00:00Emma is autistic. For years she struggled with speech and regulating her emotions.
00:16I was really concerned going into school, what that would mean for her socially.
00:22Three years of art and music therapy have helped.
00:25Oh that's a nice one.
00:26She just is coping so much better at school now than she ever would have been.
00:30Art and music therapists have been able to charge a maximum of $194 an hour to NDIS participants.
00:37Last year the Federal Government announced plans to reduce that to $68,
00:42unless they could show it was improving the participants' functional capacity.
00:47Today an independent review recommended it should be $156.
00:51I was trying to balance paying them too low, just as if they were music activities or art activities,
00:58and paying too high which meant it squeezed out these services so other people couldn't get them.
01:03The price cap means music and art therapists will soon be paid the same rates as counsellors,
01:09as long as they are qualified and registered with a recognised professional association.
01:14Dr Duckett's report makes clear that art and music therapy done right,
01:20can be effective and beneficial for people in the right circumstances.
01:24Art and music therapists have welcomed the recognition of their work,
01:28but remain concerned the price cap has been reduced.
01:31It is going to be very difficult for some clinics to remain open, definitely.
01:37The changes will come into effect in late November.
01:40We'll see you in November.
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