Submission 1833

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026

My name is [Name Withheld], and I am a single working mother caring for two children with significant neurodevelopmental disabilities. Both of my children are participants in the NDIS. Even with supports in place, our family lives under constant pressure, and I have experienced severe carer burnout, depression, and suicidality while trying to keep my children safe and maintain some level of employment.

I am writing because I am deeply concerned about the proposed changes in the NDIS Amendment (Secoring the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 and what they will mean for families like mine. I do not believe this Bill reflects the reality of caring for children with complex disabilities, especially where there are significant behavioural and mental health risks involved.

My 9-year-old son has ASD Level 2, ADHD, ODD, and anxiety. He receives Positive Behaviour Support, psychology, and five hours of support work per week through the NDIS. Despite these supports, he experiences extremely violent behaviours that affect the safety of everyone in our home and community. Carers have been threatened, injured, or forced to leave the house. My son has absconded during meltdowns. The supports we currently receive are not luxuries — they are the minimum needed to keep our family functioning and safe.

My 12-year-old son also has ASD Level 2, ADHD, ODD, and anxiety. He struggles with everyday activities such as dressing, washing, and eating without prompting and support. He has self-harmed and experienced suicidality due to his disabilities, difficulties at school, and the impact of living in a high-stress home environment. Occupational therapy and psychology have helped him build coping skills and continue participating in school and family life.

The supports funded through the NDIS make it possible for our family to survive. During the few hours each week when a support worker is present, I can complete basic household tasks, rest briefly, or ensure my children can safely participate in activities together or in the community. Therapists have helped us implement strategies that improve safety, communication, and emotional regulation. Without these supports, I genuinely believe my children are at risk of school refusal, institutionalisation, involvement with the justice system, serious harm, or death.

I am particularly concerned about the proposed changes to section 25A(2) and section 25B(4), which appear to push participants toward “alternative supports” outside the NDIS. In reality, these alternatives are either inaccessible or financially impossible for families like mine.

We have already experienced this shift. The NDIS previously refused psychology support for my older son, despite his suicidality and self-harm. I was told to use Medicare mental health sessions instead. But Medicare only subsidises a limited number of sessions each year, and the gap fees are unaffordable for a single parent already struggling to maintain employment. As a result, my son now receives less support than he clinically needs because I simply cannot afford more.

Submission 1833

Programs that assume children can attend school consistently or participate safely in community settings also do not work for many families dealing with severe behavioural disability. My children often require home-based and highly specialised supports. Generic services are not adequate or accessible for our situation.

I am also extremely concerned about the proposed parental presumption provisions in sections 34(1G)-(1J). These changes do not reflect the reality of caring for children with severe disabilities and behavioural risks.

I am already “on duty” 24 hours a day. I sleep poorly because I am constantly alert to the possibility of violence, absconding, or crisis during the night. I can only work around 2.5 hours per day, and even that attendance is inconsistent due to my children’s needs. This is with NDIS supports already in place.

Without those supports, my family will collapse.

If supports are reduced, my younger son will likely stop attending school entirely. My days will revolve around managing violent meltdowns, broken furniture, assaults between siblings, and serious safety risks. I have experienced situations where I have been woken at 3am or 5am by screaming or threats involving knives. I will not be able to leave my children safely with anyone because carers without specialist training cannot manage these risks.

My older son will withdraw further into fear and isolation. He already hides behind his locked bedroom door to protect himself from his brother’s violence. Without adequate therapeutic support, I believe he will return to self-harming and suicidal behaviours.

The proposed automated decision-making powers under section 59B(4) also frighten me. Disability, especially neurodevelopmental disability with behavioural complexity, cannot be reduced to keywords or tick-boxes. Families are already forced to learn how to describe their children in “NDIS language” to secure necessary supports. Small wording differences can determine whether a child receives help or is denied it. Exhausted carers should not have to become legal and administrative experts simply to keep their children safe.

An automated process risks removing even more nuance, compassion, and accountability from decisions that have life-changing consequences. If decisions are wrong, the burden of appeal falls on disabled people and carers who are already overwhelmed.

This process has already had a significant emotional impact on me. I feel fearful every time I communicate with the NDIS because I know how much our safety depends on these supports. Writing this submission has required me to take time away from work and caring responsibilities while already under immense stress.

I ask the Committee to reject this Bill entirely.

Instead of reducing access to supports, the government should work alongside disabled people, families, carers, and clinicians to improve the NDIS while protecting those who rely on it most. The focus should be on reducing duplication, administrative burden, and waste within the system — not shifting unsustainable care responsibilities onto families who are already at breaking point.

Submission 1833

At a minimum, I urge the Committee to:

-Reject provisions that rely on inaccessible “alternative supports” outside the NDIS; -Remove or significantly amend the parental presumption provisions; -Prevent the expansion of automated decision-making for complex disability support decisions; -Estimate psychological and behavioural supports remain accessible for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and mental health risks; -Conduct meaningful consultation with carers and disabled people before introducing reforms that will fundamentally affect their safety and wellbeing.

The human cost of getting this wrong will be enormous. Families like mine are already surviving on the edge. These supports are not optional extras - they are what keep us safe, safe, functioning, and alive.

Thank you for considering my submission.