NDIS policy (AAT Case Management Guide Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) - see below) fails some of the youngest and most severely autistic NDIS participants. Clinicians advise that some children with severe/profound or classic autism need intensive early intervention for their autism. NDIS policy (see below) says funding for the required early intervention depends on families winning a case against the government in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
In relation to A4's advocacy for improving essential hospital services for profoundly autistic Australians (see https://a4.org.au/node/2758), A4 received the following responses from governments and Ministers that were contacted initially.
NSW response
federal response
The NSW response is positive. We are keep to see how this develops ... both at Westmead hospital (inner-western Sydney) and in other NSW hospitals.
The Labor government announced its Thriving Kids program without saying who it was for. When disability representative organisations (DRO) met officials (4/9/2025 at Parliament House) and asked who it was for, the officials said “work to understand those numbers is yet to be started”.
Health Minister Mark Butler faces a delicate balance ensuring tens of thousands of autistic children don’t lose vital support as he moves them from the NDIS to his new Thriving Kids scheme.
In August this year Health Minister Mark Butler announced his commitment to moving tens of thousands of Australian children from the National Disability Insurance Scheme to a new program to be called Thriving Kids.
A4 is a national disability representative organisation (DRO) for autism that is recognised by government. A4 is the only national recognised DRO for autism representing the full autism spectrum.
I recently became aware of the Westmead's One Stop Shop pro bono service for profoundly autistic patients (and others with severe disability who otherwise do not access many crucial health services). This service was described on the ABC in 2023.
The NDIS was built on a vision of inclusion, dignity and empowerment. But to realise this vision, families need to be shown compassion and have human connection with agencies, writes Legal Services SA chief executive Annmarie Lumsden.
Negotiations on changes to support for autistic children have hit a roadblock as a state premier declares federal Labor is shirking its responsibilities.
The Albanese government wants to move some children with autism and developmental delays off the National Disability Insurance Scheme to rein in spending and keep the scheme viable.
The Thriving Kids program would instead provide early intervention and support for the cohort through mainstream channels such as general practitioners and schools.
New research suggests that those diagnosed with autism in late childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood are more likely to have a different type than those diagnosed in early childhood.
