Stephanie Convery

Committee hears every family Autism Partnerships Australia worked with who challenged their NDIS funding rejection was eventually approved for intensive support

The National Disability Insurance Agency is failing young children severely affected by autism by rejecting their claims for intensive support funding only to do an about-face after families have spent months in a lengthy, expensive tribunal process, a parliamentary committee has heard.

As the NAS got underway, A4 provided several reports (see below).

The Autism Spectrum Disorder in Australia report describes numerous datasets relating to autism. Australia has several national datasets that include population data relating to people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. These show diagnosis rates over time, by age, etc. Some of the data is quite detailed.

Lynda Fallon

As the cost of the NDIS balloons, and the government looks for ways to make savings, one battle-weary mum offers some budgeting suggestions.

Dear Mr Shorten, firstly, I want to say thank you for the NDIS. It’s a scheme with the very best of intentions to give people like my son, Ben, their best chance at fulfilling their potential — and I love that we are lucky enough to live in a country where people in power care.

Stephen Lunn, SOCIAL AFFAIRS EDITOR, MELBOURNE

The need for a diagnosis of autism early in a child’s life to secure NDIS support may have “unforeseen consequences” as they face the long-term stigma of being labelled disabled, National Disability Insurance Agency chair Kurt Fearnley says.

Stephen Lunn

New data showing just over one in four US children on the autism spectrum have “profound autism” could help the National Disability Insurance Scheme as it looks to manage growing numbers of autistic kids needing support, a leading expert says.