The difficulties for people with complex and challenging support needs to obtain adequate supports under the NDIS

The purpose of this report is to tell the stories of some of OPA’s clients who have complex and challenging support needs, and who are not seeing the benefits that the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is intended to deliver.

The human impact and harm experienced by clients when they receive inadequate supports under the NDIS is significant and the costs to them for this failure, and to all of us, have been enormous.

Ellen Coulter

A mother in northern Tasmania has raised concerns about the standard of training for teachers working with children who have disabilities, saying her daughter, who has autism, was traumatised and teased after being placed in an open box in her classroom.

ANNE Hegerty aka The Governess from The Chase has opened up about having Asperger’s syndrome.

The quiz show star, 60, was officially diagnosed in 2005, two years after first suspecting she might have the condition.

“I think that I saw a documentary on TV (about Asperger’s) and there was just something about it that rung bells in my brain,” Hegerty said on UK TV show Loose Women. “I remember in my diary writing, ‘I’m beginning to suspect again that I have Asperger’s syndrome.’”

Ellen Coulter

A mother in northern Tasmania has raised concerns about the standard of training for teachers working with children who have disabilities, saying her daughter, who has autism, was traumatised and teased after being placed in an open box in her classroom.

LIFE had always had its challenges for Sean, but it wasn't until he was in his 40s that the Raymond Terrace man was formally diagnosed with autism.

The father of three said he saw similar personality traits between himself and his youngest son, who also has autism.

The NDIS support has allowed Sean to flourish in his own small business, a local lawn mowing service.

Sean now has supports to improve his mobility, reduce muscle pain plus support workers.

Michael Vincent

For some parents of children with autism their greatest fear is how to prepare their child for adult life.

Even simple communication can be a struggle.

"As a parent all you can hope is they're able to cope in the world," Brooke Vujeviks said.

When her son Jordan started high school "he literally walked in the door and looked at the ground — barely any eye contact".

The Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS reported on NDIS Market Readiness.

Basically, the Committee found that the disability sector is not “market ready” and the NDIA needs to do much more to ensure that the NDIS achieves its goals.

The report concludes:

Following is correspondence with the new NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission. It shows this Commission: