NDIA Accountability Project

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Concerns regarding impacts on autistic young people and families (Participant experience)

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Submission to the Inquiry into the

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

Submitted by: Rebecca McCash​ Founder & CEO, FutureTech Australia

Executive Summary

This submission is made by Rebecca McCash, Founder and CEO of FutureTech Australia, a neurodivergent-led social enterprise supporting autistic and neurodivergent young people and families across Sydney. It is informed by my lived experience of disability,** frontlinework**with* autistic young people and family*,s,experience employing neurodiverse adults*, * and contributiont onational autism policy discussions through t he National Autism Strategy Economic Inclusion Working Group.

I established FutureTech in 2021 i n responsea gapi n accessible supports f or auti stic y oung peopl e*. Since then,FutureT ech has supported more than 150 you ng p eo ple an d created employment opportunities fo r 20 ne urodivergent adult s , including pathwaysf or former participants

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

Submission 1985

reviews or utilise funding flexibly due to concerns regarding funding reductions, retrospective scrutiny, or loss of supports. At the same time, many small providers and lived-experience-led organisations are operating under increasingly unsustainable conditions while attempting to continue supporting vulnerable young people and families.

A central concern of this submission is that tighter eligibility criteria, reassessment processes, and reduced access to participation supports may disproportionately impact autistic young people whose disabilities are often less visible or fluctuating in colouration.

This submission also highlights the broader economic and social consequences of these reforms including risks to neurodiverse employment pathways increased pressure on families schools and reduced sustainability of small community based support models. While sustainability reform of the NDIS important objectives must not unintentionally remove the supports help autistic young people remain connected education peers family lifecommunity participation This submission makes a series recommendations aimed at: preserving early and community-based supports; enforcing implementation processes informed live experience protecting autism risk falling through gaps functional assessment modelssupporting sustainability experienced led organizations; reducing unintended harm disabled Australians their families during reform implementation.

About Author I am multiply disabled entrepreneur educator disability advocate with lived professional experience across sectors.

I Founder CEO FutureTech Australia neurodivergent led enterprise supporting autistic neurodivergent young peer mentoring STEAM learning programs communities participations.

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

Submission 1985

In addition to my work at FutureTech, I currently work as a Neurodiversity Education Officer at The Beach School, where I am involved in piloting neurodiversity-informed educational approaches focused on well-being, emotional regulation, belonging, and student engagement.

I also contributed to the Economic Inclusion Working Group for the National Autism Strategy alongside Autistic Australians, researchers, advocates, and sector leaders. Through this work, I contributed to discussions regarding autistic well-being, employment, community participation, and systemic inclusion.

Prior to founding FutureTech, I worked across a range of disability support and advocacy roles, including support coordination, recovery coaching, inclusion consulting, and community capacity building. My work has involved collaboration with schools, universities, disability organisations, researchers, and government stakeholders.

This submission is informed by my lived experience of disability, frontline work with autistic young people and families, experience employing neurodivergent adults, and ongoing involvement in disability policy and advocacy spaces.

About FutureTech Australia

FutureTech Australia is a neurodivergent-led social enterprise established in 2021 to support autistic and neurodivergent young people to build confidence, connection, and pathways toward meaningful participation in education, community, and employment.

I founded FutureTech in response to a significant gap in accessible and community-based supports for autistic young people, particularly those experiencing social isolation, school disengagement, anxiety, and barriers to belonging within traditional educational and therapeutic environments.

FutureTech delivers peer-led programs designed by neurodivergent people for neurodivergent young people. Programs focus on:

  • Social connection and peer relationships;
  • Interest-led STEAM learning;
  • Mentoring and role modelling;
  • Emotional well-being;
  • Self-advocacy and identity development; and
  • Community participation.

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

Submission 1985

Since 2021, FutureTech has supported more than 150 young people and families across Sydney, including many young people at risk of school disengagement, mental health deterioration, and long-term social exclusion. FutureTech currently employs 20 neurodivergent adults, many of whom face significant barriers to traditional employment. Our peer workforce model creates meaningful employment opportunities while also allowing young people to connect with mentors who share lived experience and understanding. We have also supported pathways for former participants to become peer mentors themselves.The majority of FutureTech participants access supports through NDIS social and community participation funding. As a result, both the organisation and the young people we support are particularly vulnerable to reforms impacting eligibility, participation supports, and community-based service provision.While FutureTech was initially established as an early support model focused on connection and wellbeing, I have increasingly found the organisation functioning as a critical support point for young people and families experiencing significant distress, educational disengagement, social isolation, and family exhaustion.Across my work at FutureTech, I have consistently observed the important role that peer-led and community-based supports can play in improving wellbeing, supporting educational re-engagement, and creating meaningful participation pathways for autistic young people.

