The NDIA did not respond to a number of A4's concerns. Issues of particular concern were:

• "misinformation and untruths" from the NDIA's CEO to NDIS participants about the assessment tools that were planned for functional assessment of autistic NDIS participants for the so-called Independent Assessments, and
• inexpert and misguided advice from the NDIA's Independent Advisory Council (IAC) about early intervention for autistic children.

The NDIA did not respond to A4 about its concerns.

The NDIA excludes the national Disability Representative Organisation (DRO) representing autistic Australian from their CEO Forum, from the so-called Autism Advisory Group. Internally, when the issue is raised, it says:

S22(1)(a)(ii)’s team confirmed that Fiona Sharkie is an attendee of the CEO forum. Fiona is the CEO of Amaze, which is the peak body for autistic people and their supporters in Victoria (not a DRO).

There are also organisations that represent a broad range of disabilities, including Autism.

Basically, this says "we don't want to hear from an autism DRO, we want others to speak on their behalf".

Rather than recognise and address issues relating to autistic Australians, they avoid them. But clearly, that does not solve their problems. The NDIA keeps doing the same thing expecting a different (better) result.