Transition Experience of Families with Young Children in the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The transition of the early childhood intervention (ECI) sector to the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) offers new choices to families about which services best meet their children’s needs. The quality of the transition to the Scheme has important implications for children with developmental delay or disability and their families, especially as personalisation schemes, such as the NDIS, can often extend existing social inequalities. This research therefore applied a social ecological model to understand families’ experiences in the transition. It included a two time-point study in the state of New South Wales with surveys and interviews with families and service providers. It found a wide range of experiences. Many families experienced delays and communication problems transitioning to the NDIS, especially disadvantaged families. Positive experiences were associated with higher capacity for system navigation within the family and their supporting communities and service providers. The findings indicate that increased social inequities may arise if risks are not managed during the transition to NDIS and during the longer-term implementation of good practice principles for ECI across all services types. IMPLICATIONS A holistic approach that links families’ experiences and needs to community resources, local specialist service providers, and wider systems is required to build family capacity for system navigation. Social workers’ roles in the disability sector need to accommodate culturally appropriate information gathering and sharing, funding management, and advocacy. Social workers are well-placed to influence policy implications that relate to the inequalities in disability support during early childhood intervention.