Existing Conditions Prior to Reform### Increasing Fear and Uncertainty Among FamiliesOne of the most significant issues I am already observing through FutureTech is increasing fear, uncertainty, and disengagement among families interacting with the NDIS system prior to the implementation of these reforms.Many families report feeling afraid to request plan reviews, seek additional supports, or utilise funding flexibly due to concerns that doing so may result in reduced funding, increased scrutiny, or the loss of existing supports altogether. Several families described continuing under outdated plans that no longer reflect their children’s current needs because they fear engaging further with the review process.

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

Submission 1985

This fear is changing behaviour. I have increasingly seen families:

  • delay or avoid accessing supports;
  • underutilise funding despite significant unmet needs;
  • avoid reassessment processes; and disengage from the NDIS system altogether due to exhaustion and lack of trust. One family connected to FutureTech described having multiple autistic children on pans that had been rolled over repeatedly over several years. While the children’s \needs had changed significantly over time, the family reported being too fearful to request reviews because previous attempts\to seek additional supportshad resulted infunding reductions.The parentdescribed feeling exhausted,demoralised,and unablet continue navigatingthe systemsystem despitetheirchildren continuingtos experience significantsupportneeds.In myexperiencetheses examples suggestthatfor some familiesth eNDIS ist already functioning as a sourceof fearand instability rather than confidenceandsuppor t.A supportsystemthatareafraidtot fully engage withist alreadymalfunctioning.

Outdated and Inflexible PlansThroughmy work atFutureT ech, Ihaveincreasinglyseen plans thano longer alignwiththeadactualsupportneedsofa utisticyoung peoplean dtheir fam ilies.Many youngpeople initially enteredthen DISat amuchyounger ageoften wit hgoals an dsu pports developed around earlychildhoodinterventionorclinicaltherapy models.Years later,m anyo ftheseyoungpeopler equirefundamentallydifferent formsofs upport,p articularlyaround:

socialconnection; peerrelationships; schoolengagement ; ementionalregulation;a nd communityparticipation.However ,many familiesreport difficultyadaptingplans tore fleccthesecanging developmentalansosocia lneeds.

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

Submission 1985

I have repeatedly encountered situations where young people have access to limited therapeutic supports while lacking access to peer-based and community supports having the greatest practical impact on their wellbeing, confidence, and participation. This issue is particularly significant for autistic young people whose support needs are often participation-based and difficult to capture within traditional clinical frameworks. Many of the young people I support may appear comparatively “lower needs” within traditional frameworks despite experiencing:

  • severe school disengagement;
  • significant anxiety;
  • deteriorating mental health;
  • social isolation; and
  • loss of confidence and participation. Without appropriate support these young people are at risk of escalating into far more complex situations over time.

Workforce and Provider Instability The uncertainty surrounding ongoing NDIS reforms also contributing increasing instability among small lived-experience-led providers Through FutureTech operate broader ecosystem disability already experiencing: - workforce shortages;-increasing administrative burden;-rising operational costs;-funding uncertainty;and-significant emotional strain founders staff Like many small disability organisations relies heavily unpaid labour founder subsidycommunity goodwill in order remain operational For first two years operation did not take wage from organisation Even now substantial proportion labor required sustain FutureTech remains unpaid including administration compliance participant policy monitoring advocacy fundraisingsignificant after-hours work keep organization operational.

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

Submission 1985

Administrative Burden and Policy Instability

A substantial amount of organizational capacity within small disability providers is increasingly being redirected away from direct participant support toward navigating ongoing policy changes, compliance requirements, uncertainty, legislative reform processes.

Over recent years, I’ve spent considerable effort understanding, monitoring, responding to continual NDIS changes in order:

  • remain operationally compliant;
  • advise families appropriately;
  • support staff;
  • adapt organizational planning; and prepare future reforms. This administrative burden reduces available energy, innovation resources, time, program development workforce support directly impacting participants outcomes. The increasing complexity instability system creates particular challenges smaller providers with limited admin capacity operating under current funding structures.

Increasing Crisis Presentations Among Young People

FutureTech was originally established as an early community-based model focused on connection curiosity belonging peer support over time however organization has become critical support point youth family experiencing significant crises.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1985

FutureTech now regularly supports young people experiencing:

  • severe school disengagement, school refusal, and severe school distress;
  • significant social isolation;
  • mental health deterioration;
  • emotional dysregulation;
  • family breakdown and exhaustion;
  • loss of confidence and community connection; and
  • suicidality and self-harm risk. Families frequently describe being unable to find supports that their children can meaningfully engage with or environments where they feel safe and understood. For many young people, peer connection and community belonging are foundational to wellbeing, emotional regulation, and ongoing participation. Across my work at FutureTech, I have seen young people reconnect with peers, turn back into educational settings, rebuild confidence, improve emotional well-being after engaging in neuro-affirming Peer-led Supports. The reforms may unintentionally reduce access to supports currently helping young people maintain stability remain connected education Peers Community.

