Submission: National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee. My name is [redacted] and I am the mother and primary carer of my daughter, [redacted].

I am writing this submission because I am strongly opposed to the proposed changes to the NDIS and how it may affect children such as [redacted], who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level III and ADHD at age ten years old; she has difficulties regulating emotions, being rigid in behavior patterns, processing sensory information effectively; she also faces challenges related to communication skills development alongwith executive functioning abilities which impact her adaptive capabilities significantly while attending schools regularly.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment Bill

Submission: [1440]

Without these supports, her functioning deteriorates significantly. The concern I have is that children who have made progress because years’ worth of therapy may now be viewed as ‘not disabled enough,’ since they partially participate in some environments.This creates an unsafe situation where those very supports which helped a child function could lead their funding being reduced.I am also extremely concerned about how NDIA will make decisions regarding functional capacity rather than treating allied health professionals best suited to understand each individual’s needs.’s therapists, psychologist, and other medical experts better grasp this complexity compared any standardized NDIS evaluation ever has.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1440

Children like redacted cannot be accurately assessed without considering:

• environmental supports
• regulation requirements
• flexibility needs
• support scaffolding
• behavioural presentation under stress
• the enormous amount of unseen support provided by families There is a major difference between: “Can this child do the task?”and“ Canthischild consistentlyandsafelyfunctionwithoutsubstantialsupport? ”

School Participation and Educational Impact Oneofthehardestareasofourlivesisschool.

experiences ongoing andsignificant difficulties participating withintheschoo l environment despite extensiveaccommodations和支持. Thereareregularschoolmeetings,frequentcommunicationwithstaffandonngoingintervention totryandinmaintain ’s engagementineducation. Some days cannotattend school at all because sheis toooverwhelmedordysregulated.There are regular occasions where I amrequiredtopickherup earlybecause shbecomes unabletocope safelywithintheclassroomenvironment.ByaroundWeek7most scholeterm, *is frequently highlydysregulatetdburnout fromthedemandsofschooleven withthesesupportsinplace,schoolparticipationremainsfragile.Iamdeeplyconcernedthat increasinglyrigidfundingsystemsandstandardisedapproachswill failtorecognizetheamount ofsupport requiredsimplytokeepchildrenlike redacted marginally engagedineducation.

Plan Reassessments and Change in Circumstances

I strongly oppose proposed restrictions around plan reassessments and change in circumstance requests.

Children like redacted do not have static support needs.

Her functioning fluctuates significantly depending on:

• stress
• school demands
• sensory overload
• burnout
• transitions
• emotional regulation
• sleep
• social conflict The proposal that reassessments may only occur in limited circumstances creates enormous risk for children with dynamic and fluctuating support needs. The proposed 90-day timeframe for reassessment decisions is also extremely concerning.Three months is an extraordinarily long time when a child is:highly dysregulatedunable to engage inschooldeteriorating emotionallyunsafeexperiencing escalating burnouteleviating pressureonthe family system Children can deteriorate rapidly when supports are not responsive to changing needs.Families should not have to wait until complete crisis before additional support is considered.I also strongly oppose the proposal that only participants or nominees may be able to submitreassessment requestssRemoving abilityforintermediarieslikeSupport Coordinatorssubmit reassemsonparticipantsandfamilies behalfcreates another barrierfore already overwhelmed families andreates substantial riske of essential informationandevidence being missed because thencomplexitiesofthenDIS, it’s navigationstandardsandractices require skilled professional oversight.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1440

Ministerial Powers and Funding Control

I strongly oppose proposals expanding ministerial powers over participant funding, eligibility, and budget decisions. The idea that participant budgets and access may potentially be reduced, reset or changed going through broad ministerial powers creates enormous uncertainty for families caring for children\nw ith lifelong disabilities and is a breach of human rights. We cannot safely plan for our children’s futures if supports can potentially change at any stage
on without clear safeguards and transparency.Families and the disabled community need consistency , stability safety.We already live on the edge anxiety fear navigating other complexities last thing we nee dis constant f ear essential suppor ts ripped away moment someone doesn’t know my child sees day-to-day life impact her disability has whole .family as a whole.

