Reference Group members connected with the community to find out about issues that affect them.

This includes issues that affect participants.

Participants are people with disability who take part in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Members shared reports about these issues with the NDIA.

People from the NDIA also shared their response to some of these issues.

Reference Group members said some families with young children are confused about Thriving Kids.

Thriving Kids is a program for children who need extra support.

For example, children with developmental delay.

A developmental delay is when a child takes longer than usual to learn things like walking or talking.

Members said the NDIA and Thriving Kids need to work together better.

This includes when the NDIA checks if a child can take part in the NDIS when they turn 6 years old.

The NDIA said Thriving Kids will:

• make it easier to find and use their supports

• make sure children with developmental delay can get the supports they need.

The NDIA said some children with disability who need extra support can still use the NDIS.

Reference Group members said participants are worried about changes to the types of therapy they can use.

Therapy includes different types of support that can help improve how:

• you think and feel
• your body moves.

Members said participants are being told different things about what types of therapy they can use.

This is because some NDIA planners are not sure what types of therapy participants can use.

An NDIA planner is someone who:

• makes new NDIS plans
• changes NDIS plans.

An NDIS plan has information about:

• a participant and their goals
• what supports a participant needs
• what the NDIS will pay for.

Autism can affect how you:

• think
• feel
• communicate
• connect and deal with others.

Members said that changes to therapy make some Autistic people feel like they don’t belong.

Autistic people feel this way because people have been saying bad things about them:

• on the news
• online.

Reference Group members said some families are worried about child protection services.

Child protection services help children stay safe.

They can decide if a child:

• is not safe in their home
• must live with someone else.

Families are worried that some NDIA planners are calling child protection services.

NDIA planners are doing this because of how a parent’s disability affects the way they care for their child.

But they aren’t always right.

Members asked the NDIA what training NDIA planners have about when to call child protection services.

The NDIA said they will look into this issue.

Assistive technology is equipment or a device that can help people do things more easily.

For example, a wheelchair or a hearing aid.

Reference group members said it can be hard for some participants to find the right assistive technology.

This includes participants who live very far away from cities and towns.

Reference Group members asked the NDIA to support people when they apply to the NDIS.

Members said that many people feel like it’s too hard to apply to the NDIS.

The NDIA thanked members for sharing this information.

The NDIA also said they would think more about what members shared.

Reference Group members said some people are worried about changes to assessments.

The NDIA uses assessments to work out:

• how someone’s disability affects their life
• what support someone needs from the NDIS.

Members said they want to know more about how the NDIA will run assessments.

This includes how they will think about:

• people with anxiety

and

• people who need extra support.

Anxiety is when you feel very worried or scared about something that may or may not happen.

The NDIA said they have a new tool to help them decide what supports people with disability need.

But they are still working on an assessment for children under 16 years old.