Analysis of Proposed Legislative Changes and Likely Impacts The following section outlines key concerns regarding specific elements proposed legislation likely practical impacts autistic young families Neurodivergent workers support systems.### Tightening Eligibility Criteria A central concern National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 is tightening eligibility criteria broader shift reducing number participants accessing scheme.

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

Submission:1985

These reforms risk disproportionately impacting autistic young people whose disabilities may not always present in ways that are easily captured through narrow functional assessment models, despite those young people experiencing significant barriers to education, wellbeing, and social connection. Many of the young people I support through FutureTech would likely not appear “high needs” within traditional or short-form assessment environments. However, this does not reflect the complexity or seriousness of the challenges they experience in daily life.

These young people often:

  • disengaged from school or at a high risk of school refusal with severe distress;
  • socially isolated unable maintain peer relationships; -experiencing significant anxiety emotional dysregulation, stuggling executive functioning participation;and -at long-term exclusion without appropriate support. In many cases these challenges are visible highly medicalised deficit-focused processes. one supported through FutureTech had become almost completely socially isolated following prolonged school disengagement Anxiety Through peer-led community supports gradually rebuilt confidence formed friendships began re-engaging educational goals Under narrower functional assessments this person may have appeared “high needs” despite being significantly excluded mental health deterioration A concern is tighter eligibility settings unintentionally exclude cohort most benefit early support The human economic costs excluding these young people likely outweigh any savings achieved reduced eligibility Functional Capacity Assessments Reassessment Risks:I hold concerns regarding proposed shift toward capacity assessment planned reassessment participants onwards.

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

Submission:1985 Autistic disability often presents in ways that are highly contextual, fluctuating, and difficult to accurately capture within narrow or standardised assessment environments. Many autistic young people may appear articulate, capable, or comparatively functional during short assessment interactions while still experiencing profound barriers in their daily lives. Through my work at FutureTech I regularly support young people who may outwardly be:

  • unable attend school consistently;
  • experiencing severe anxiety burnout;*
  • unable maintain friendships social participation; struggling with emotional regulation; * dependent informal family support.* A major concern assessments may privilege observable easily measurable impairments failing adequately capturing masking compensatory behaviours,* fluctuations disabilities,** cumulative burnouts** sensory overload**, social exhaustion ** executive functioning difficulties . This particularly pronounced learning mask distress suppress needs comply professional settings despite substantial internal struggle .*I am also deeply concerned regarding proposed large-scale reassessment process from onwards The prospect of widespread reassessing already creating fear instability among families uncertain supports children currently rely upon will continue exist Repeated processes risk placing into cycles continual re-justification need emotionally exhausting retraumatising administratively burdensome both participants carers There significant risk models focused primarily on deficit function impairment fail recognise importance stability participations wellbeing over time www.futuretechaustralia.org

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

Submission 1985

The “All Appropriate Treatments” Permanence Test

I am deeply concerned by the proposed strengthening of permanence requirements and the expectation that participants demonstrate they have pursued “all appropriate treatments” before being considered eligible for ongoing support. The approach appears to reflect an increasingly medicalised understanding of disability, may not appropriately account for realities such as those experienced with autism experience , neurodivergence .or fluctuating disabilities. For many autistics there is no singular pathway that resolves barriers related to their condition .Support needs are often lifelong and relate more than just impairment itself ,but also interaction between disability and inaccessible social educational sensory community environment. a significant concern about this approach may create unrealistic or harmful expectations autistic people continue pursue therapies interventions assessments clinical pathways in order justify continuing support needs particularly when emerging evidence shows many gold standard intervention can be detrimental to Autistic People This risks creating:

  • increased pressure on families pursuing costly accessible interventio ns; in equitable outcomes for families fewer financial professional resources delays accessing support; Increased participant exhaustion burnout It also reinforces idea must continually attempt improve recover demonstrating treatment compliance justify participation support Across my work I consistently observed young adults benefit most from environments supporting stability particip ation connection wellbeing A system should require disabled people continuously prove exhausted every possible avenue before considering deserving support.

Reduction of Social and Community Participation Supports

One of my most significant concerns regarding the proposed reforms is the planned reduction in funding and access to social and community participation supports.

