National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1992
Dear Committee Secretary, My name is Samantha Graf, and I am writing to you from Scarborough, Western Australia. I am a mother and full-time advocate for my four-year-old son, Otto, who was diagnosed in December 2025 with Level 3/2 Autism.He also has severe language delay.We have been accessing the NDIS since September 2024 through the Early Childhood Approach pathway.Ialso volunteer on the committee of our local toy libraryto ensure children like Ottocateredforand represented,and actively co-design resourceswith Children and Young People withDisabilityAustralia(CYDA).Professionally,Iam agraphic designerands use myskills dailytodesign buildcustomvisualcommunicationaidsstructured routinesOttoo.Share this background becauseitismyspecific professional community experienceallows meadvocate waydohim translate needs see firsthand whereNDIS backend systems failing familieslike ours.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1992
communication tools, and structural routines to bridge the gap between home, community, and education. But I do not do this in a vacuum.My ability to step up, advocate, and build these resources is entirely dependent upon specialized flexible guidance specialized i receive from our independent professional.They train me they back me everything understand Otto’s unique profile.Navigating his development successfully requires this trusted highly specific support.I have built dedicated allied health team otto deep trust human connection indpendent team are responsible progress giving me tool confidence advocate he needs.Therapy cannot be standardised.human development computer automated.The proposed powers allowing Minister cap budgets restrict provider types mandateregistration daily life assistance strip away exact choice control that keep familiestheir afloat.Forcing families into government dictated framework large registered providers will drastically reduce care quality.Large providers already suffer blown out waitlists limited capacity Independent unregistered specialists frequently capable delivering niche flexible support children like Otorequire.By stripping early access capping individual plans based arbitrary fiscal targets this bill engineering massive societal economic crisis.If you remove flexiblerequest intervention create downstream failure ultimately consume vastly more state resourcescrisis management currently spent proactive therapy.Furthermore mental emotional toll text inflicts on families diabolical.Carers Australia breaking point.Did Parliament learn absolutely nothing horrific family tragedy Mosman Park WA earlier year.Catastrophic consequences cutting disability supports leaving complex families isolated without adequateflexible lifelines real immediate fatal. Government continually cites concerns regarding unregulated spending justify sweeping changes.However, Bill penalises honest families backend system failure.Instead building secure tracking infrastructure catch actual fraud Government usingautomated algorithms choke child’s clinical funding before they can even access care.Sustainability should found by aggressively regulating corporate greed fixing loopholes not punishing vulnerable child trying to learn communicate.I urge committee look at these alternatives instead:
- Stop Automated Capping: Funding and plan decisions must always be based a realchild’s clinical assessments day-to-day needs top-down budget caps orcomputer algorithm. Design it with Real Families Withdraw this Bill rewrite alongside panel actually includes autistic individuals advocates parent-carers live reality every day.Protect Independent Therapists Let self-managedplan managed families keep independent unregistered specialists. It keeps waitlists down lets parents hire specific professionals children trust connect.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 1992
- Cap Corporate Fees and Stop the “NDIS Tax”: Put a legal cap on the massive “administration and overhead” fees that large corporate provider networks take out of a child’s plan. Legislate strict rules so providers cannot charge a higher rate just because a client has NDIS funding compared to what they charge a private client for the exact same service.
- Audit the Providers, Not the Kids: Invest in automated systems that flag corporate over-billing, inflated travel claims, and dodgy provider behavior, rather than cutting a child’s therapy plan upfront. Early intervention for autistic children is not an administrative line item to be trimmed; it is the vital foundation that determines whether a child grows up to communicate, participate, achieve independence. What is the purpose of the NDIS if that is no longer the goal? This Bill prioritises immediate fiscal cutting over the developmental safety net of Australian children. It introduces catastrophic risks to the mental health of families and the future of our kids.I urge the committee to recommend that this Bill in its current form is harmful and shouldnot be passed by Parliament. Thank you for considering my submission. Sincerely, Samantha Graf Scarborough, WA