National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 24
Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment — Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026
Name: Lillia Hemelaar State/Territory: Tasmania Submission: Public Date: 17/05/2026
Dear Committee Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a submission on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment — Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026.
I am writing to express deep concern about the impact of the proposed NDIS changes on people with psychosocial disability, autism, ADHD and co-occurring developmental, sensory, emotional regulation and mental health needs.
I understand the importance of protecting the NDIS for future generations. However, any reform must not make life harder for children, young people and families who are already struggling to access inclusive education, timely allied health support and appropriate mental health care.
Key concerns
Schools are often not inclusive or resourced enough to meet the needs of autistic children, children with ADHD, and children with psychosocial disability. NDIS-funded OT, psychology and allied health supports help families understand their child’s needs and advocate for reasonable adjustments at school. Removing or reducing these supports could lead to more school refusal, family stress, mental health crisis and exclusion. NDIS reform must not shift responsibility onto schools or mainstream systems unless those systems are properly funded, accessible and already working.
Key concern: schools are not yet inclusive enough
Schools have legal obligations under the Disability Standards for Education 2005 to support students with disability to access and participate in education on the same basis as students without disability. (Department of Education) In practice, many families still experience schools that are under-resourced, inconsistent or not properly inclusive.
For many autistic children, children with ADHD, and children with psychosocial disability, the issue is not simply “education”. It is the interaction between disability, sensory overload,
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 24
anxiety, trauma, emotional regulation, executive functioning, communication difficulties, school refusal, social exclusion and burnout.
When schools are not inclusive, families often rely on NDIS-funded supports to keep their children connected to learning, community and family life. These supports may include:
occupational therapy assessments and recommendations; psychology support; behaviour support; speech therapy and communication support; support coordination; therapy reports that explain a child’s functional needs; capacity-building support for parents and carers; professional advice that helps schools understand reasonable adjustments.
These supports are not luxuries. For many families, they are the lifeline that helps prevent crisis.
School funding models are not enough
The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability records students who receive reasonable adjustments at school. (Department of Education) ACARA reporting shows that a large proportion of adjustments relate to cognitive and social- emotional disability categories, including students who may have autism, ADHD, psychosocial disability, anxiety, trauma and regulation needs. (ACARA)
This shows the scale of need in schools. But the existence of school disability data and school funding does not mean every child is receiving adequate support in the classroom.
Many families experience a gap between what schools are meant to provide and what is actually available. NDIS-funded allied health professionals often help families understand their child’s needs and advocate for practical adjustments. Without those recommendations, families may be left alone to fight for inclusion.
The NDIS should not replace the education system. But children and families should not be punished because education systems are not yet inclusive, properly funded or consistent.
Psychosocial disability must not be misunderstood
Psychosocial disability can be lifelong, episodic and complex. It may interact with autism, ADHD, trauma, anxiety, depression, school distress, family stress and sensory overwhelm. A person may appear “fine” in one setting but be unable to function safely or consistently across daily life.
Any functional capacity assessment must recognise:
fluctuating and episodic disability; masking and burnout, especially in autistic people and people with ADHD; the impact of school exclusion, bullying and trauma;
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 24
parent and carer exhaustion; the difference between clinical treatment and disability support; the fact that therapy can improve function without “curing” disability.
I am concerned that requirements around treatment, permanency or functional assessment could be applied too narrowly. A child or young person should not lose support because they are still trying therapy, medication, school adjustments or mental health treatment. Support and treatment often need to happen together.
NDIS support can prevent family crisis
For many families, NDIS-funded occupational therapy and psychology have been the first time someone has properly understood their child.
OT recommendations can explain sensory needs, regulation strategies, fatigue, motor planning, executive functioning and environmental adjustments. Psychology can support emotional safety, anxiety, trauma, school refusal, self-esteem and family relationships.
Without these supports, families may face:
children unable to attend school safely; parents leaving work to care for children; increased mental health crisis; family breakdown; greater pressure on hospitals, child protection and crisis services; increased long-term cost to government.
Cutting or narrowing access may appear to save money in the short term, but it risks shifting costs into schools, hospitals, families and crisis systems.
Recommendations
I ask the Committee to recommend that the Bill and any related NDIS reforms include the following protections:
- Do not remove or reduce NDIS support for autistic children, children with ADHD, or people with psychosocial disability unless equivalent supports are already available, funded, accessible and functioning in schools and mainstream systems.
- Ensure functional capacity assessments properly capture psychosocial disability, autism, ADHD, sensory needs, executive functioning, communication, emotional regulation, masking, burnout and fluctuating disability.
- Protect access to OT, psychology, behaviour support, speech therapy and capacity-building supports where they are needed to support daily functioning, family stability and inclusion.
- Do not treat school funding as proof that a child’s needs are being met. Families need a pathway when schools are not providing reasonable adjustments in practice.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 Submission 24
- Create clear protections against cost-shifting between the NDIS, education, health and mental health systems. Families should not be sent from one system to another while their child deteriorates.
- Require genuine co-design with people with psychosocial disability, autistic people, people with ADHD, children, parents, carers, disability advocates and allied health professionals.
- Guarantee review and appeal rights before any participant loses access or has essential supports reduced.
- Delay any major access changes for children until foundational supports and inclusive school supports are fully implemented, independently evaluated and shown to be working.
Conclusion
The NDIS has been a lifeline for many families. It has helped children be understood, helped parents keep going, and helped schools receive practical recommendations from occupational therapists, psychologists and other professionals.
I support making the NDIS fair, safe and sustainable. But sustainability must not come from excluding people whose needs are real, complex and unmet elsewhere.
Children with autism, ADHD and psychosocial disability need support early, not after they reach crisis. Families need help before school refusal, burnout, mental health breakdown or family collapse. Schools need to become genuinely inclusive, but until that happens, NDIS supports remain essential.
I ask the Committee to ensure that this Bill does not leave disabled children, young people and families without the support they need to live, learn and participate safely in the community.
Yours sincerely,
Lillia Hemelaar