The majority of young people supported through FutureTech currently access supports through social and community participation funding categories. These supports are not supplementary or recreational in nature. For many young people, they are the primary mechanism through which they are able to:

  • safely connect with peers;
  • build confidence and social capacity;
  • engage with learning environments;
  • reduce isolation; and
  • participate meaningfully in community life. Many autistic young people are unable to engage successfully in mainstream social environments, traditional extracurricular activities, or therapy-only approaches.Peer-led community supports often provide the first environments in which they feel safe, understood, and able to participate meaningfully.Social and community participation supports are often discussed publicly as thoughthey are optional or non-essential.In practice, social isolation, educationaldisengagement, and exclusion from community life are often central manifestationsof disability for autistic young people.I am deeply concerned that reductions to these funding categories may disproportio-nately impact autistic young people whose needs are primarily social,every emotional relationaland participations-basedinnature.Withoutaccess tthesesupportsmanyyoungpeoplerisk:worsening mental health; increased school disengage ment; family breakdown exhaustion long-termsocialexclusion ;greater future reliance on crisis intensive support systems.Reducing accessto earlyparticipation-focusedsupportsrisks creatingsignificantly greaterlongterm human economic costs across educationmentalhealthfamilycrisissystems.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1985

The proposed reductions also place organisations such as FutureTech at significant risk. FutureTech currently employs 20 neurodivergent adults and has supported more than 150 young people and families. A substantial reduction in social and community participation funding would place the organisation’s future viability in serious jeopardy, alongside the supports and employment pathways it currently provides.

Ministerial Powers Under Section 34A

I hold serious concerns regarding the proposed expansion of ministerial powers under section 34A, particularly the capacity for supports and funding decisions to be altered or reduced without adequate procedural safeguards or accessible review pathways. These changes risk significantly undermining participant trust and confidence in the NDIS. Families connected to FutureTech are already reporting high levels of fear and uncertainty regarding plan reviews, reassessments, and funding changes. Expanding powers that enable supports to be reduced or altered without robust and accessible appeal mechanisms is likely to intensify this fear further. A major concern is not only the direct impact of funding reductions themselves, but the behavioural consequences these reforms may create within the system. When participants and families fear engaging with the system, they are more likely:

  • avoid seeking support;
  • delay reassessment requests;
  • underutilise funding despite unmet needs;
  • disengage from planning processes; and
  • experience increasing distrust toward the NDIS. This creates a system dynamic in which people become reluctant to advocate for their needs due to concerns that doing so may result in negative consequences. For autistic young people and families already experiencing significant stress, burnout, and administrative burden, the weakening of review rights may further increase feelings of instability and powerlessness. A support system intended to improve participation and wellbeing should not leave disabled people and families fearful of engaging with it.

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

Submission 1985

Reduced Review Rights and Unscheduled Reassessments

I am deeply concerned regarding the proposed expansion of unscheduled reassessment processes and the apparent reduction in accessible review rights available to participants.

Many autistic young people and families already experience the NDIS as administratively exhausting and difficult to navigate. Increased reassessment powers risk intensifying this burden considerably.

For many families, preparing for reviews or reassessments involves:

  • gathering extensive documentation;
  • obtaining costly reports;
  • repeatedly recounting distressing experiences;
  • justifying support needs;
  • managing uncertainty regarding outcomes; and
  • navigating complex and inaccessible administrative systems.

Through my work, I have seen many families already operating at or beyond capacity due to caregiving demands, school disengagement, financial stress, mental health pressures, and limited support availability.

Frequent or unpredictable reassessment processes risk creating continual instability for families who are already struggling to maintain safe and sustainable support arrangements.

There is also significant concern that reduced review rights may leave participants with limited ability to challenge decisions that substantially affect their wellbeing, participation, safety, and long-term outcomes.

For autistic young people in particular, continuity and predictability are often essential components of effective support. Systems characterised by continual reassessment and uncertainty risk undermining precisely the conditions many autistic young people require in order to participate successfully.

Risks of Automated Decision-Making and Algorithmic Processes

I hold significant concerns regarding the increased use of automated decision-making systems and algorithmic processes within the NDIS, particularly where these processes may occur without meaningful individual review or accessible appeal pathways.

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

Submission 1985

Concerns About Automated Systems in Disability Support Decisions

Disability support systems involve highly complex human circumstances that cannot be accurately captured through standardised metrics, automated systems, or simplified functional indicators.

Autistic disability in particular is often contextual, fluctuating, and influenced by environmental factors. Many autistic young people experience support needs that cannot be immediately visible within narrow data-driven decision-making frameworks due to their presentations being inconsistent depending upon environment, stress levels, sensory load, availability of support services etc., which are all situational variables affecting them differently at different times as per context.

A major concern with respect to reliance solely onto automation:

  • oversimplifying complexity;
  • reinforcing existing systemic biases; failing accountancy on fluctuations in capacity; prioritizing administrative efficiency over actual outcomes achieved; disabling opportunities for personalized decisions based purely algorithmically without robust safeguards & transparency measures. The above risks may further distance participants from meaningful engagement during NDIS processes thereby reducing overall effectiveness thereof.

