National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1989
I am writing as the parent and primary carer of who is autistic and lives in Queensland ( ). 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 of the Bill, which requires functional capacity to be assessed “without assistance” from supports, assistive technology or environmental adaptations, as far as possible.
My child currently relies on a support worker, visual schedules and sensory supports to manage daily life. Without these supports she cannot complete morning routines safely, access the community, or manage transitions. These supports are not optional extras; they are what make daily life possible. If my child is assessed as though these supports do not exist, the NDIA could determine she has low support needs and remove the funding that creates that stability.
A brief administrative assessment that ignores the supports which enable my child to function will understate her needs and risk removing essential funding. I ask the Committee to remove the requirement that functional capacity be assessed “without assistance,” and to require instead that assessments reflect how a person actually functions in their real life, with their existing supports in place. I also ask the Committee to protect the role of allied health and treating professional evidence in all NDIS access, planning and reassessment decisions, and to ensure that no automated or administrative assessment can override clinical evidence from a qualified practitioner.
Please note the following clinical findings from the Occupational Therapy Functional Capacity Assessment “ primary NDIS-recognised disability is Autism Spectrum Disorder (Level 2).” “Secondary to the motor processing differences inherent to her disability, and exacerbated by her - co-occurring conditions, experiences significant challenges with mobility and transfers that impact her functional capacity and occupational participation.” The full assessment is available on request; I have not attached it here for privacy reasons. -
The FCA also documents that requires ongoing occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, disability support work (including morning routine, supervision and transport), support coordination and plan management, and uses - assistive equipment such as a shower stool, grabrails and noise-cancelling headphones, as well as visual schedules and phone reminders to manage daily life.
Families like mine are already at breaking point. I urge the Committee to amend Schedule 1 so assessments reflect real-life functioning with supports in place.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1989
Yours sincerely,