Dear Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme,

Without warning or consultation with families, the National Disability Insurance Service (NDIS) has dramatically cut back funding for children with high-needs autism (level 3 and above). This is forcing them to leave critical early intervention therapy.

This is wrong and we call on you to have this policy rolled back immediately!

I stand up with AEIOU and the families with autistic children to demand the NDIS:

• Restore funding for autistic children with extremely high needs
• Prioritise children whose plans are currently under delayed review
• Address the negative attitude coming from within the NDIS
• Call for planners within the NDIS to cease the callous and unethical treatment of families.

I’m sure you will do the right thing and give these children the specialised therapy they need to have the best start in life.

Yours sincerely,

NDIS is slashing funding for children with autism

Children with severe autism are being forced to leave therapy.

Without warning or consultation with families, the National Disability Insurance Service (NDIS) has dramatically cut back funding for children with high-needs autism (level 3 and above).

Stand with us to tell the Minister for the NDIS, that this is WRONG!

Sign the petition ✍️ today to advocate for children with autism.

“Mainstream school is for kids who can understand what you're saying, take direction, transition between rooms & between things. Mainstream schools are for kids that play with each other and can let you know if they're upset, or when they need to go to the toilet.

Oscar can't do any of that! He’s not capable of that. None of the kids at AEIOU are.

So, putting them in that mainstream environment is not fair on them.

It's also not fair on the other kids, and it's not fair on the teachers.”

Laura, mother to Oscar who has level 3 autism and attends AEIOU

Children with autism need special therapy

AEIOU is concerned about the drastic cuts to plan values, delays, and the negative bias relating to specialised supports from the NDIS that our families are experiencing.

Autistic children need specialist support, NOT mainstream environments!

These children cannot be supported in mainstream environments and have often already been excluded from them.

We must speak out on this critical issue.

The facts:

• In recent months, the NDIS has aggressively cut disability support plans for children with autism by up to 60%.
• This is affecting about 1/3 of the children enrolled with AEIOU.
• Without this funding – these families are being forced out of AEIOU’s specialist early intervention therapy for autism.

This is WRONG!

Sign your name to tell the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme to reinstate support funding for autistic children with high needs.

“I've seen a huge improvement in Oscar since being at AEIOU. For the first time, I'm seeing my child happy and thriving and moving forward to meet his NDIS goals.

It’s been life-changing for our family well-being. I couldn't imagine our lives without this place [AEIOU] now.

Oscar had a year of mainstream and now he’s had three months of AEIOU, and the difference is like night and day.

Because I can see what it was like before and I do not want to go back there!

It's not good for anyone. It's not good for me. It's not good for my husband and it's certainly not good for Oscar.”

Laura, mother to Oscar who has level 3 autism and attends AEIOU

Vulnerable children will be worse off

We are already seeing a dramatic reduction in NDIS support packages, leading to a reduction in the much-needed therapy support that is critical for a child with autism (level 3 or above).

• NDIS plans for autistic children have been slashed by up to 60%.
• When a family appeals, the average plan review is now taking 79 days, rather than the NDIS-legislation mandate of 21 days.
• To make matters worse, the NDIS are advising parents to put their children into mainstream environments (despite many of our children having already been excluded from mainstream settings!)

Children that have level 3 Autism, meaning they are non-verbal and have severe behavioural and developmental difficulties.

Without adequate funding kids with autism will be denied the critical early intervention therapy they need to have the best start in life.

Support families with autistic children with high needs

Children with severe autism need our help to get the best start in life.

Please sign your name to demand the NDIS reinstate support funding they have taken away.