Therefore it’s imperative not reduce such critical life-changing decisions into mere algorithms devoided of individualized considerations & accessibility towards review mechanisms. Incorrect decisions made under these conditions directly affect wellbeing, education participation mental health family stability safety aspects involved therein.

Impacts On Self Management And Neurodivergent Employment

I am also concerned about the potential impacts reforms might have regarding self-management arrangements increasing pressure toward provider registration requirements. Many families connected FutureTech value self-managed models because they allow access smaller more flexible supports than traditional service structures do.

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

Submission 1985

For many autistic young people, consistency, trust, and flexibility are critical factors in whether supports are successful. Families often choose smaller providers and peer-led organizations because these supports are more responsive and better aligned with their children’s needs. Increased barriers to self-management or expanded registration requirements risk reducing participant choice and limiting access to smaller lived-experience-led organizations. This concern also has significant implications for neurodivergent employment. FutureTech currently employs 20 neurodivergent adults, including peer mentors with lived experience who provide important connection role models (role) for young pople. Many of these staff have experienced substantial barriers within traditional employment environments and have found meaningful sustainable work through neurodivergent-led community-based models. if reforms reduce the viability of self-managed supports small providers there is significant risk that:

  • neurodivergent employment pathways will shrink; -livedexperienceled workforces will decline;participant choiceandflexibilitywillreduce;autistic youngpeople will loseaccess supportstheycurrently rely upon. The disability sector should be investing growth sustainabilityofneurodivergent ledorganizationspeerworkforcestrather than unintentionally creatingbarriers placethese atrisk 59 Redefining Parental Responsibility I hold very serious concerns regarding proposed changes broader policy directions relating redefinition parental responsibilitywithindisabilitysupport systems Many families connected FutureTech are already providing extraordinary levels unpaid care advocacy emotional regulation support educational transport supervision crisis management children.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1985

In practice, many parents of autistic young people are already functioning as:

  • full-time carers;
  • Advocates;
  • educators;
  • emotional co-regulators;
  • case managers;
  • behavioural support workers;
  • administrators; and
  • crisis responders. Increasing expectations that families absorb even greater levels of support responsibility risks placing already exhausted families into unsustainable situations. A significant concern is that redefining disability-related supports as ordinary parental responsibility may fail to recognise the substantial additional labour required to support autistic young people with complex emotional regulation, educational, sensory, and participation needs. This issue is particularly concerning for families experiencing:• school refusal, severe school distress, and educational disengagement; • significant emotional dysregulation; • mental health deterioration; • social isolation; • family burnout; and • limited access to community supports. Across my work at FutureTech, I have regularly encountered families who are already beyond exhaustion and struggling simply to maintain safety, stability, and connection for their children. Many parents have reduced work hours, left employment entirely, or experienced significant financial and emotional strain due to the intensity of caring responsibilities. Shifting greater responsibility onto families without adequate support risks:- increasing family breakdown;
  • increasing mental health pressures;
  • worsening educational disengagement;
  • reducing workforce participation among carers; and
  • shifting costs elsewhere across health, education, and social systems.

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

Submission 1985

Access to peer connection, mentoring, social participation, and supportive community environments cannot simply be replaced through parental effort alone.

Long-Term Human and Economic Consequences

A consistent concern throughout these proposed reforms is the extent to which short-term cost reduction measures may unintentionally create significantly greater long-term human, social, and economic costs. I have seen the positive impact that early, community-based, and neuro-affirming supports can have on autistic young people and families. I have also seen the consequences when these supports are absent. Without appropriate support, many autistic young people experience:

  • escalating school disengagement;
  • deteriorating mental health;
  • family breakdown and exhaustion; and
  • long-term exclusion from education, employment, and community participation. Many of the supports currently at risk are helping young people maintain stability and remain connected to education, peers, and community. Disability policy should not focus solely on reducing immediate expenditure without adequately considering:
  • long-term participation outcomes;
  • educational engagement;
  • family sustainability;
  • workforce participation;
  • mental health impacts;
  • crisis system costs; and -the broader social and economic consequences of exclusion. The long-term costs of withdrawing support from autistic young people and families are unlikely to disappear. Instead, there is significant risk these costs will simply be redistributed across:
  • education systems; -emergency and mental health services; families and unpaid carers; homlessness and crisis supports;

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

Submission 1985

  • unemployment systems; and broader social services. Effective disability reform should aim not only to reduce expenditure, but to create dustainable systems that improve long-term wellbeing, participation, inclusion, and community outcomes for disabled Australians.

