National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2068
I am writing as the parent and primary carer of who is
autistic and lives in QLD.
I am submitting this to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs in response to the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill
I am writing about Schedule 1 Part 3 of the Bill, which requires every funded support to arise “directly” from the specific impairment a person was assessed for.
My child’s autism does not present alone.
They also have a PDA profile(which is a nervous system disorder), extreme anxiety, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, sleeping issues, dietary issues and cannot attend mainstream school.
These conditions interact constantly and cannot be separated into neat categories. The support my child needs —e.g. occupational therapy for executive function, behaviour support to manage anxiety-driven meltdowns / 1:1 support during transitions, support worker to get out in the community and dietician so he is getting his nutrients, adresses needs that cut across all of these conditions at once.
Under this Bill, the NDIA could determine that this support does not ‘directly’ arise from the autism diagnosis and therefore should not be funded. My child’s presentation would not change. Their needs would not change. But their funding could be removed.
This is not a theoretical risk. Many autistic people are already being told their co- occurring conditions are not part of their NDIS-recognised impairment. Research published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (Guan et al., 2021) confirms that the majority of autistic people have at least one co-occurring condition. These are not separate issues. They are part of the same person.
I ask the Committee to remove the word “directly” from the Bill and restore the NDIA’s obligation to fund support for the whole person, not just an isolated diagnosis.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 2068
Yours sincerely