National Disability Insurance Scheme needs to improve – Actuaries Institute

Presently, there are 313,000 NDIS participants under the age of 18.

Current support provided by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is perceived as lacking, whilst community-based programs would offer superior long-term outcomes for young children with autism or developmental delay.

A paper authored by senior actuaries, Maathu Ranjan and Anthony Lowe, and published by the Actuaries Institute, described the scheme as inefficient.

The NDIS has witnessed a significant increase in the number of participants with autism, accounting for nearly one-third of new entrants. 

Currently, there are over 313,000 NDIS participants under 18 years old, representing more than half of the scheme's population and a fifth of its total costs. Amongst these children, 75% have autism or developmental delay as their primary disability.

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The paper, titled "Providing Better Support for Children with Autism and Developmental Delay," presents three key recommendations for the NDIS Independent Review Panel to consider in its forthcoming final findings in October:

Firstly, the NDIS needs to replace clinical diagnoses with functional assessments conducted by early childhood specialists to enhance early intervention support. The second is to shift the focus from individualised funding to investing in community-based support, thereby increasing the effectiveness of support.

Next is to transform the provider market to better assess outcomes, guide individuals to appropriate settings, and emphasise capabilities rather than limitations.

The recommendations emphasise that adopting community-based programs would lead to improved long-term outcomes for children. Doing so would align better with the original NDIS design – which was envisioned and legislated based on the social model of disability but has been implemented using the medical model – and contribute to the scheme's financial sustainability.