ACD - Advocating for children with disability

ACD in partnership with the Child and Family Disability Alliance has made a submission to the Senate inquiry into the proposed NDIS legislation.

What did we say? 💬
We echoed concerns raised by Disability Representative Organisations that:
🔹There has not been enough time allowed for fair scrutiny of the Bill and to make necessary amendments
🔹The changes give the Minister too many powers, while reducing safeguards and the right to challenge decisions

We also raised concerns specific to children, young people and their families:
🔹Children with diagnoses associated with lifelong severely reduced functional capacity need early access to the NDIS
🔹Family circumstances should be considered in eligibility assessment
🔹Requiring families to try all ‘treatment’ options before accessing the NDIS is unfair
🔹Expectations placed on parents must be applied fairly and recognise the intensity and frequency of support required to raise a child with disability
🔹Supports should reflect the combined impact of multiple disabilities

What happens next? 📅

The Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee is made up of senators from a range of political parties. They review proposed laws, gather evidence and hear from community members, experts and community organisations, then make recommendations before Parliament votes.

ACD has been invited to speak to the Committee, where senators can ask us questions about our submission.

📌 You can read our full submission on our website: https://acd.org.au/advocacy/

Learn about reasonable adjustments at school from other families.

It can be hard to know what reasonable adjustments schools can provide to students with disabilities. That’s why we asked families for examples of reasonable adjustments that are working for their children.

A reasonable adjustment is a change a school makes so a student with disability can take part in learning on the same basis as other students.

Some examples include:
🔹Giving more time to complete a task
🔹Providing all instructions in writing
🔹Providing information in large print
🔹Changes to uniform requirements
🔹Providing toileting support as needed

Our reasonable adjustments guide breaks this down in plain English, so you know what you can ask for.

Because sometimes the best information comes from other families.
🔗 Read the guide via the link in our bio.

Free webinar: supporting teens with disability to navigate relationships, s*x and po*******hy 💜

Join this practical session for parents and carers of young people aged 12+ with disability.

Co hosted with Amaze, Let’s Talk: Relationships, s*x, and po*******hy is presented by Associate Professor Wenn Lawson and Maree Crabbe.

You’ll learn how to support your child to build respectful, consenting relationships with confidence.

Topics will include:
🔹Autism, young people, and technology
🔹Autism, young people, puberty and s*xuality
🔹Pornography and young people

✨ This is a one-off event and not to be missed.

👉 Book your spot to avoid disappointment: https://bit.ly/letstalkjune26Post

What to do if your child has newly diagnosed developmental delay or disability 💜

If your child has been identified as having a developmental delay or disability, then the NDIS is still the place to go to get early childhood intervention and support.

🔹 You apply by going to your NDIS Partner in the Community (these are called Early Childhood Partners or Local Area Coordinators). They can help explain the process and what happens

🔹 The NDIS can help children and families get early childhood intervention, including speech pathology, occupational therapy or physiotherapy

🔹Children who are not citizens or permanent residents are eligible (up until they start school)

Right now, there are no immediate changes to how you apply. The Government is proposing changes, but these will take time and are not final.

Please share with other families and professionals who work with families so that children don’t miss out.

📢 ACD and other advocates are speaking up for families’ concerns and working to make sure your voices are heard.

ℹ️ We’ll keep sharing clear, easy-to-understand updates so you know what this means for your child. 💜

👉 Find NDIS offices and contact near you: https://ow.ly/fN6850Z5Znp

Have a child with disability in Year 8 or above who’s interested in work experience?

Not sure how to get started or what support they’re entitled to?

Our brand new ACD workshop is here to help. 💜

In this FREE Get into Work Experience workshop, you’ll learn:
🔹 What meaningful work experience looks like
🔹 School responsibilities and your role as a parent or carer
🔹 What supports and resources are available
🔹 The next steps to get started

Real-world guidance from facilitators who are parents of children with disability.

👉 Get in quick to book your spot. Workshops open from 22 June: https://bit.ly/WorkExpJune26Posts

ACD is delighted to receive $425,000 from Equity Trustees Limited to help us continue to amplify the voice of families raising children with disability over the next three years.

Through their support over the past few years, we have been able to:
• Hear from thousands of families
• See families represented on a range of key government advisory groups
• Make 40+ submissions to government

Family voices, experiences and insights matter and this funding helps families have seat at the table.

We spoke with families of secondary students about work experience and structured workplace learning. Here's what they shared:

🔹 These activities matter. Every family said they're important for building confidence, skills, and comfort in new settings
🔹 Placements work best with shorter sessions, good prep, and support on-site
🔹 Too much of the work falls on families, especially in the gap between what schools cover and what the NDIS funds
🔹 Finding willing employers is the single biggest hurdle
🔹 Families want schools to step in earlier, including sourcing placements, writing introductions, and arranging support

Thank you to every family who shared their experience. ACD has shared the findings with the Victorian Department of Education and will continue to use these insights to shape our advocacy work. 💜

You can read the full Snapshot of the discussion on our website: https://acd.org.au/advocacy/

✨ Successful Secondary Years is a FREE online workshop for families of children with disability in Year 7 and above to help navigate secondary school confidently.

You’ll gain helpful tips and real-life insights from friendly facilitators with lived experience.

This workshop looks at:
🔹Reasonable adjustments at secondary school
🔹Social connections and wellbeing
🔹Communication with school
🔹Supporting your child to self-advocate

👉 Book your spot today from 9 June: https://bit.ly/SSYjune26Posts

We’d love to have you there 💜

Medicare support for speech-sound difficulties 💜

Recent changes mean Medicare now helps cover the cost of speech therapy for children and young people who stutter or have speech-sound difficulties (including articulation disorder, phonological disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, dysarthria), and for those with cleft lip and/or palate.

Children and young people under 25 may be able to get Medicare rebates for:
🔹 speech assessments (up to 8 sessions)
🔹 ongoing speech therapy (up to 20 sessions)

Helpful tips for families 📌
🔸 A referral is required from a GP, specialist or consultant physician
🔸 Medicare provides a rebate, so some families may still have a gap fee depending on the provider
🔸 Not all speech pathologists offer Medicare rebated sessions, so ask first
🔸 Early support can make a real difference, but it’s never too late to seek help
🔸 NDIS and Medicare cannot be used for the same session

This is an important change that parents of children who stutter or who have speech-sound difficulties have long advocated for.

NDIS changes: if your child already has a plan

We know many families are feeling unsure after recent NDIS announcements.

If your child already has an NDIS plan, you can keep going as you are. ✅📄

You can continue to:
🔹 use your plan
🔹 change services if you need to
🔹 apply for a change in circumstances if there are changes in your child’s support needs, such as they will be finishing school at the end of the year.

At this point you don’t need to gather evidence or reports for the proposed future assessments. 📋

The Government is proposing changes, but they will take time. New laws are still being discussed, and not everything is final yet.

📢 ACD and other advocates are speaking up for families' concerns.

ℹ️ We’ll keep sharing clear, easy-to-understand updates as things change.