National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 924
To the members of the senate committee,
Thank you for your work and for inviting the feedback of the public to the proposed NDIS amendments.
There is much in the proposed changes that concerns me, however I want to focus this submission on my concerns about the proposed new assessment tools.
Both my children were diagnosed with autism at a very young age — my daughter at age 2, and my son just before his 2nd birthday. They are now 17 and 14 years old. My children have been NDIS participants since the scheme rolled out in our area. Prior to that they were supported through FAHCSIA funding, and through the generosity of members of my extended family privately funding therapies and support workers. There is significant evidence that shows how effective and beneficial these therapies were which have been documented in neuropsychology and speech therapy assessments.
I now work in the NDIS space as an NDIS support coordinator working for a not for profit provider. I draw heavily on my lived experience of navigating the NDIS to help others navigate it too. I have the same condition as my children, but in a much milder form and I have never sought NDIS support for myself.
I want to discuss the new proposed functional capacity test which will be used in future with new and existing participants. My concern is the confidence the government has that “objective†assessments are possible.
Many participants will want to paint a rosier picture of themselves than is accurate — for example there are participants who well and truly qualify for support from the scheme who will grade themselves with a 0 (ie completely non disabled) on the WHODAS assessment tool. Unless there is collateral evidence from allied health and others who have a history of working with them, they are vulnerable to having their support cut.
A person can look quite unremarkable on the surface and yet live with debilitating sensory sensitivities, chronic and unremitting dissociation, disordered mood, gastrointestinal disorders and incontinence stemming from their psychosocial disability, paranoia, and intrusive thoughts - this is by no means a comprehensive list.
If a participant is masking during an assessment there is plenty that can be missed. If a participant tells the truth, there is a danger that a poorly trained assessor may discount what the participant described, especially when the disability is “invisible†.
The evidence that comes from participants, their families and other informal supports, their disability support workers and allied health workers is essential if the agency is serious about correctly assessing and meeting participant support needs. An external assessor may bring a higher level of impartiality, but there is much that they will not be able to achieve with one assessment and so much vital information that can be missed.
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 924