A monthly, plain-English update for parents of autistic and ADHD kids on what's actually changed in the NDIS and what hasn't.

In short

  • Nothing on your child's NDIS plan changes today, no matter what you've read in the news.
  • The clearest change for our families: Social, Civic and Community Participation budgets are being reset - roughly 50 percent down on average - phased in from 1 October 2026 as plans are reviewed.
  • Thriving Kids, the new non-NDIS program, only applies to children 8 and under with low-to-moderate needs - not most of the 9 to 18 year olds in our community.
  • A lot of what's in the headlines is direction without detail yet. Below, we've split out what's actually locked in from what's still genuinely unknown.

There's been a lot in the news lately about NDIS reforms and the Federal Budget - and not much of it has been written for families raising an autistic or ADHD child. Each month, we're going to break down what's actually confirmed, what's still just a proposal, and what it means for your family.

What's confirmed this month

  • April 2026 — The NDIS Minister announced that Social, Civic and Community Participation funding would be reset, cutting average budgets in this category by roughly half.
  • May 2026 — The Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill was introduced to Parliament, giving legal effect to the Budget changes.
  • Mid 2026 — Funding began flowing to state governments to set up Thriving Kids, the new program for under-9s with low-to-moderate support needs.
  • 1 October 2026 — Community participation budget changes start taking effect, progressively, as plans are reviewed. Thriving Kids services also begin rolling out for eligible under-9s.
  • 1 December 2026 — The window to claim or get reimbursed for a support shortens from two years to 90 days.
  • Looking ahead — A new planning model ("New Framework Planning") starts rolling out for some adult participants from April 2027, and eligibility assessment changes for new applicants begin January 2028. Neither affects a child already on a plan today.

If your child is under 9

Thriving Kids is a new, state-delivered program for children 8 and under with low-to-moderate support needs linked to autism or developmental delay — it sits outside the NDIS. Children with higher support needs stay on the NDIS.

If this applies to your child, the move isn't immediate. It's expected to happen gradually through 2027 to 2029, timed to your child's own plan review rather than a single cut-off date. You'll be notified directly before anything changes.

If your child is 9 to 18

Thriving Kids doesn't apply to your child — they remain on the NDIS. The change most likely to actually show up on your plan is the Social and Community Participation budget reset: as your plan comes up for review or renewal from October 2026 onward, this category is adjusted toward the new, lower average.

It's a reset, not a removal. Daily living and essential supports aren't part of it, and it only happens at your review, not before. The claim-window change (two years down to 90 days) applies here too, regardless of age.

What's confirmed vs. still being worked out

Locked in

  • Community participation budgets are being reset — roughly 50 percent down on average, phased in from October 2026 as plans renew.
  • Essential daily living and core supports are protected and sit outside these changes.
  • Thriving Kids is funded and starting, for under-9s with low-to-moderate needs.
  • The claim window drops to 90 days from December 2026.

Not yet decided

  • How the roughly 50 percent reduction lands on any individual plan — it depends on what's currently being used, not a flat cut.
  • The exact timing for each under-9 child's move to Thriving Kids, beyond "tied to plan review, 2027 to 2029."
  • The detail of New Framework Planning beyond its April 2027 start for some adult participants.
  • How eligibility changes affect kids already on a plan — as it stands, the 2028 changes are aimed at new applicants first.

What this means for you, right now

No plan is changing today because of something you read in the news. If your child's next review falls after October 2026, expect a conversation about community participation funding, not a surprise cut. And if you're ever unsure whether an announcement actually applies to your family, that's exactly what this update, and our team, are here for.

Why we're doing this every month

We're not the NDIA, and we're not your plan manager. Our job is helping sort out your child's support week to week, and honestly, watching families try to make sense of confusing headlines is part of why we started doing this at all. So we tell it to you straight because that's what we'd want to hear if it were our own family.

  • We read the actual bill and budget papers ourselves, not someone else's summary of them — so what you're reading here has been checked at the source.
  • If we don't know something yet, we'll say that plainly, rather than dress it up to sound more certain than it is.
  • And if your community participation funding does change at your next review, we're not going to leave you to figure that out alone — we'll help you plan for it before it happens, not after.

Get next month's update

We'll publish this update on the same page every month, and send it by email to anyone who'd rather not check back manually. Got a question about your own plan? Email our team any time at hello@likefamily.com.au