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

Submission 1738

Dear Committee Members,

My name is Amanda Maclean and I am a paediatric occupational therapist working within private practice in both New South Wales and Victoria. I have worked with children, young people and families across a range of developmental, psychosocial and disability presentations for over 25 years.

I am writing to provide feedback regarding aspects of the proposed NDIS reforms, especially those relating to reassessment processes, functional capacity evaluations, early intervention, and the long-term impacts of reduced access to allied health supports.

While I understand and support the need for a sustainable and well-governed NDIS, I am concerned that increasingly standardised reassessment processes will not adequately capture the realities of fluctuating and contextual disability. In paediatric practice, a child’s functional capacity is rarely static. Many children are able to cope in one environment while experiencing significant exhaustion, distress or dysregulation elsewhere. Snapshot-style assessments risk overlooking the cumulative impact of functioning across school, home and community settings.

I am particularly concerned about the potential unintended consequences of reducing or delaying early intervention and maintenance supports. In my experience, preventative and relationship-based supports are often what allow children to remain engaged at school, participate socially, and avoid escalation into more significant mental health, behavioural or educational difficulties.

When supports are only available once a child reaches crisis point, outcomes are typically poorer and far more costly in the long term. This can contribute to increased pressure on schools, greater family stress, reduced parental workforce participation, and increased reliance on public health and welfare systems over time.

I also believe it is important to recognise the role that private paediatric allied health providers currently play within the broader support ecosystem. Many experienced clinicians now work within private practice settings, which often provide the flexibility, supervision structures and neuroaffirming approaches needed to retain skilled staff within the sector. Reforms that unintentionally destabilise private providers will undoubtedly worsen existing workforce shortages and waitlists, especially for children requiring ongoing multidisciplinary support.

I would encourage the committee to consider the following recommendations:

• Maintain flexibility within reassessment processes to better account for fluctuating and contextual functional capacity.

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

Submission 1738

• Ensure reassessment frameworks incorporate information from clinicians, families and educational settings, rather than relying solely on standardised assessment tools.

• Preserve access to early intervention and maintenance supports, recognising their role in preventing more intensive long-term needs.

• Support continuity of care and therapeutic relationships, particularly for children with complex or psychosocial presentations.

• Continue consulting closely with frontline clinicians, families and service providers during implementation of reforms.

I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this inquiry and hope these practical observations from frontline paediatric practice are helpful in informing balanced and sustainable reform.

Kind Regards,

                                              Sydney Clinic: 2/33
                                                      Alexandra Street,

Amanda Hunters Hill, NSW MacLean (she/her) 2110 Clinical Director and Occupational Therapist Office Phone: 0483 947 062

                                                       Office
                                                     Email: sydney@leapfr
                                                     ogtherapy.com.au

                                                   Website: www.leapfro

gtherapy.com.au