National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 2232

Confidential Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs Re: NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill 2026 I am writing as the parent and sole carer of my child who is autistic with multiple disabilities and lives in Queensland. I also care for my elderly parents and a younger sibling. I am submitting this to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs in response to the NDIS amendment (Securing the NDIS) Bill 2026.

My child’s autism does not present alone. He also has ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Language Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder and General Anxiety Disorder with self-harm behaviours. These conditions interact constantly and cannot be separated into neat categories. The support my child needs—occupational therapy to assist executive function; communication and behaviour therapy to address coping strategies/meltdowns and improve communication skills—is needed across all these issues simultaneously because they cut through each other at once.He requires one-on-one support particularly during transition periods but may need it otherwise due to anxiety-driven behaviors that make unsupervised situations dangerous under this bill NDIA could determine such supports do ‘directly’ arise from an autism diagnosis thus should not fund them My child’s presentation would remain unchanged his needs wouldn’t shift yet their funding might disappear This isn’t theoretical risk Many autistic people are already being told co-occurring conditions aren’t part ndis recognized impairment Research published Journal Autism Developmental Disorders Guan et al., confirms majority of those diagnosed have another condition They’re interconnected parts same person I ask committee remove word directly’from Bill restore obligation for whole person rather than isolated diagnoses I am sole carer for my child Primary caregivers children adults women in Australia estimated primary care providers disability consistently report reduced

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment

Submission: [2026] Securing the NDIS for Future Generations or ceased paid work, reduced superannuation, physical and mental health decline and long term financial disadvantage they do not recover from.

The NDIA’s own quarterly data (March 2025) shows that carer employment rose six percentage points—from forty-six percent—to fifty-two%—with access to the NDIS. This is no coincidence; formal support enables primary caregivers’ participation in paid work while cut-off support reverses this engagement. Thus lies an established relationship between NDIS funding levels and caregiver labor force involvement, or ceased paid work, reduced superannuation, physical and mental health decline and long-term financial disadvantages which cannot be recovered.

National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 2232

require someone to drive them, is not always available for older children and leaving them unsupervised when there is a high risk of harm is not an option.

Schedule 1 of the Bill which requires functional capacity to be “assessed without assistance” from supports, assistive technology or environmental adaptions, as far as possible —and the cumulative effect” of proposed changes on Primary carers especially women. My child has hidden disability same level profoundly deaf legally blind but his with language communication He selective mutism currently relies some AAC worker manage daily life Without these my cannot communicate access community safely He Occupational Therapy transitions activities both home Community other therapy behaviour communication His needs highest times change new public transport routes accessed skills strategies learnt These extras they make daily life possible If assessed though these do exist NDIA determine low support needs then remove funding creates stability circular dangerous logic person appears because their working The assessment how actually functions in daily life-(with environment) supports routines place noted that itself recommended that processes allow evidence from range sources including treating professionals. The moves opposite direction favouring standardised snapshot assessments can capture fluctuating needs masking invisible work keep autistic stable My occupational therapist team understand their functional A brief administrative does ask committee requirement functionally assess without assistance require instead reflect real life existing asks also protect role allied health and treating professionals NDIS decisions ensure no automated override clinical qualified practitioner Families mine already at breaking point deaths children Perth January Campbelltown May 2026 are what happens when withdrawn families have capacity left This Bill must not more likely Yours sincerely,