National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3159
To: Senate Community AŮairs Legislation Committee
Thank you for the opportunity to provide a submission on the proposed NDIS legislation. I am writing as a parent who experiences every day the reality of trying to parent multiple children with disability, while balancing employment, and navigating multiple government systems. I am a single mother living in regional Queensland, raising three young children who are NDIS participants and have a range of disabilities including autism, ADHD, anxiety, and Development Coordination Disorder. I also work part time as a health researcher. The cumulative impact of raising multiple neurodivergent children is diůicult to appreciate unless you have lived it. My children’s disabilities and the challenges that accompany them eauect every aspect of our lives. Like many parents of neurodivergent children, I also recognise that there is a higher likelihood that parents themselves are neurodivergent (even if undiagnosed), further increasing the cognitive load required to simultaneously coordinate multiple services and appointments and navigate complex government systems. Families like mine are already operating well beyond capacity. My children rely on the NDIS to access therapies and supports that enable them to function, participate in education, develop independence and reduce the likelihood of future crisis. These supports are not luxuries. They are evidence-based supports recommended by treating professionals to help my children communicate, regulate their emotions, participate in education and community life and build independence over time. I am deeply concerned that reforms primarily focused on reducing expenditure risk overlooking the cumulative impact on families with multiple neurodivergent children. Decisions that appear minor in isolation can fundamentally change whether a family is able to keep functioning. The cumulative impact of multiple neurodivergent children means supports cannot simply be viewed on an individual basis. Supports that enable one child to attend therapy or school often enable the whole family to function. Support workers have been transformative for my family. They have significantly reduced school refusal by helping with stressful morning routines, enabling my children to arrive at school and kindergarten ready to learn. They make it possible for my children to attend therapy appointments and enable my oldest child to participate in an extracurricular activity that develops his gross motor skills and coordination, which are auected by Developmental Coordination Disorder. They also provide practical assistance that allows fundamental
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3159
household functioning to continue. These supports strengthen my capacity as their primary carer to embed evidence-based therapy strategies into everyday family life. These have been meaningful improvements in quality of life and reduce the likelihood of more intensive and expensive interventions later.
I also encourage the Committee to recognise the vital role played by family carers. Parents are not passive recipients of government assistance. We coordinate therapists, attend appointments, implement strategies at home, advocate within schools, manage paperwork and provide countless hours of unpaid care. Policies that increase administrative burden or uncertainty ultimately reduce the capacity of carers to remain employed, maintain their own wellbeing and continue providing that care.
Even with the current supports, as primary carer, I spend considerable time coordinating services, travelling to appointments and managing administrative requirements. These responsibilities limit my capacity to work increased hours. It has also contributed to burnout as my physical and mental health have deteriorated significantly. This reduces my capacity to support my children. If my children’s disability supports are delayed, as has been indicated by this bill and in interactions with NDIS delegates, the effects will extend beyond my children. It is likely that I will need to exit the workforce; their schools will carry increased support load; and we will rely more heavily on community and public health services.
In considering these reforms, I ask the Committee to carefully assess not only immediate fiscal impacts but also the broader social and economic consequences. Investment in appropriate early intervention and family supports helps children develop greater independence and participation over time. It also supports parents to remain engaged in the workforce and reduces pressure on other government systems.
Finally, I ask that the voices of participants and families continue to be central to any future reforms. Those living with disability every day have valuable insights into what works, what does not, and where unintended consequences may arise.
Thank you for considering my submission and for taking the time to hear directly from families who rely on the NDIS.