NDIS and Autism
There are about 1 in 150 Australians that live with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This diagnosis is a lifelong developmental disorder that can affect those with the disorder from birth. The effects of ASD vary considerably over the spectrum. This makes those affected exhibit different sets of symptoms making two people with ASD having identical experiences highly unlikely.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) helps to provide support for Australians diagnosed with ASD. According to a 2015 estimation by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), there are 164,000 Australians with Autism with the numbers steadily increasing over the years.
Many Australians with Autism may not get the appropriate care or support they need to live life as normally as possible. With the help of the NDIS, people with ASD can receive appropriate funding for various supports they need to deal with the challenges that came with a diagnosis of ASD.
What is the NDIS?
The NDIS is a scheme developed by the Australian Government. The NDIS started with the legislation in 2013 and has since started rolling out in 2016 to all the regions and territories of Australia through several years. By 2020, the scheme is in full operations across the countries under the management of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
The NDIS aims to provide funding for the much-needed support and care of Australians ages 7 to 65 with a permanent and significant disability. Since the start of the NDIS rollout across all the regions and territories of Australia, an estimated 400,000 people with disabilities are provided with much-needed funding for reasonable and necessary support for their disabilities. A 150,000 of these NDIS Participants across the country have reported that through the NDIS, they are receiving needed support for their disability for the first time.
There will be approximately 500,000 Australians living with a significant and permanent disability that the NDIS can provide funding for their much-needed support every year.
Developers of the NDIS understand that not everyone with a disability experiences the same challenges in their everyday life. Not all disabilities are the same and much like with having Autism, the challenges in everyday life that one with a disability faces are experienced in a spectrum. This is why the NDIS allows its participants to customise their treatment plans.
Unlike other insurance schemes, they offer flexible options for participants to undertake. The NDIS participants or their guardians have the option to be heavily involved in the developmental process of their NDIS Plan.
The NDIS Plan is a treatment plan that each NDIS Participant can customise. This plan contains all the goals, plans, and support needed of NDIS Participants have. One of the most important aspects of the NDIS Plan is the individual supports, care, or services that NDIS Participants can pick and choose to help alleviate the challenges their disability brings to their everyday lives.
With the help of registered NDIS Providers, professionals, organisations, and businesses credited by the NDIS, NDIS Participants can have the means to strive towards their personal goals and see to their individual needs.
The customisation of individual NDIS Plans is something highly valuable for an NDIS Participant with Autism. Individuals with ASD that require support from the NDIS can pick and choose the support, services, or care they need to live life as normally as possible.
Here are some examples of the support or services that NDIS Participants can receive from registered NDIS Providers:
School aid or tutors
Speech therapists
Personal care support
Behavioural support
Occupational therapists
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
ASD is a life-long developmental disorder that affects people from birth. ASD is an umbrella term for a number of conditions that can range from mild to severe developmental deficits or challenges.
Conditions that were once a separate diagnosis that are now under the diagnosis of ASD include Asperger’s Disorder and Disintegrative Childhood Disorder.
Some of the most common behaviours or symptoms found in an individual diagnosed with ASD are difficulty regulating emotions, sensory sensitivity, difficulty with adjusting to changes, repetitive behaviours or speech, inability to maintain relationships, difficulty with communication and social interactions, among others.
It is important to note that not all of these symptoms are present in every individual with ASD. Some people with ASD can experience mild or severe forms of these symptoms and is different from one person to another.
Individuals with milder forms of Autism may not even detect that they have the disorder, not get a diagnosis, and live relatively normal functioning lives. However, individuals with a more severe form of autism may need lifelong support to function normally in everyday life.
Three Levels of ASD
For a person with Autism to get support from the NDIS, they need to be between the ages of 7 to 65 years old, be an Australian citizen, and prove that because of their Autism, they require support from another person, need equipment to live normally in everyday life, or require current support to reduce the need for it later in life.
Unfortunately, having ASD does not automatically make one eligible to become an NDIS Participant. The NDIS refers to the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) to recognise which of the different levels of ASD that a participant is classified into and what specific support they would need.
Level 1
People diagnosed with Level 1 ASD require low levels of support. A Level 1 diagnosis of ASD means that they may find it difficult interacting with others or have difficulties with organising or making plans. Individuals with Level 1 ASD need further assessment and documentation that their Autism significantly reduces their quality of life to become eligible for the NDIS.
Level 2
People diagnosed with Level 2 ASD require moderate levels of support. This means that they may only be capable of limited social interactions, have limited interests, and frequently perform limited or repetitive behaviours. Individuals with Level 2 ASD diagnosis will automatically qualify to be an NDIS participant.
Level 3
People diagnosed with Level 3 ASD require substantial levels of support. This means that they may have severely limited verbal and non-verbal communication skills, have difficulty with changes in their environment or routine, and would frequently express great distress. Similar to those with ASD Level 2 diagnosis, individuals diagnosed with ASD Level 3 will automatically be qualified to be an NDIS participant.
Read more about What Disability Does NDIS Cover?