with a generalised test is a real possibility. The current system of assessments, from experts in their field that know their patients, does and should still provide the NDIS with the information they require to access eligibility. Families already spend a significant amount of time doing paperwork and navigating the NDIS. The proposed random testing of tasks does not consider the complexity of disability. It fails to account for masking, emotional regulation, and the realities of day-to-day life, all of which can significantly affect how a person presents in a controlled testing environment.
The potential removal of my children from the NDIS is deeply concerning. The NDIS has been life changing, in particular for my son, who was approved at 4yrs old for early intervention support. We are now in our second-year plan, and the combination of an additional year of kindy, occupational therapies, and speech therapy — along with practical tools I was taught to use at home — meant he was well prepared for school this year. Because
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1283
of this continued support, he is currently doing well in prep. With the possibility of this support being removed I fear the work to date could regress and impact long-term outcomes for both of my children. Removing children like mine from the NDIS does not remove their needs; it simply removes the support that allows them to meet those needs and reach their potential.
Through the NDIS my daughter has been able to access OT, psychologist, and social supports, which have been so important to her development and wellbeing. Social and community participation in particular is not a luxury for neurodivergent children and adults; it is an area where they often face the greatest challenges. These supports play a critical role in a person’s ability to connect, contribute, and thrive within society, and they should be recognised and funded as such. Removing autistic children from the scheme risks undoing years of progress and will have long-term consequences for their wellbeing, education, and independence.
In summary I request that the Government withdraw the bill and work closely in consultation with the disability community. Real-world experiences – including my own and those of many others – must be critical to any reform process, which should support both the community and the budget. Rather than spending millions to develop automated systems, continue to rely on the specialists that know and treat the community and support families, many of whom are already at breaking point. I support the need for reform, but not at the cost to the community who genuinely need the support. The cost will not disappear with these NDIS changes, it will be transferred to hospitals, police, and other already overstretched services.
Thank you for your time.