NDIS Funding For Autism
In Australia, there are 1 in 150 people who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding for the much-needed support and care that people diagnosed with ASD greatly require. It’s the first time to receive support for their condition for some of these individuals diagnosed with ASD.
ASD is one of the largest categories for people with disabilities in the NDIS. Individuals diagnosed with ASD looking for reasonable and necessary support can get funding from the NDIS to receive the appropriate intervention and care to live life as normally as possible.
Understanding the NDIS Process
The NDIS is a scheme developed by the Australian government to provide funding for the much-needed support to Australians with permanent and significant disabilities. The scheme already provided thousands of individuals with life-long disabilities with the necessary and reasonable supports.
With the help of the NDIS, participants have the chance to pursue their personal goals in life, live life with independence, participate in the workforce, build relationships in the community, and live daily life as normally as possible.
The NDIS has curated eligible providers called NDIS Providers. These providers undergo a rigorous process making them qualified and up to government-standards to provide the support that participants need. NDIS Providers can be organisations, professionals, and businesses.
With the NDIS, participants will have a say in what types of support they receive. The NDIS process is developed as such so that each participant can customise their own NDIS plans. The NDIS put emphasis on the need for participants to feel empowered in getting the treatment they require. They understand that each participant has their unique needs personal goals.
In the personalised NDIS plan, participants can lay out their goals as they receive support from the NDIS and pick and choose which NDIS provider would best see to their needs. Each NDIS Participant is facing different challenges because of their disabilities so no two NDIS Plan are the same.
This is especially true for participants diagnosed with ASD. Each diagnosis of the condition comes with a different set of challenges and each person with ASD requires different interventions and support that the NDIS can fund.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
Autism Spectrum Disorder is an umbrella diagnosis for a group of conditions that were once separate diagnoses including Asperger’s Syndrome, Atypical Autism, Rett’s Disorder, and Autism. In the latest edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5), Autism Spectrum Disorder is categorised as a lifelong developmental disorder.
People with this disorder are said to have the condition starting from when they are born but it may not be evident until they are 2-3 years of age. ASD affects a person’s behaviour and how they interact with the world around them.
Individuals diagnosed with ASD may experience a broad range of different symptoms or different severity in one symptom or another. These are some examples of characteristics seen in people with ASD:
· Loss of language skills
· Inability to recognise social cues
· Lack of non-verbal communication and expressions
· Sensory sensitivity or under sensitivity
· Excessive following of routines or patterns
· Repetitive movements
Symptoms of ASD are not limited to the ones listed above. No two people with this disorder experience the same set of symptoms or the same levels of severity.
ASD’s Three Levels of Severity
The DSM-5 categorised the level of ASD into the level of severity. People diagnosed with ASD can be categorised as having Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 severity in their diagnosis of autism. The NDIS also uses these categorised as a guide on which support they offer to NDIS Participants with autism.
Level 1
A level 1 diagnosis of ASD means that an individual requires some support in their everyday life because of the effects of their autism. People with level 1 ASD diagnosis may have reduced independence because they may find it a challenge interacting with other people and find it difficult with organisation and making plans.
The NDIS requires people with Level 1 ASD further assessment and proof that their autism significantly impacts their everyday life to become an NDIS participant, specifically on their learning ability, mobility, self-management, self-care, socialisation, and communication
Level 2
A Level 2 diagnosis of ASD means that an individual requires substantial support. This makes individuals diagnosed with Level 2 severity of ASD are automatically qualified to receive NDIS funding for their plan. They may find it difficult or have little interest in social interaction, lacks non-verbal and verbal communication, and tend to perform restrictive and repetitive behaviours.
Level 3
A Level 3 diagnosis of ASD means that an individual requires very substantial support. Just like with a Level 2 ASD diagnosis, people diagnosed with Level 3 severity of ASD are automatically qualified to receive NDIS Funding for their plan. They may show deficits in communication and social skills. They also experience difficulties and stress when faced with changes in routine or situations where they’re required to focus.
What Particular Support Can Someone with Autism Receive from the NDIS?
Each level of severity of ASD can receive support from the NDIS, especially level 2 and level 3. Each person diagnosed with ASD, no matter what level of severity, will experience different challenges and difficulties with different aspects of their condition. Every individual with ASD will not have the same set of support or services in their plan.
However, there are some services and support the NDIS funds to help people with autism a better quality of life. These includes:
Speech therapists
School aid or tutors
Occupational therapists to help increase fine motor skills and ability to concentrate
Nutritionist to help diversify eating habits
Personal care support to help with everyday activities
Behavioural support to help develop relationships and behavioural management
Each NDIS participant with ASD will be given a chance to decide on which support or services they wish to obtain in their NDIS Plan to help alleviate the challenges of their condition.
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