National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1685
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing as the parent of a 13-year-old daughter who has been diagnosed with Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder and Global Developmental Delay. Our family is deeply concerned by recent announcements suggesting that significant numbers of participants may be removed from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), or that supports may be substantially reduced.
For our daughter, the NDIS has not been a luxury or an optional benefit. It has been life- changing and essential to her development, education, communication, independence and future prospects.
Prior to receiving NDIS support approximately four years ago, our daughter was non- verbal and faced severe challenges engaging with school, communication and everyday social interaction. Through consistent access to evidence-based therapies funded by the NDIS — including speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychology support — she has made extraordinary progress.
Today, she is now able to communicate verbally, participate in school, interact socially and engage with the community in ways we once feared may never be possible. These outcomes were not achieved by chance. They were achieved because the NDIS provided the structured early and ongoing intervention that experts universally recognise as critical for children with severe autism and developmental disabilities.
A small portion of her funding is also used for music therapy and community participation activities. These supports are not recreational “extras”; they are therapeutic and developmental tools that help regulate emotions, improve communication, reduce anxiety and build social confidence. For children with complex disabilities, these supports are often the bridge between isolation and participation in society.
We are extremely concerned that reducing or removing funding from vulnerable children like our daughter would have devastating consequences. Without ongoing therapeutic intervention, there is a real risk that she could regress in communication, emotional regulation, learning and independence. The progress she has fought so hard to achieve could be lost.
Importantly, continued support is not about creating dependency. In fact, the exact opposite is true.
The purpose of these supports is to help our daughter build the skills needed to eventually become as independent as possible, participate in society, and ideally one day obtain employment and contribute to the community. Early and sustained intervention reduces long-term societal costs by improving functioning and reducing future reliance on health, welfare and crisis services.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1685
Removing support now would not save money in the long term. It would simply shift costs elsewhere — to schools, hospitals, mental health systems, carers and families already under enormous pressure.
Families like ours are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness, compassion and recognition that disability support changes lives. The NDIS has given our daughter opportunities that were previously unimaginable. It has given her a voice, confidence and hope for the future.
We respectfully urge the Federal Government to ensure that any reforms to the NDIS protect children and young people with significant and permanent disabilities who genuinely require ongoing support. Decisions about funding should be based on clinical evidence, functional needs and long-term developmental outcomes — not broad cost- cutting measures.
Please do not take away the supports that have allowed our daughter to grow, learn and participate in the world around her.
The NDIS is working for our family. More importantly, it is working for our daughter.
Yours sincerely