Families of children with autism say their National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plans are already being reduced or rejected, even as a major overhaul of the program looms. They report being told to wait for support programs that do not yet exist.
Aidyn, an eight-year-old with level two autism, an intellectual disability, and an eating disorder, experienced severe cuts to his NDIS support. His coordinator, Jayde Parker, said that after notifying the NDIS of a change in circumstances, therapy funding was slashed to just seven hours of dietitian services per year, removing all other supports including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and nursing care. Parker fought the decision for two years and eventually won reinstatement of about $120,000 in funding, but during the review, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) told Aidyn's mother to wait for the new foundational program, Thriving Kids.
Last week, Health Minister Mark Butler announced that approximately 160,000 people are expected to be removed from the NDIS by 2030 as part of efforts to control costs. The government says the overhaul is essential for the scheme's long-term viability. However, families and advocates argue that plans are being cut or rejected prematurely, and the replacement programs are not yet available.
People who no longer meet the new eligibility requirements will be redirected to programs like Thriving Kids, co-run with states and territories, which is designed to move children with mild autism and developmental conditions off the NDIS. Thriving Kids is not expected to be fully operational until 2028.
Autistic participants are the fastest-growing group in the NDIS, making up 42% of the scheme. Data from the Australian Neurodivergent Parents Association shows that children with developmental delay are being removed faster than they are being added. Exits rose from 7,270 in 2023 to 40,900 in 2025, while the number of participants with developmental delay peaked at 88,112 in March 2025 and then dropped to 70,602 by December 2025.
Sarah Langston, president of the association, said nearly 12,000 children with developmental delays have been removed before the replacement system is in place. She described a pattern of "constructive removal," where children remain technically eligible but their plans are stripped of meaningful support.
An NDIA spokesperson declined to comment on the decrease but said there have been no changes to access criteria or eligibility assessment processes. They noted that reassessments for children who entered the scheme under age nine have always been part of the NDIS.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the need for an affordable program but warned that the state system cannot provide equivalent care for those removed from the NDIS.
Skye Bryant, mother of a five-year-old with level two autism, said that after notifying the NDIS of a change in her daughter's circumstances, most of the plan was stripped. She lost $12,000 in therapy funding and now receives only 45 minutes of support per day, forcing her to spend three hours daily on public transport to get her daughter to school.
Langston said families are being directed to supports that are either inappropriate or nonexistent, calling the situation a "fantasy."
