Experiences of the NDIS from around Australia and recommendations to best support children who are D/HH

Abstract: The NDIS has changed the foundation of services for children who are D/HH. Parents and professionals support the NDIS in theory however, the NDIS has many ongoing implementation difficulties. Individualised NDIS funding has shifted large administrative workloads that were previously government responsibility to participants and providers (Carey et al., 2020). The NDIS has improved services for some children with hearing loss but initial access and ongoing navigation can be challenging for others. Barriers included a complicated system, planning delays, poor communication, and uninformed National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) staff. Parents and professionals need to be familiar with how to use NDIS funding using evidence-based practices to facilitate the best possible outcomes for children who are D/HH. This presentation will detail firsthand experiences of the NDIS from parents and professionals in different areas of Australia. Parent and professional experiences combined with ongoing changes to the NDIS will lead to practical recommendations to support best outcomes for children with hearing loss including report writing, working with disadvantaged families and transdisciplinary practice.

Megan Barr is a lecturer and researcher at The University of Newcastle and is passionate about children with hearing loss receiving the best possible service. She just completed a PhD investigating services for children with hearing loss and the NDIS. Megan has worked with children with hearing loss for over 20 years as a speech pathologist and early intervention teacher at RIDBC and the Sydney Children’s Cochlear Implant Centre. Megan has also worked as an NDIS provider with children with hearing loss in a local school.