NDIA Accountability Project

Autistic brother's access to OT, psychologist and support worker at risk

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

Submission 4014

Please keep my name anonymous and confidential.

Name:

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

I am a: Family member who supports an NDS participant who has Autism. He lives with me and I take care of him after hours. I work full time.

My main concern about this Bill is:

I am concerned that this Bill will make it harder for my autistic brother to access and keep the supports he needs, increase system stress, and put his employment and wellbeing at risk. I worry that more rigid rules, more reassessments and more administrative pressure will harm people like him who already struggle with change, anxiety and communication.

This Bill may affect me and my brother because:

  • It may make eligibility and reassessments more rigid, which is dangerous for people whose support needs are real but not always obvious in a short assessment.

  • It may increase administrative burden, with more paperwork, evidence and contact requirements that are especially hard for autistic people who already find communication and change overwhelming.

  • It may allow broader changes to funding and supports that reduce flexibility and community participation, which are essential for his stability, mental health and ability to work.

For my brother to remain employed he must continue to receive supports through the NDIS, such as an OT, psychologist and support worker. Without these supports, his ability to cope at work, manage anxiety, and function in daily life would deteriorate. The NDIS is not just funding for him; it is the structure that allows him to participate in the community and stay connected. He has built rapport with his support team and to change that drastically will cause him significant harm.

What I want the committee to understand is:

My brothers autism is lifelong. He works, but he can only do so because of the supports he receives through the NDSIS. If supports are reduced, delayed or made harder to access, it will not make him “less autistic”; it will just make his life smaller, more distressed and more fragile. The constant changes to the NDIs already create fear and exhaustion for our family. This Bill should not add to that. People like my brother need a system that is stable, flexible and responsive to real life, not one that waits for them to fail before it helps.

My position on this Bill:

I do not support it because it risks pushing autistic people and other disabled people out of the Scheme or into crisis before they can get the support they need. It increases administrative and emotional burden instead of reducing it, and it does not properly protect the rights, dignity and community participation of people like my brother who rely on the NDIS to live, work and be part of society.

Thank you