Submission 2265

My name is , and I am the mother of a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 3 and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

I am writing this submission because I am deeply concerned about the impact these proposed changes will have on people living with disability, their families, carers, and future participants who rely on support to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Like many parents, I understand disability through my child. Before becoming a mother of a case with significant support needs, I did not fully appreciate how much happens behind the scenes. Every therapy session, report, appointment, assessment, support worker, and piece of advocacy represents countless hours of effort from families who are simply trying to give their children the best possible chance in life.

When people discuss the NDIS, they often talk about budgets, sustainability, expenditure, and reform. As a parent, I see something different. I see children. I see exhausted families. I see parents like myself fighting every day for services that help our children communicate, participate, learn, regulate, and engage with the world around them.

My son’s disability does not disappear because funding changes. His support needs do not disappear because legislation changes. The challenges he experiences do not disappear because the system becomes more difficult to access.

What support does provide is opportunity.

My son has Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 3 and ADHD. Like many children with complex support needs, he experiences challenges that affect multiple areas of daily life. The supports available to him are not optional extras. They are essential tools that help him communicate, regulate, participate in everyday activities, develop skills, and work towards greater independence!

My son often engages best in familiar environments where he feels safe and understood. Through our journey, I have learned how important it is for supports to be tailored to the individual needs of each child. Consistency, familiarity, and appropriate therapeutic support can make a significant difference to a child’s ability to participate and progress.

Speech therapy has been one of the most important supports for my son. It has helped reduce frustration, improve communication, and enhance his safety.

Submission 2265

For a child who struggles to communicate their needs, feelings, fears, or discomfort, the consequences can extend far beyond speech itself. When communication improves, frustration often decreases. When frustration decreases, behavioural challenges can reduce. When behavioural challenges reduce, safety improves, not only for the child, but for those caring for them.

I have witnessed firsthand how these supports can interrupt a negative cycle before it escalates.

Without appropriate support, communication difficulties can lead to increased frustration. Increased frustration can lead to behavioural challenges. Behavioural challenges can create safety concerns and place enormous pressure on families. Parents are then left trying to manage increasingly complex situations without the tools or professional support they need.

The impact is cumulative. It affects the child, the family, and the sustainability of the caring role itself.

For our family, appropriate support has helped break that cycle. It has given my son greater opportunities to communicate and engage with the world around him, while also helping to reduce stress and improve stability within our home.

That is why these supports should not be viewed as optional. They are preventative, protective, and life changing.

Progress is often measured in small steps that others may not immediately notice. A successful therapy session, increased engagement, improved communication, greater confidence, or the ability to participate in situations that were previously overwhelming can represent months or years of dedicated support and intervention.

These milestones may seem small to others, but to families like ours they are life changing.

These proposed changes create uncertainty for families like mine. The fear of losing supports, having funding reduced, facing additional reassessments, or being required to repeatedly justify well documented needs places significant emotional pressure on families who are already carrying a heavy load.

NDIS supports are not a luxury.

Submission 2265

They are the difference between a child receiving therapy or going without it. They are the difference between participation and isolation. They are the difference between progress and regression. They are often the difference between a family coping and a family reaching breaking point.

If access to support becomes more difficult, delayed, reduced, or uncertain, the impact will extend far beyond individual participants. It will affect people living with disability, parents, siblings, carers, teachers, therapists, workplaces, and entire communities.

Families may experience increased stress, financial hardship, reduced workforce participation, social isolation, and significant impacts on their mental health and wellbeing. Carers like myself who are already stretched will be pushed further towards burnout. Children and adults with disability may lose access to supports that help them participate in everyday life, build independence, maintain relationships, and achieve their goals.

Too often, disability is viewed through the lens of cost.

I believe it should also be viewed through the lens of human potential.

Investment in disability support is an investment in people. It is an investment in children who dereserve every opportunity to reach their potential. It is an investment in families who work tirelessly behind the scenes. It is an investment in inclusion, dignity, participation, and community.

I understand the importance of ensuring the NDIS remains sustainable for future generations. However, sustainability should never come at the expense of the people the scheme was created to support.

I ask the Committee to carefully consider the real human impact these changes will have on persons living with disability, their families, carers, therapists, educators, and support networks.

For many Australians, these decisions will affect far more than funding. They will affect quality of life, access to essential supports, family stability, mental health, participation in education and employment, personal safety, and future opportunities.

Behind every funding package is a person. Behind every support is a family. Behind every decision is a child whose future may be affected by the outcome.

Submission 2265

Children with disability do not get a second childhood.

Lost opportunities during critical developmental years cannot always be recovered later. Delayed access to support, reduced access to therapy, or increased barriers to services may have consequences that extend far beyond the period in which those decisions are made.

Please listen to the voices of people living with disability, their families, carers, therapists, educators, and support workers. Their lived experience is not a statistic. It is the reality of life for millions of Australians.

I respectfully ask that any reforms prioritise the wellbeing, dignity, inclusion, safety, and future potential of people with disability. They deserve to be heard, valued, and supported.