Impact on Families and Carers### Caregiver Exhaustion and BurnoutThrough my work at FutureTech, I have increasingly encountered families experiencing profound levels of exhaustion,burnout,and emotional strain while attemptingto navigate bothdisability support systemsandthe day-to-day realitiesof supportingautisticyoungpeople.Many parents connectedt oFutureTecharealready operatingbeyond sustainablecapacity.In additiontod ordinary parenting responsibilities,the yaresoften simultaneouslyfunctioning as:

carers;advocates;emotional co-regulators;educators;administrators;case managers; anda crisis responders.Formanyfamiliesaccessing appropriate supports alreadynecessitates substantialunpaid labourincluding coordinatingservices,navigatingNDIS processesmanaging schoolcommunication,gathering reports ,anda ndually advocatingfortheir child’s needsacross multiplesystems.Thesepressures are often intensified bylong waitlists,inaccessible servic esinflexible educational environments,difficulty findingsupportsthat autistic young peoplecan meaningfully engage with. Inmy experience many familiess already functioning in survival mode.

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

Submission:1985

A major concern is that these reforms will further increase pressure on families by reducing access to the supports currently helping maintain stability, connection, and safe support arrangements.

Educational Disengagement and Homeschooling Pressures

A significant number of young people supported through FutureTech are either disengaged from education entirely, experiencing chronic school distress, or at substantial risk of school refusal and severe school distress. In many cases, families report being unable to access educational environments their children can safely and sustainably participate in without significant emotional harm. as a result, many parents have:

  • reduced work hours;
  • left employment entirely; transition into homeschooling arrangements;become primary educational supports;orsignificantly altered family functioning order maintaing child’s safetyand wellbeing.These arrangements rarely reflect genuine free choice.More often they emerge because familes exhausted other viable options.For many young people community-based supporst such as FutureTech become someonly environs where they continue experience peerconnectionconfidencebelongingelearningpositivecommunityparticipation.I am deeply concerned about reducing access to these supports risks worseningeducationaldisengage increasingpressurefamilies already carryingsubstantial educatinal caring responsibilities.### Financial Employment Impacts FamiliesThe proposed reforms also create substantial financial impacts for families supporting autistic young people.

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

Submission 1985

Many parents connected to FutureTech have already reduced workforce participation

due to the intensity of caring responsibilities and the lack of accessible or appropriate supports available for their children. Some families report:

  • leaving employment entirely;
  • reducing to part-time work;
  • declining career opportunities;
  • experiencing significant financial instability; or
  • absorbing substantial out-of-pocket costs in order to access supports their children can meaningfully engage with. I have also increasingly encountered families continuing to pay privately for supports despite severe financial pressure because they fear engaging with NDIS review processes or no longer trust the system to provide consistent support. These reforms risk transferring even greater financial and caring pressures onto families without adequately recognising the cumulative impact this creates. While reforms are often framed in terms of reducing government expenditure, sufficient attention appears not having been given on extent which cost may instead be transferred into:
  • unpaid carers;
  • family;
  • schools; -informal support systems, community organisations.

Emotional Impact System Instability

One strongest themes emerging through my work is emotional that instability uncertainty continual reform process has disabled people’s familes many describe feeling unable plan safely future due continually uncertain regarding reassessment funding & support continuity.

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

Submission 1985

Impact on Neurodivergent Employment and Lived-Experience-Led Organisations

Importance of Neurodivergent-Led Support Models

The instability described in this submission directly affects:

  • family wellbeing;
  • mental health;
  • parenting capacity;
  • educational engagement;
  • community participation; and
  • the ability of families to maintain sustainable support arrangements over time. For autistic young people specifically, stability and predictability form essential components of their well-being and active involvement.

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

Submission 1985

Neurodivergent-led organisations often provide forms of flexibility, accessibility, and lived understanding that are difficult to replicate within more traditional service \nmodels. \nThese approaches should not be viewed as peripheral to the disability sector. They
an important part of building systems that genuinely support participation, wellbeing, and inclusion for autistic people.

Peer Workforce Pathways and Employment

FutureTech currently employs 20 neurodivergent adults, many of whom have experienced significant barriers within traditional employment settings. For many neurodivergent people, mainstream workplaces can present substantial challenges due to:

  • sensory environments;
  • rigid communication expectations;
  • inflexible work structures;
  • lack of psychological safety; stigma and discrimination;andinsufficientunderstandingofneurodivergetneeds. Pearworkforcemodelsprovideopportunitiesforneurodivergeadultstocontributetheir skills,liveexperience,creativity,andexpertisewithinenvironmentsthataremore flexible,affirmingandsustainable. Importantlythesesemploymentpathwayalsocreatemeaningsoutcomesfortheyoungpeople accessingsupport.Through FutureTech,Ihaveseenautisticyoungpeopledenefitfromseeing neardivergentadults:employedmeaningfullyvaluedforsstrengthscorntibutingtocommunityleadingprogramsmentoringothersandexistingauthenticallywithoutpressuretomaskwhothey are.Formanyyoungeropletheserelationshioprovidehopeandpossibilityregarding theirownfuture.

