19/09/2025
I am writing my concerns about introduction of Thriving Kids into our Federal Government Disability services.
I have worked in my own private practice within the NDIS space since early in its conception from 2014 in South Australia. At first with child clients only in this state and then when adults were included I also began having adult participants as therapy clients for Disability intervention as well.
In this time I have has many 100’s of child client’s diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Many parents (and professionals in this field of work) are quite concerned with the language described in the televised and media announcement of Thriving Kids.
Children with Autism (on any Level 1, Level 2 or Level or under the past diagnostics of Asperger’s Syndrome) still have significant areas of delay related to the core diagnostics of the Autism Diagnosis. If they didn’t then they wouldn’t meet the criteria. Please be more considerate of your language used as this has offended many people in the community. It’s language that attempts to diminish’s what that child and their parents go through in every day life.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) IS considered a life long condition. So placing ASD within a
separate program from NDIS as it is now considered not ‘disabled enough’ by our federal
government and thought of as not being life long and not a chronic condition makes zero sense. Readreachesyour16researchor 18 becauseyou willyousee considerin fact ASDtheirdoeslevelnotofsimplythe conditiondisappearnotwhenas severea childasmagicallysome other NDIS participants that usually have a severe Intellectual Disability and Severe Speech delay as well. Therapies and other supports are there to assist clients and family members to manage behaviours, work with clients on their individual goals, eg with fine or gross motor skills and often with emotional regulation, sensory issues, desensitisation, supporting of their mental health, support for when some are bullied or when some are engaging in this behaviour themselves, reducing behavioural impacts and being able to engage in the community and other individualised
supports required. This work is significant but it is rare for a client to years later no longer meet the ASD criteria for diagnostics. Many are often still needing long term support into adulthood.
Autism is considered a life long condition by WHO, the Mayo Clinic and The American
Psychiatric Society, CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In Australia
ASPECT support it is a “lifelong developmental condition.” (On ASPECT website for source). The
Raising Children Network, Dept of Health and Aged Care, Healthdirect, Autism CRC all
support it is a Life-long condition. (All confirmed on their Websites).
I am completed shocked that currently our federal government is trying to dismiss all the evidence this is the case and stating some children have Mild to Moderate ASD and as a result don’t qualify for an NDIS package into the long-term future. Even your own Department of Health
and Aged Care consider it life long in the National Autism Strategy. In the official document it
stated “Autism is a lifelong developmental difference.” (National Autism Strategy 2025-2031 PAGE 9). In the Media release of THRIVING KIDS you are contradicting your own Federal Government document from the National Autism Strategy.
I believe Thriving Kids is likely a great early option for Global Development Delay for Early Intervention. This is often a stepping stone before some children are later diagnosed with some genetic/chromosomal issues, ASD or Intellectual Disability where they may then be transferred across to NDIS. Personally I agree with Early Intervention in this sense be set up this way. This will depend on how the THRIVING KIDS program is set up though. We have been provided with very
little information at this stage. However, Global Developmental Delay is often pre- formal
Diagnostics. Some of these children will be delayed due to trauma or neglect and will make great improvements from their therapies and catch up on milestones. It will be varied for each child. I
STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT CHILDREN ALREADY DIAGNOSED WITH ASD DO NOT SIT
WITHIN A PROGRAM THAT EITHER EXITS CHILDREN OUT OF NEEDING ANY ASSISTANCE OR
LEADS TO A DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY THEN BE TRANSFERRED TO NDIS. THEY ALREADY
HAVE THEIR LONG TERM DIAGNOSIS SO IN MY MIND THEY BELONG WITHIN NDIS STILL.
I also strongly believe that children with ADHD should be considered in their care needed. Whether this sits within NDIS or Thriving Kids they have been left out of consideration and greatly needed supports. This area of diagnostics has always been ignored and the lack of Government support with families with a child with ADHD is absolutely shocking in our country. Adults are greatly lacking services of course as well. Diagnostics is often extremely expensive and more so for adults in comparison as children can be diagnosed often in one to two appointments with a Paediatrician whilst adults don’t have this option. PLEASE CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING HELP
FOR THOSE WITH ADHD- FOR KIDS AND ADULTS BUT WHILST IN STAGES OF WORKING OUT
WHAT BELONGS UNDER THRIVING KIDS COULD ADHD FIT UNDER THIS UMBRELLA? OR
ANOTHER LINE OF FUNDING? All I know as a therapist is that many parents are struggling with paying for therapy sessions out of their own pocket or now large gap fees if their child fits under a Mental Health Care Plan- often they don’t as ADHD is NOT one of the listed conditions so they would also need a secondary diagnosis eg ANXIETY or depressive symptoms to be eligible. Many children with ADHD also suffer terribly at school and need more support in that environment.
DIAGNOSTICS IN PUBLIC SYSTEM- In all of current changes happening for tightening up on NDIS costs and implementation of Thriving Kids please also consider all the children missing out on services due to families being unable to afford diagnostics. I have worked with many over the years who sit for many years on wait lists under very under resourced and stretched government funded programs for diagnostics as parents/carers can not afford the often $1,200 to $2,000 multi-disciplinary diagnostics for their child. Many adults too who would like an ADHD and/or ASD diagnosis are unable to afford it. The medicare rebates for children’s ASD Diagnostics are very low amounts and they are non existent for adults and there is NO Medicare Rebates to assist with ADHD adult Diagnosis and only the medicare rebate back from a Paediatrician for children going through ADHD diagnostics.
I have brought up ADHD for you to consider as well as many Autistic children also have ADHD the numbers of combined conditions is quite high and currently as a therapist the NDIS expect us only to work on Core ASD condition which simply- DOES NOT WORK. A child comes to us as a full person and all systems places on the child, Government, Policies, Local Community, Family dynamics and child care/education all impact on a child. I have been informed by NDIS planners previously NOT to work on the child clients ADHD symptoms in their NDIS plan. This is absolutely ludicrous. You can not clearly separate what ADHD is causing for the person from ASD at every instance. This is like telling a podiatrist to only work on the feet and ignore the patients knee and hip issue that may be impacting their feet. YOU REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER THE WHOLE PARTICIPANT UNDER NDIS WITH ALL OF THEIR NEURODIVERGENT NEEDS.
In addition: you have currently provided only very limited information on what Thriving Kids will look like into the future. No indication on a detail of what services will be provided under it only that it likely will fit into schools and other community settings. This model sounds like it takes away choice families have to engage with small business and sole provider therapists and support workers. It’s hard to know exactly what we need to place into these submission when we have little detail on what exactly Thriving KIDS is.
In summary: Please consider looking at keeping those children diagnosed with ASD in the NDIS system due to the long term and often life-long support most need.
Please consider support for ADHD due to high suffering these families have inflicted upon them often with no Government support.
Please consider the high cost of diagnosis for disabilities for child and adult clients where the disability is not picked up at birth or through the medical system. The costs are enormous for families and people are missing out on being eligible for supports due to long wait lists on the very limited diagnostics are are fully funded or not being diagnosed due to high costs being unaffordable.
Please also strongly consider the ground workers who are currently in contact with the clientele on NDIS and those going through diagnostics and who have worked in the Disability field for a long time. We clearly are the people who are most aware of what services are lacking for our clientele.