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

Submission 2169

Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs

Re NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill 2026

My submission should remain private and confidential, I do not wish my name and email address to be published.

I’m writing as parent and primary carer of two adult children both who have co-occurring conditions that cannot be separated from their autism. My children reside in Queensland, both are diagnosed with Autism DSM 5 Cat 2. My childrens Autistic traits have become more profound as they have aged.

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 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. My older son Tom, now 23, is diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, anxiety, a sleep disorder and complex behavioural issues / sensory processing disorder. I am primary carer to my 21 year old daughter Elle who has autism, anxiety, speech language disorder, and an Intellectual disability. These conditions interact constantly and cannot be separated into neat categories. The support my child needs include speech therapy for improved communication and social interaction, occupational therapy for executive function / behaviour support to manage anxiety-driven meltdowns, support to attend activities within the community and attend work / work experience safely, they also require psychological support to understand how to navigate life and personal interactions in the community safely. These support address 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.

I request that my name and email address remain confidential and re not published.

Yours sincerely