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

Submission 1985

Several FutureTech mentors previously experienced significant barriers to traditional employment. Peer workforce opportunities have allowed them to contribute meaningfully within environments that better understand and accommodate neurodivergent needs while also providing important role modelling for younger participants. I am deeply concerned that reforms which reduce the viability of peer-led and community-based supports may unintentionally reduce employment pathways for neurodivergent adults themselves.

Sustainability Challenges for Small Providers Like many small and lived-experience-led organisations,

FutureTech operates within an increasingly fragile and difficult funding environment. While small providers often deliver highly relational, flexible, and community-responsive supports they frequently do so with:

  • limited administrative infrastructure;
  • significant founder subsidy ;
  • high levels of unpaid labour; on-going funding uncertainty;and substantial emotional operational pressure. as outlined earlier in this submission I did not take a wage from futuretechforthe first two years operation even nowa substantia proportionofthelabourrequiredto sustainthesorganisationremainsunpaid This includesnotonlyadministrationandrecomplianceworkbutalso: family support crisis response advocacy workforcementoring programdevelopment policy monitoring anda continual adaptation tonngoing reform processes There is asignificant disconnect between public narratives regarding inefficiencywithinthedisabilitysectorandalivedrealitymanysmallprovidersoperatingat orbeyondsustainablecapacitysimplytomaintainservicesforyoung peopleand families www.futuretechaustralia.org

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

Submission 1985

I am deeply concerned that reforms increasing administrative burden, uncertainty, or cbarriers to participation may disproportionately destabilise smaller community-based organisations while reducing the diversity and flexibility of available supports.

Risks Created by Registration and Self-Management Changes

I also hold significant concerns regarding reforms that may increase barriers to self-management or place additional pressure on small providers to move toward registration models that may not be viable or appropriate for all community-based organisations.

Many families connected to FutureTech rely on self-management arrangements because they allow access to smaller and more individualised supports that may not exist within larger traditional service systems. For many autistic young people, support effectiveness is closely connected to: - consistency; - trust; - flexibility; - sensory accessibility; and -the ability to engage authentically. There is significant risk that reforms reducing self-management flexibility or increasing registration barriers may unintentionally narrow the diversity of available supports and reduce participant choice. This risk is particularly concerning for neurodivergent-led organisations and peer workforce models that may operate differently from larger, highly standardisedproviders. Disability reform should aim to preserve diverse support ecosystems and strengthenparticipant choice rather than unintentionally creating conditions that favour onlylargerormore administratively resourced organisations.

Hidden Labour Within the Disability Sector A substantial amount of work sustaining disability support systems currently remainsinvisible,paid,and unrecognised.

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

Submission 1985

This includes work performed by:

  • parents and carers;
  • disabled founders;
  • peer workers;
  • community members; and
  • small provider teams operating beyond funded capacity. Through FutureTech, I have seen the extent to which many organizations rely on unpaid emotional support, advocacy, after-hours crisis response, community coordination, and informal care in order to keep young people safe and connected. In many cases, this work exists because formal systems are already unable to adequately meet the needs of autistic young people and families. The sustainability of the disability sector cannot be understood purely through formal funding allocations while ignoring the hidden work currently holding many systems together.

Concerns Regarding Consultation and Implementation

Section Fatigue and Unpaid Labour

I hold significant concerns regarding the pace, scope, and implementation approach of recent NDIS reforms and the extent to which consultation processes are relying upon unpaid contributions from disabled people, families, advocates, and community organisations already operating beyond capacity. Over recent years, I have spent substantial unpaid time attempting to: - understand ongoing reforms;- monitor policy changes;- analyse legislation;- support families to interpret changes;

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1985

  • adapt organisational planning;
  • engage in consultations;
  • participate in working groups; and
  • advocate for the needs of autistic young people and families. This work occurs alongside direct service delivery, organisational management, and frontline support responsibilities.

Many disabled people, carers, and lived-experience-led organisations are being asked to continually contribute expertise, feedback, advocacy, and crisis response without sufficient recognition of the cumulative burden this creates. I am increasingly concerned that consultation processes risk becoming inaccessible to the very people most affected by reforms due to:

  • exhaustion;

  • financial pressure;

  • time constraints;

  • burnout;

  • caregiving responsibilities; and

  • continual policy instability. Meaningful consultation requires more than opportunities for feedback after major decisions have already been substantially shaped. It requires:

    • accessible timeframes;
    • genuine co-design;
    • transparency;
    • appropriate resourcing; and
    • meaningful integration of lived experience into decision-making processes.

Implementation Uncertainty and System Instability A major concern throughout these reforms is the level of uncertainty currently experienced by participants, families, providers, and workers regarding how proposed changes will operate in practice.

