As part of a reported plan to rein in the ballooning costs of the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme, talks to restrict some lower-scale autism suffers from automatically qualifying for the taxpayer funded support are said to be underway.

Social Services Minister Dan Tehan has said no changes to eligibility will occur until research and consultation has been conducted.

But Angela Shanahan, who has severely ill children of her own, says the apparent discussions are warranted.  Children with mild autism should have their eligibility reassessed according to Shanahan, to free up funds for the nation’s 410,000 chronically disabled kids.

“The problem is that nobody will define how far autism affects kids who are supposedly in this disability group,” says Ms Shanahan.

“I’ve seen children who have profound disabilities. I don’t think it is right that children who basically have some behavioural and psychological problems are put in the same categories as these children.”

“We live with such a hand-out mentality. We live in a society where if parents cannot manage, they somehow expect the state to take over.”

Shanahan says the root of the problem is how politicised the notion of “disability” has become, with politicians reluctant to cut unneeded funding for fear of missing out on votes.

“Disability has been turned into a social and ideological thing, rather than looking at the actual condition of the child. You have to actually look at the child and at their level of disability.”

As part of a reported plan to rein in the ballooning costs of the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme, talks to restrict some lower-scale autism suffers from automatically qualifying for the taxpayer funded support are said to be underway.
Social Services Minister Dan Tehan has said no changes to eligibility will occur until research and consultation has been conducted.
But Angela Shanahan, who has severely ill children of her own, says the apparent discussions are warranted.&nbsp;&nbsp;Children with mild autism should have their eligibility reassessed according to Shanahan, to free up funds for the nation&rsquo;s 410,000 chronically disabled kids.
&ldquo;The problem is that nobody will define how far autism affects kids who are supposedly in this disability group,&rdquo; says Ms Shanahan.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen children who have profound disabilities. I don&rsquo;t think it is right that children who basically have some behavioural and psychological problems are put in the same categories as these children.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We live with such a hand-out mentality. We live in a society where if parents cannot manage, they somehow expect the state to take over.&rdquo;
Shanahan says the root of the problem is how politicised the notion of &ldquo;disability&rdquo; has become, with politicians reluctant to cut unneeded funding for fear of missing out on votes.
&ldquo;Disability has been turned into a social and ideological thing, rather than looking at the actual condition of the child. You have to actually look at the child and at their level of disability.&rdquo;

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