At 31 March 2020, 364,879 NDIS participants had approved plans. As the table below indicates—taken from the most recent Quarterly Report produced by the NDIA—the primary diagnosis for 31 per cent of those participants is autism1.
People on the autism spectrum are a very significant group being supported through the NDIS.
NDS’s submission to this Select Committee is brief. As many experts on the diagnosis of autism and the supports required at various life stages will be providing information, NDS is largely limiting its comments to matters associated with the NDIS.
1 Taken from the Report to the COAG Disability Reform Council for Q3 of Y7 Full report (PDF 7MB), viewed at https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/publications/quarterly-reports on 10 July 2020
National Disability Services
The NDIS website contains information on eligibility for the scheme. ‘List A— Conditions which are likely to meet the disability requirements in section 24 of the NDIS Act’ includes:
Autism diagnosed by a specialist multi-disciplinary team, paediatrician, psychiatrist or clinical psychologist experienced in the assessment of Pervasive Developmental Disorders, and assessed using the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) diagnostic criteria as having severity of Level 2 (Requiring substantial support) or Level 3 (Requiring very substantial support).2
NDS does not support tightening this description of autism which indicates when a person is likely to meet the disability requirements in section 24 of the NDIS Act. The descriptor must not be altered to exclude more people with autism from receiving NDIS-funded supports.
Parents of children with autism report have often reported that they have had to bear the cost of expensive assessments and consultations to obtain a diagnosis of autism and a picture of their child’s support needs. We need a better process that doesn’t leave them with expensive bills. The NDIA should fund the costs of the assessments required by these children to determine what NDIS supports they need.
While not all children on the autism spectrum will be eligible for ongoing NDIS supports, every one of those children should receive the early intervention supports they require, whether these are provided through the NDIS early childhood intervention gateway, or funded by state and territory governments (which still have an obligation to support children with developmental delay in one area).
The NDIA commissioned the Autism Cooperative Research Centre to develop a report on the effectiveness of various approaches to support a person with autism. This report has not been released but should be. NDS believes evidence should drive the allocation of funding for supports provided to NDIS participants, and that this evidence should be available to participants and their supporters to help them select the supports that are likely to be most beneficial to them.
2 Viewed at https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/operational-guidelines/access-ndis-operational-guideline/list-conditions-which-are-likely-meet-disability-requirements-section-24-ndis-act on 10 July 2020
National Disability Services
July 2020
Contact: David Moody
Chief Executive Officer
National Disability Services
National Disability Services is the peak industry body for non-government disability services. It represents service providers across Australia in their work to deliver high-quality supports and life opportunities for people with disability. Its Australia-wide membership includes more than 1160 non-government organisations which support people with all forms of disability. Its members collectively provide the full range of disability services—from accommodation support, respite and therapy to community access and employment. NDS provides information and networking opportunities to its members and policy advice to State, Territory and Federal governments.