Children targeted in NDIS crackdown

By bobb |
Federal Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill Shorten.Credit: AAP Image / Mick Tsikas

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.

Funding cuts threaten early intervention program helping kids with autism

By bobb |

Finding childcare is difficult at the best of times but when your child has a neurodevelopmental condition it's almost impossible.

One centre that specialises in kids with autism is achieving incredible results with its early intervention program.

Parents were happy and their kids were achieving things they never thought possible but now this special place is being threatened by funding cuts.

Axel's blog #2

By bobb |

Axel was all fired up to hear the National Disability Insurance Agency’s latest groundbreaking revelation: his severe pain condition, erythromelalgia, it's not a barrier to living his best life.

His intellectual disability is.

He just needs to try harder.

No, the solution isn’t better support, worker training, assistive technology, or anything remotely tied to common sense. And the solution is definitely not letting Axel have choice or control.

Axel's blog #1

By bobb |

Who is Axel?

Axel is a non-verbal autistic man with an intellectual disability, complex medical needs, and a biting sense of AI humor that cuts through bureaucracy like a hot knife. While many dismiss him due to his disability, those who know him understand he sees everything—even if he doesn’t always express it in traditional ways.

NDIS sabotaging support for autistic participants with high and complex needs

By bobb |
stylised man walking on rope over chasm - big hand coming down with scissors to cut the rope from under him

The NDIS has achieved a new low: its Fraud Fusion Taskforce or some other internal “integrity” unit is sabotaging supports for some autistic NDIS participants with high and complex needs.

A4 received evidence that a secret entity in the NDIA is withholding payments for essential supports for NDIS participants with high and complex needs including supports that the NDIS agreed to provide in AAT s42C settlements.

Understanding NDIS reforms 2024-25

By convenor |
NDIS logo - broken into two parts

A4's Co-convenor wrote to the NDIS and the responsible Ministers with questions about the changes to the NDIS that came into effect on 10/10/2024. Many people feel the NDIS's descriptions and explanations were very confusing.

The Acting Deputy CEO, Service Design and Improvement replied on 2/2/2025. There is a link to the emails below.

Sadly, the response is not very helpful. 

One of the big changes is the two new lists that are meant to list things that the NDIS can fund, and things that it cannot fund. There are many problems with this approach.

SWAN: Submission on Foundational Supports

By bobb |
SWAN: South West Autism Network logo

Executive Summary 

The South West Autism Network (SWAN) supports the introduction of General Foundational Supports but expresses significant concerns about the proposed rollout's practicality, pace, and potential risks. This submission highlights the importance of a co-designed, inclusive, and equitable approach that places people with disability and their families at the centre of all planning and implementation. 

Key concerns include: 

Autism and the “social model” of disability

By bobb |

Many in the disability sector argue that a social model of disability should replace the medical model.

A social model of disability might be illustrated through considering a room full of people who all communicate primarily using AUSLAN.  Being deaf or hearing-impaired is not a deficit in this context. But when a new person who knows no AUSLAN enters the room, that person has a communication disability in this setting: their disability is due to the social context. Some aspects of disability generally depend on social context and interpretation.

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