Submission to the consultation on NDIS access changes
The Australian Government is changing how people are assessed for access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The Australian Autism Alliance has made a submission calling for the new assessment process to be fair, accurate and based on people’s everyday lives.
An Autistic person’s support needs may not be obvious during a short assessment. What someone can do may change depending on their surroundings, the support they receive and how they are feeling.
The Alliance supports a clearer and fairer assessment process, but only if it protects Autistic people’s rights and access to the support they need.
Here is a short summary of the Alliance’s key recommendations, expanded and evidenced within the formal submission:
- Assess people in real-life situations. Consider what people can do in different places, over time, and with or without support.
- Recognise needs that may be hidden. Understand that masking, exhaustion and support from family or others can hide a person’s disability-related needs.
- Use fair and reliable assessments. Test assessment methods to make sure they work for Autistic people. Assessors must understand autism and different support needs.
- Recognise that autism is lifelong. Improved skills or independence do not mean a person’s disability or need for support has disappeared.
- Avoid unnecessary reassessments. Use existing evidence wherever possible, rather than asking people to prove the same needs again.
- Prevent gaps in support. Make sure other services can meet a person’s needs before they are directed away from the NDIS. Protect essential support when a move to another service fails.
The Alliance also calls for Autistic people and their families to help design and test the new process, and for the Government to check whether the changes are working fairly.
Download the Alliance’s full submission to learn more about our recommendations for fair NDIS access for Autistic individuals, the autism community and those who support us
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