Kristy is the mother of two boys on the autism spectrum.  Kristy came to RIAC in October 2016 for assistance with her son Jackson’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan and the lack of funded supports provided to him. The NDIS had denied essential funding for Jackson (2years old) to attend Applied Behaviour Analysis therapy (ABA). This therapy was costing the family $75,000; the family had raised this money through spending a lot of their time fundraising.

People on the autism spectrum may be an undervalued resource who get overlooked in the competitive jobs market but they also could be the key to filling unmet demand in vital sectors, including information technology and science-related positions.

Researchers in the US have found that people with autism may have above average systemising skills and naturally gravitate towards jobs in science and technology.

A single mother has called for a re-think of the National Disability Insurance Scheme after she was left without enough support to properly care for her severely disabled son.

Tammie Lansley, a volunteer firefighter from Sydney's west, has struggled every day for the past decade to care for her son Nathan Brincat.

Nathan, 13, has the mind and body of a toddler because of a debilitating genetic condition called mitochondrial disease.

Tammie fears she may have to see Nathan institutionalised.

MICK GRIMLEY

The prevalence of autism is rising and, increasingly, mental health conditions are affecting school-age children. Add to these statistics social disadvantage and specific learning differences to see today’s classroom is diverse, complex and challenging.

The Joint Committee on the NDIS has started a new inquiry into the Provision of services under the NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention Approach.

The Terms of Reference and more information about the inquiry are available at http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus…;

Submissions to this inquiry are due by the 10^th August 2017.

The Committee is due to report by 6^th December 2017.

The Hon Christian Porter MP
Minister for Social Services
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

cc: The Hon Jane Prentice MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services; Mr Alastair McEwin, Disability Discrimination Commissioner; Mr David Bowen, NDIA CEO; Dr Helen Nugent AO, Chair of the NDIA Board.

Dear The Hon. C. Porter MP

Newly created words are among entries in a Māori glossary for use in relation to mental health, addiction and disability issues.

Te Reo Hāpai - The Language of Enrichment - contains more than 200 Māori words, terms and whakatauki (proverbs).

Keri Opai, strategic lead for Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui - the national centre of mental health research, information and workforce development - headed the development of the glossary.

He says it was evident there was no Māori equivalent for many words, such as autism.

Amy English said it was a bitter-sweet moment when son, Alexander, who has Autism, no longer needed National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) support because he had achieved all his milestones and was now ready for school.

The mum of three, said while her and husband, Luke were ecstatic with their six-year-old’s progress they did shed some happy and sad tears.

“It was bitter sweet,” Amy confessed. “We were so happy Alex had reached all his milestones and we were self-sufficient, and it was a good feeling to think Alex no longer needed the $10,000 he had left in his budget and it would go towards helping somebody else. But at the same time, we felt a bit sad because it was like losing a family member. Alex’s occupational therapist (OT), Helen had been working with him for 18 months and she became so important to us.