00:00As Perth mum Claire Mackay plays with her four-year-old son Clark, she reflects on how far he's come.
00:11He's got about, I'd tell you about 20 words now.
00:14We've got a little communication device that we use which he can use fluently.
00:19Clark is autistic.
00:22Since becoming a participant of the NDIS a year ago, Clark's developed new skills,
00:28thanks to speech therapy.
00:30But his mum worries the federal government's announcement to divert children with developmental delay or autism
00:36away from the scheme and into a new program called Thriving Kids threatens Clark's progress.
00:43It really felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath us.
00:46Thriving Kids is just one way the government is attempting to rein in spending on the $48 billion NDIS.
00:53It's due to start in less than 12 months, but the program has not yet been designed
00:58and the absence of detail is fueling concern within the disability community.
01:04The Minister Mark Butler says the program will leverage off existing systems.
01:09And he's pointed to the Inklings program in Western Australia as a good example of a service successfully
01:15providing early intervention support, with children offered 10 sessions with an allied health professional.
01:22Best practice supports happens in those mainstream settings in which kids live, play, learn.
01:30And the NDIS model does not necessarily allow that in all circumstances.
01:34Independent advocate and autistic woman Claire Gibellini says she's worried thriving kids will see a move away
01:41from the individualised support autistic children need.
01:45Autism is incredibly diverse and people's needs are fluctuating.
01:51Individual supports, yeah it might front load the costs, but in the long term we know that it actually leads to better outcomes.
01:59The Minister Mark Butler has told the ABC an advisory group will meet next month to begin work with the community on the design of the program.
02:07He's reassuring parents he's determined to build a system to support children and their families.
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