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

Submission 1602

Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs

Re: NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill 2026

I am writing as the parent and primary carer of redacted, who is autistic and lives in Queensland,** redacted** . 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”fromthe specific impairment a person was assessedfor. My child’s autism doesnotpresent alone.They also have sensory processing disorders,eatingdisordersand other conditions that can be triggered dueto anxietyandsstress.Theseconditions interact constantlycannotbe separated into neat categories.The suppor tmychild needs—occupational therapy,speechtherapy anda ndieteticsessions toreensure he putson weight,dietician sessions todure transitionsandapecific dietusing supplementsas partof hisNDIS plan — addressesneedsthat cut across all these conditionsat once. UnderthisBill,the NDIA coulddetermine th atthissupportdoes not ’ directly’arise fromth eautism diagnosis andretherefore should no tfunded.My chil d’s presentation wouldno change.T heir needswould n otchange.But their fundingcould beremoved.Thisis nota theoretical risk.Many aut istic people are already being toldtheir cooccurringconditionsa renotinpart o ftheir ND IS-recognisedimpairment.Researchpublishedinthead JournalAutismDevelopmental Disorders(Guan et al.,2021) confirmstha tmajorityoa utisticpeoplehaveatleastoneco- occurring condi tion .Theseare notasepa rateissues.They ar epart ofthes ameperson.I ask the Committee to removethe word“directly”fromt h e Bill and restorethen D IA’s obligation to fund supportforthewhole person ,not just an isolated di agnosis. Yours sincerely, redacted,