Plan Suspensions Loss Access I strongly o ppose proposed plan suspension provisions.The proposal appears allow plans suspended NDIA believes “reasonable attempts” have been made contact participants yet there no clear definition means This does not reflect reality c aring chil ren with disabilit y Families like ours are juggling school crises therapy appointments emotional dysregulation sleep difficulties medical ap pointments const ant communication services burnout exhaustion Missing email phone call letter should place disabled child risk losing support s What happens:

a parent overwhelmed \contact details chang e child crisis emails missed family dealing hospitalisation burnout

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1440

Children like redacted should not lose access to essential supports because a family failed to respond within an arbitrary timeframe.

Mainstream Supports and Cost Shifting

I strongly oppose proposals suggesting participants should only access the NDIS once all other treatments and systems have been exhausted. The reality is that mainstream systems are already overwhelmed and often unable to adequately support children with complex neurodevelopmental disabilities.Schools are struggling.Mental health systems are overloaded.Public therapy waitlists are extensive.Families are burning out.As a parent, I already spend enormous amounts of time:● advocating within schools● attending meetings● sourcing services● managing dysregulation● coordinating appointments● supporting emotional regulation after school● preventing complete breakdown in functioningThe proposed reforms appear likely to increase pressure on families while reducing access to meaningful disability support.Additionally, there is no “treatment” for neurodevelopmental disabilities.The only proven effective“treatment”for redacted’s Autism has been the consistent,intensive fortnightly therapy support she has received over the last 5 years.Lastly,justbecause shereceivedfortnightlytherapyoverthe last 5years,don’tsmeanitcan reduce or cease.Shehas made progressand achieved outcomes,howerver,the goals change asshe grows anda gets older.therapeutic interventionbecomes less about physical“learn todo’s“ andre moreabout sociala ndemotional complexities,lif e skill development,navigating relationships,recongnising body cuesanda n capacity.T he need doesn’t stop,t hego al posts just shift.

Fraud Measures and Privacy Concerns

WhileI agree fraudwithin thenDIS should be addressed,I am concerned that someproposed compliance measures risk unfairly targeting genuine participants a ndfamilies.Thisis already being seenandexperienced bythedisabled community.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

Submission 1440

The proposal for expanded NDIA access to personal information, banking information and risk assessments feels highly intrusive and breaches privacy laws. It’s a proposal I strongly oppose.

Families caring for children with disability are already under constant scrutiny and administrative pressure. We already have to expose so much of our private lives to the NDIA during each plan reassessment or check in meeting. We should not have to expose anymore.

Participants and families should not be treated like suspected criminals because they rely on disability support.

Plan Management and Participant Choice

I strongly oppose proposals limiting participants to government-commissioned panels of plan managers. Many families intentionally choose smaller plan management providers because they provide:

• personalised support flexibility responsiveness understanding of complex disability Removing participant choice undermines one of the core principles the NDIS was built upon.Whilst I agree there needs to be tighter oversight on plan management providers, many of the large, corporate plan managers use AI automated systems with no human oversight.

Support Coordination and the Navigator Model

I strongly oppose the proposal to remove Support Coordination as an individually funded supportand replace it with a generic navigator model.Families like ours do not need short-term generic advice.We need ongoing professional support from people who:• understand our child• understand our family• understand school-based disability challenges• coordinate multiple systemssupport communication between serviceshelp prevent family breakdown and mitigate riskA generic “call centre” style navigation approach will not meet the needs of children withcomplex presentations.

Submission 1440

Final Comments

is not a statistic or budget line. She is an affectionate child who also struggles significantly due to complex needs that require significant support.