Education
The NDIS is changing in ways that will directly affect families with neurodivergent children, some significantly. Here is a plain-English guide to what is happening, what it means for your family, and what to do next.
I know what it feels like to open an email from the NDIS and immediately feel your stomach drop. Not because you expect bad news exactly, but because the system is complex enough that any change could mean anything, and working out which changes apply to your family, and what they actually mean in practice, requires time and energy that most families of neurodivergent children are running short on.
The NDIS is going through its most significant changes since it was established. Some of these changes are positive. Some are genuinely concerning. All of them require families to understand what is happening so they can make informed decisions and, where necessary, respond. This guide is my attempt to translate the policy language into something useful.
A note before we start: NDIS rules and timelines are still evolving as of mid-2026. Some of what is described here may shift further. Always verify specific details with the NDIA directly, or through a support coordinator or disability advocate who is across the current state of play.
The biggest change for families with young children: Thriving Kids
If your child is eight or under and has autism or developmental delay with what the government describes as 'low to moderate support needs', the most significant change affects you directly. From 1 October 2026, these children will begin being redirected away from the NDIS and into a new program called Thriving Kids, a state-delivered, community-based early intervention service.
Thriving Kids is designed to provide earlier access to developmental therapies, OT, speech pathology, physiotherapy, psychology, without requiring a formal diagnosis. The positive version of this is genuine: earlier support without the diagnostic gatekeeping that has left many families waiting years. The concerning version is that children with genuine and significant needs may be assessed as 'low to moderate' and redirected to a system that is not yet fully built, while the services they need are still being established. We have a complete plain-English guide to Thriving Kids that covers exactly what families can expect.
- Children with high support needs remain eligible for the NDIS and will not be affected by Thriving Kids
- Children currently on the NDIS will not be immediately removed, the transition will happen gradually
- Thriving Kids is being rolled out by state and territory governments, so the services available will vary by location, full rollout is not expected until 1 January 2028
- A formal autism or developmental delay diagnosis is not required to access Thriving Kids, access is based on assessed support needs
- Advocacy groups including Autism Awareness Australia have raised concerns about the pace of rollout and the readiness of state services, this is worth following closely
“If you are worried your child will be assessed as 'low to moderate' when their needs are higher, document everything, reports, therapy notes, school observations, and be ready to challenge that assessment.”
The change that affects existing participants: social participation budget cuts
From 1 October 2026, budgets for social, civic and community participation supports are being reset to 2023 spending levels, which in practice means an average reduction of around $7,000 for participants in this category. Capacity Building daily activity budgets are also being reduced by 10 per cent.
Social and community participation funding is what allows many neurodivergent people to attend group programs, access community activities, and build the social connections and life skills that most of us take for granted. For families, this funding often supports the supervised activities that give parents a break and give their child opportunities their immediate environment doesn't provide. A cut to this category is a cut that families will feel.
- The reduction is to the budget allocation, not necessarily to what you are currently spending, if you are not using all of your social participation budget, the cut may have less practical impact
- The government is establishing a $200 million Inclusive Communities Fund to support community organisations to host participation activities, watch for what becomes available in your area
- If you believe the reduced budget does not meet your child's needs, you can request a plan review, 'my child's reasonable and necessary support needs have not been met by this budget' is grounds for review
- Document how your child currently uses social participation funding: specific activities, outcomes, what would be lost, this is the evidence you'll need if you need to push back
New framework planning: what it means for your family
The NDIS planning process is changing significantly. The new framework introduces a Support Needs Assessment, a structured conversation with a trained assessor, lasting approximately three hours, about your child's daily life and what supports they need. This replaces the current planning approach, which has been widely criticised as inconsistent and often producing outcomes that depend more on which planner you got than on your child's actual needs.
The new approach uses a tool called the I-CAN (Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs), developed by the University of Melbourne. New framework planning begins for adults from 1 April 2027, with children's transitions following later. For most families, your current plan will remain in place until you reach your scheduled review.
- You can bring a support person, family member, or carer to any assessment, do this
- The assessment can be split across multiple sessions if needed
- Plans under the new framework will generally cover longer periods, reducing the frequency of stressful annual reviews
- Funding will be split between 'stated supports' (specific purposes only) and a 'flexible budget' (used across a range of NDIS supports)
- Ask your support coordinator to help you prepare for your assessment, what documentation to bring, how to articulate your child's needs clearly
What has not changed: your rights
Regardless of the reforms, several things remain constant. The Disability Discrimination Act and the Disability Standards for Education still require schools to make reasonable adjustments for your child, these obligations are separate from and additional to any NDIS funding. The NDIS itself still funds supports that are 'reasonable and necessary' for your child's disability-related needs. You still have the right to request a plan review if your child's needs are not being met. And you still have the right to appeal decisions through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Questions parents are asking right now
- Will my child lose their NDIS plan? If your child has high support needs, no. If they are currently on the NDIS with low to moderate needs and are under 9, the picture is less clear and depends on their assessment under the new framework.
- Do I need to do anything right now? If your child's plan is not up for review soon, your immediate obligation is to stay informed and document your child's current supports and needs thoroughly.
- What if I disagree with a Thriving Kids assessment? Formal appeal and review mechanisms are being established, follow the NDIS and disability advocacy organisations for updates as these become clearer.
- Should I get a support coordinator? Yes. If you don't have one and your child's plan is complex, a support coordinator (funded from your plan) can help you navigate the transition, prepare for assessments, and advocate effectively.
Take-homes
- If your child is under 9 with autism or developmental delay, understand the Thriving Kids program, it may affect how your child accesses services from October 2026
- High support needs children remain NDIS eligible, if you believe your child's needs are high, document this thoroughly with reports and professional evidence
- Review your current social participation and capacity building budgets now and understand what you are actually using, the October cuts matter more if you are spending at capacity
- Prepare for the new planning framework: gather reports, document daily life impacts, and plan to bring support to any assessment
- Follow the NDIA website, your state's disability peak bodies, and organisations like Autism Awareness Australia for updates, this is still evolving
- If you are overwhelmed: a support coordinator or disability advocate can help you navigate this, you do not have to do it alone
Education
A note on accuracy:While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this article is accurate at the time of writing, facts, policies and research can change. We're human, and sometimes we get things wrong. If you spot something that needs updating, we'd genuinely love to hear from you.
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Dave Harrison
ESW · Neurodiversity Advocate · Podcast Host
Dave Harrison is currently working in Australian schools as an Education Support Worker. He's the founder of THRVHUB, host of the Different Is Normal podcast, and a parent of a neurodivergent teenager, writing from both sides of the classroom.
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