Answer: it appears not.

Recently, the NDIS was unable to provide any evidential basis for having generic speech or occupational therapy listed as a support for autistic children - see https://a4.org.au/node/2674

There are various other examples where evidence supporting generic speech therapy is missing. These include research reviews for Australian Government agencies - in particular

Australia's disability sector, including A4, united over the government's poor approach to disability reform. They said: 

A coalition of 255 disability organisations and providers, including Australia’s peak disability representative bodies, have come together to call for urgent action from the Government and the new Minister for the NDIS, Amanda Rishworth, to protect the safety and wellbeing of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants amid rushed reforms.

Grace Tame

There’s more than one way to clear a pathway. Personally, as a sworn enemy of the leaf blower, I prefer methods that aren’t loud, lazy, clunky and repetitious.

Speaking of bureaucracy, this week the federal government’s Department of Social Services released its first-ever official National Autism Strategy and corresponding action plan.

Rick Morton

Despite claims the government’s reform of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is focused on fraud, a third of the savings will come from pushing children off the scheme. 

A concerted effort to remove children from the National Disability Insurance Scheme will reduce spending by $500 million in the next year, accounting for a third of all scheme savings booked to the federal budget bottom line over the same period.