The proportion of young children (age 0 to 6 years) diagnosed with autism in the NDIS has declined significantly since the full roll-out of the NDIS. The number of autistic NDIS participants aged 0-6 years old in the NDIS decreased 32% in the 2 years from 30/9/2022 to 30/9/2024.

The following chart shows the number of children in the NDIS with different types of "primary disability" according to data published by the NDIS on their website. 

Updated data ... Dec 2024

The following chart shows the proportions of children age 0 to 6 years with these primary disability types in the NDIS since full NDIS roll-out.

Developmental delay is defined in Section 9 of the NDIS Act 2013 . It is only for children 0 to 6 years of age.

The Scheme Actuary provided information showing that most children who enter with developmental delay and remain after age 6 years are diagnosed with "autism" - see https://a4.org.au/node/2626. 

When children are diagnosed initially with DD or GDD instead of an autism diagnosis that they get later (too late), the NDIS does not fund effective early intervention for their autism. 

Most experts (on autism) advise that to achieve best outcomes for autistic children they need early intervention for their autism to start as early as possible . Best outcomes benefit everyone, not just the autistic child. Best outcomes help the sustainability of the NDIS.

The NDIS has yet to appreciate that many autistic children need intensive ASD-specific individualised early intervention for their autism, not generic early intervention or intervention that is typically provided for children with DD, GDD or ID.

Further, autistic children present with a wide variety (a spectrum) of needs which means their is no typical approach needed for autistic children. Before the DSM-5, no one thought that children with Autistic Disorder needed the same early intervention as children with Asperger's disorder. And the evidence based for PDD-NOS was less researched. It make no sense now to assume that suddenly the needs of severely autistic children are the same as children who would previously have been described as "Asperger's", yet this is the approach NDIS planners take. 

The NDIS needs to improve services and supports for autistic children. They need to listen to the autism sector instead of getting their advice on autism from others with no knowledge or experience of autism.