Submission 697
Submission regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Supporting Sustainable Reform Without Reducing Early and Developmental Supports
I am writing this submission as a frontline developmental provider and small business owner working closely with children and families accessing the NDIS, particularly neurodivergent children, children with developmental delays, and families requiring early intervention supports.
I support the intention of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the NDIS. However, there are significant concerns within the sector regarding how these reforms may operate in practice and the unintended consequences they may create for children, families, providers and communities.
Many families accessing developmental and early intervention services are already navigating long waitlists, limited local services, rising complexity of needs and increasing pressure from schools and other systems that are themselves under strain. While accountability and consistency are important, reforms that reduce flexibility or delay access to support risk creating greater long-term costs and poorer outcomes for children.
The importance of early intervention and targeted developmental supports
Targeted developmental therapies in the early years play a critical role in shaping long-term outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay and other neurodevelopmental differences.
Relationship-based and evidence-informed approaches, including Naturalistic Developmental Behavioural Interventions (NDBIs) such as the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), support the development of communication, emotional regulation, joint attention, social engagement, adaptive skills and participation within everyday family and community life.
These approaches do not simply target isolated developmental skills. They strengthen the child’s ability to connect with others, participate meaningfully in relationships, engage in education settings and build confidence within their environment. In many cases, early intervention also improves the overall quality of life for parents, siblings and carers by reducing stress within the home and increasing a family’s capacity to participate in community life.
Importantly, early intervention can significantly alter developmental trajectories. Children who receive timely and appropriate supports in the early years are more likely to develop functional communication, emotional regulation, independence and social participation skills that reduce future reliance on more intensive systems and supports.
There is concern that tighter funding restrictions, narrower definitions of reasonable and necessary supports, or reduced flexibility around therapy approaches may unintentionally limit access to these important interventions during the most developmentally sensitive years of a child’s life.
Concerns regarding access to supports and reassessments
In practice, many developmental concerns in young children do not fit neatly within rigid funding categories or diagnostic thresholds. Children often present with overlapping developmental, behavioural, sensory, communication and emotional needs that evolve over time.
There is concern that tighter definitions around what constitutes an NDIS support may result in children losing access to therapies and capacity-building supports during critical developmental periods. Delays in accessing support during early childhood can have significant long-term impacts on communication, emotional regulation, participation, education and family functioning.
There is also concern regarding children with developmental delay or neurodevelopmental differences who may not yet have a formal diagnosis but are clearly demonstrating functional impacts. If reassessments become harder to
Submission 697
obtain or evidence thresholds increase further, some children may miss the window where intervention is most effective.
Many providers are already observing increasing administrative requirements associated with reviews, reports, reassessments and evidence gathering. While oversight is important, excessive administrative burden reduces clinician time available for direct therapy and family support.
Families are also experiencing significant stress navigating systems, gathering documentation and attempting to justify supports repeatedly despite longstanding functional impairments.
Impacts on regional and rural families and providers
Regional and rural families are likely to experience disproportionate impacts from any reduction in funding flexibility or access to private practitioners.
In many regional communities, private practitioners fill critical service gaps where public systems are unable to meet demand. Families often already travel long distances, face extensive waitlists, or rely on a very limited number of clinicians with developmental expertise.
If reforms reduce the viability of private practice services through increased administrative burden, pricing pressures or funding uncertainty, many regional providers may reduce their NDIS involvement or close altogether.
For families, this may mean:
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losing access to developmental supports entirely
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extended delays for intervention
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increased travel and financial pressure
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greater stress and anxiety within the home
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parents reducing or leaving workforce participation to manage care needs
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increased strain on siblings and family relationships The impacts on children are also significant. Reduced access to early intervention and developmental support can contribute to:
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poorer mental health outcomes
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increased social isolation
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difficulty developing relationships and peer connections
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reduced participation in education and community settings
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increased behavioural and emotional challenges
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lower long-term independence and workforce participation These outcomes do not reduce overall societal cost. In many cases, they increase the likelihood of greater reliance on health, education, mental health, disability and social support systems later in life.
Early intervention should be viewed not only as developmental support, but also as long-term investment. Supporting children and families early can reduce future complexity, improve participation outcomes and lessen the need for more intensive government-funded supports across adulthood.
Workforce sustainability concerns
The sector is already experiencing:
- long waitlists for speech pathology, occupational therapy and developmental services
- difficulty recruiting and retaining clinicians
- increasing clinician burnout
- rising operational costs
Submission 697