What's the government doing about autistic children? We explain the changes

Sydney Morning Herald

8 hours ago

The National Disability Insurance Scheme has been an important piece of Australian social policy since it launched in 2013. It was designed to give people with significant permanent disabilities greater choice and control over their lives, and that's what it has done.
But it's also evolved in ways that governments didn't see coming. The NDIS was to be jointly funded by states and the federal government but was not meant to entirely replace disability services. Nonetheless, those services soon dried up, and the federal government was left on the hook for cost blowouts.
Before long, the NDIS was the only option for thousands of people with a disability – including children. It started growing at more than 20 per cent a year, putting significant pressure on the budget. Now the Albanese government wants to restore the scheme to its original purpose so that it retains support and remains in place for future generations.
But this will involve tightening eligibility rules for who can access NDIS support – something that worries many families who have come to rely on it.
What are the NDIS changes?
Health and Disability Minister Mark Butler gave a significant speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday, outlining the challenges facing the $46 billion scheme. He pointed out that it was set to cost $105 billion each year within the decade, and risked losing its social licence.
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Butler outlined two major reforms. First, slowing its growth trajectory. At a national cabinet meeting in 2023, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and state leaders agreed to bring down NDIS growth to 8 per cent a year by the middle of 2026. On Wednesday, Butler said he wanted to limit growth further – to 5 or 6 per cent a year within four years.
The second major change builds on a second outcome of that 2023 meeting, when the state and federal governments agreed to set up a system, called 'foundational supports'. This would cater to disabled people who need help but not at the intense level the NDIS was designed for.