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

Submission 1985

  • how functional assessments will be implemented;
  • what foundational supports will realistically exist; and
  • how future eligibility decisions may be made. This uncertainty is already affecting behaviour and decision-making among both families and providers. Continual instability within disability systems creates significant psychological and practical consequences for autistic young people and families who often rely heavily on predictability and consistency. I am particularly concerned that the cumulative effect of ongoing reforms, unclear implementation pathways, reassessment fears, and changing eligibility frameworks may contribute to widespread disengagement and mistrust across the disability community. For many autistic young people and families, prolonged uncertainty itself can become destabilising.

Risks of Policy Disconnect From Frontline Reality

Through my work across disability, education, and community sectors, I have become increasingly concerned by the disconnect between high-level policy discussions and the day-to-day realities experienced by autistic young people and families. Many policy discussions appear to frame supports primarily through: - cost; - compliance; - impairment thresholds; and - system sustainability metrics. While sustainability is important, these approaches may insufficiently recognise: - social and relational dimensions of disability; - the importance of belonging and community connection; - the cumulative impacts of exclusion and isolation; - the realities of autistic burnout and masking; - the role of preventative supports; and - the long-term social and economic consequences of unmet need.

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

Submission 1985

There remains significant risk that autistic young people whose needs are less visible, fluctuating, or contextual in nature may be underestimated within systems focused heavily on measurable functional impairment.

This is particularly concerning because many young people who appear comparatively capable externally are often those working hardest to mask distress until crisis has already occurred.

I am deeply concerned that policy settings focused too narrowly on immediate cost reduction\nmay unintentionally dismantle supports currently helping autistic young \npersons remain connected to education, peers, family life, community participation.

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

Submission 1985

Without meaningful lived experience leadership, there is substantial risk that reforms may unintentionally create systems that appear administratively efficient while failing to meet the actual needs of disabled people in practice.

Recommendations Based on the concerns outlined throughout this submission, I recommend the following:

Recommendation 1 Maintain access to social and community participation supports for autistic young people, recognising these supports as preventative, participation-enabling, and essential to long-term wellbeing outcomes.

Recommendation 2 Ensure functional assessment models appropriately account for: - fluctuating disability; - masking;- autist ic burnout;- social and relational barriers; and- invisible disability experiences.

Recommendation 3 Avoid large-scale reassessment processes that create instability, retraumatisation, and unnecessary administrative burden for autistic young people and families.

Recommendation 4 Retain robust, accessible, and independent review and appeal rights for all participants impacted by funding or eligibility decisions.

Recommendation 5 Ensure automated decision-making systems are subject to:- meaningful human oversight; transparency requirements; and

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1985

  • accessible review pathways.

Recommendation 7 Preserve self-management flexibility to ensure participants can continue accessing smaller community-basedand lived-experience-led supports`

Recommendation 8 Recognise protect investinthe role of neurodivergent ledorganisations peer workforce modelswithinthedisability ecosystem `

Recommendation 9 Reduce unnecessary administrative burden on participants carers small providers particularly reasessment reporting complianceprocesses `.

Recommendation 10 Ensure reform implementation processess are: - gradual transparent appropriatly resourced; anda co-designed with disabled people and lived experienceled organizations`.

Recommendation 11 Provide clear accesible guidancetofamilies regarding plan usage reassessment processesfutureeligibilitychanges inorder reducetofear confusionuncertaintywithinsystem .

Submission 1985

Recommendation 12: Ensure future disability reform processes include genuine lived experience leadership and recognize it as a legitimate form of expertise within policy development, implementation, and evaluation.

Conclusion:

The submission outlines significant concerns regarding potential impacts of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 on autistic youth, families, neurodivergent workers, and community-based support systems.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 1985

I am also concerned that continual reassessment, administrative complexity, and ongoing instability risk creating a disability system that people increasingly fear engaging with rather than rely upon for support.

The sustainability of the NDIS is important. However, sustainability cannot be measured purely through immediate financial reduction without also considering:

  • Long-term participation outcomes;
  • Mental health impacts;
  • Educational engagement;
  • Family wellbeing;
  • Workforce participation; and
  • The broader human and economic consequences of unmet need.

Effective disability reform should not only aim to reduce expenditure but build systems that genuinely enable disabled people to participate, contribute, belong, and thrive within their communities. The young people most at risk under these reforms are often not those with the most visible disabilitiesbutthosewhosestruggleseasiesttounderestimateuntil crisis has already occurred.There remains an opportunity to ensurethese reformsare implemented in waysthat protect preventative supports,preserve community participati onrecognise lived experience expertise,and reducenintended harmtou tisticyoungpeoplean dtheir families.I strongly urge the Committee toc arefully considerthelongtermhumanandsocial conseque ncesofthesereformsalongsideanyprojectedfinancialsavings.Thank you fore nsidering my submission,