An Introduction to Autism and the NDIS 

For many autistic people the NDIS provides the chance to receive supports they’ve never had before. But what exactly does the NDIS fund and how do you go about navigating its complexities? To help us explore this topic we asked Co-Founder and Director at Buttons Support Services, David Bookman along to provide his expertise! 

We’ll explore the topic of autism and the NDIS and share some of our team’s top tips to help you get the most out of your NDIS experience. 

What is Autism? 

Autism is a neurological condition that affects how a person communicates and interacts with the world. It’s considered to be a spectrum condition and affects people in different ways. Like all people, autistic people have their own strengths, communications, social interactions and interests. 

It's estimate that 1 in 70 people are on the autism spectrum. 

How does the NDIS support autistic people? 

The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) covers supports and services that are considered to be reasonable and necessary in helping a person to: 

  • Increase their independence 

  • Pursue their goals, objectives and aspirations 

  • Increase social and economic participation 

  • Develop their capacity to actively take part in the community. 

The funding you receive in your plan, and what you can spend it on, is based on your support needs and your goals – that is, what you want to achieve with the assistance of the NDIS.  

To get an NDIS plan you are happy with, one of the most important things is preparation.  Our 7-step guide to the NDIS is a good place to start, outlining the various stages of your journey and how to get the most out of them. 

Setting goals (and then kicking them) 

Identifying what you want to achieve is very important. These goals can be physical (“I want to be able to walk unassisted”), social (“I want to make new friends”), or independence based (“I want to build my confidence travelling alone”) but try to be as specific as possible to help ensure you get the funding you need. 

While your situation and support needs will be unique, here are some popular autism related supports and items that the NDIS can fund: 

  • Physiotherapy to help develop motor skills 

  • Speech therapy to help communication skills 

  • Sensory toys to use as therapeutic aids 

  • Holiday camps to build interpersonal skills 

  • A support worker to assist around the house. 

An individual’s NDIS funding can change over time, increasing or decreasing depending on their support needs and progress against individual goals. 

Service Provider Q&A: How Buttons are helping autistic young people thrive! 

PP: Hi David, can tell us a bit about Buttons and the services you provide? 

DB: Buttons is an NDIS provider that connects young people with a disability to young support workers in a thoughtful and meaningful way.  

We have found that the typical process of finding the right support workers can be simplified by a higher touch point and human-centred process for both our participants and the workers. And by harnessing the power of youth-to-youth connections, genuine and life-long bonds are formed, with quality support and NDIS goals strived for.  

Ultimately, our vision is for our participants and support workers to secure genuine, appropriate, sustainable connections.  

The NDIS services we provide are typically; Core Support - Assistance with Daily Living & Core Support - Assistance with Social and Community Participation. 

PP: What sort of autism-related services do you offer?  

DB: We offer 1:1 support workers, whose role is diverse and varied, but fundamentally tasked to assist our participants in striving towards their NDIS goals.  

Commonly, with our autistic participants, they provide support to our participants in their daily life, whether in the home, out in the community or in a place of employment.  

Some of the ASD-related supports are: 

  • Social support and companionship for facilitating passions, learning new skills or support in the community. 

  • Assistance with finding work or achieving study goals. 

  • Transport to enable access to daily life activities. 

  • Help with daily living tasks (cooking, personal administration etc) to increase independence skills. 

PP: How important is it to have a tailored approach to each participant?  

DB: It is crucial to tailor the approach for each participant as we see such a diverse range of individuals. Everyone has unique needs and strengths, so a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be useful for everyone. By meeting people and listening, tailoring an approach is not difficult and ultimately facilitates better and more inclusive outcomes for everyone. 

PP: What are some of the common goals that autistic people want to achieve? 

DB: We often see goals focused on; increasing their social and community participation and improvement in their independence. Especially post-COVID we have witnessed a lot of our participants struggling with social isolation, so the first step is really creating a trusting relationship with their workers.  

If we can execute that, we can take steps in working towards reintegrating our participants back into daily life and into the community in a considered way. 

PP: What would you say to someone who is starting on their NDIS journey?  

DB: Have trusted allies and advocates! It is crucial when starting with the NDIS, which can be complex and is also constantly changing. Having people by your side who can help you navigate the process is important.  

The NDIS offers support coordinators, plan managers, and LACs, who can be great resources, but it's also valuable to lean on other services or schools to connect you to trusted sources if needed. 

DB: We have seen that building a support network can help make the NDIS journey more manageable. 

PP: Thanks for your time, David! 

You can find out more about all the great services available from David and his team at Buttons by visiting buttonsservices.com.   

Am I eligible for the NDIS? 

As there are degrees of autism, the NDIS looks at how much support you require to determine whether you’re eligible for the Scheme. Of course, many autistic people don’t fit neatly into one category and may require more support in one area than others.  

To find out whether you’re eligible or request access to the Scheme, call the NDIS on 1800 800 110. 

Have questions? 

It’s important to remember that you’re not alone on your NDIS journey.  

At Plan Partners, we provide two important services that can support you to get the most out of your NDIS plan: 

Support coordination helps you bring your plan to life. Have your own support coordinator to work one-on-one with you to help you find and connect with the best service providers for your needs. Find out whether you could be eligible for support coordination. https://planpartners.com.au/knowledge/articles/ndis-support-coordination-eligibility 

Plan management takes the burden out of all your NDIS administration. We ensure your providers are paid accurately and on time and give you access to helpful tools, like our Dashboard to easily track your spending and budgets. Everyone is eligible for Plan Management - and it’s funded by the NDIS at no cost to you.