I’m so pleased about our first meet-up (Monday, August 14th, 2023) that I want to tell you about it - deliberately no fancy formatting - just a straight talking, quick read to get you thinking:
3 people joined me and everyone had different reasons for being there - eg. meet with other parents, meet other providers, have a discussion with other like-minded people and get practical suggestions eg. about when a child is upset at being told “no”.
Strategies we discussed included:
look after yourself and get help with your own well-being so that you can stay calm,
look for opportunities to be positive eg. when a child comes home talk to them about something positive you did during the day so they are encouraged to say something positive too,
use declarative language eg. “it’s 15 minutes until it is time to get off the computer” or “dinner will be ready in 15 minutes” rather than “You have to get off the computer in 15 minutes”.
We also spent some time having a deep dive into the NDIS review to come up with solutions that Lee then submitted at NDIS Review. We decided that we want to see an NDIS that is sustainable, appreciated, easier to navigate, better integrated with other services, that listens to feedback and that provides support for parents. To get there we think there needs to be
more NDIS Funding needed for more education and support of families through advocacy organisations eg. VALID and Association for Children with a Disability and Carer’s Victoria
Cheaper travel rates (eg. somehow ensuring that there are sufficient providers close by)
Easy to write report templates so that they are less confusing, less time-consuming and therefore cheaper to write
More strategic University and TAFE funding for NDIS relevant Education of disability support workers, Education Support staff, OTs (eg. SIL assessments) and Speech therapists (eg. augmentative communication)
More strategic Education Dept funding for OTs and speech therapists in preschools, special schools and schools helping target self-care skills and access to the curriculum - since this is the best time of the day to learn
More strategic Department of Industry funding of more opportunities for employment and volunteering by people who have an intellectual disability
More strategic Sports and Arts department funding of more opportunities for inclusion in sports and dance and arts
NDIS funding for team meeting to create one page profile for each participant including basic introduction re: interests, access needs and useful strategies to provide to all providers (eg. this could be facilitated by Local Area Coordinator/NDIS planner in discussion with parents and providers and updated every 6 months - so LAC/NDIS planner has a better understanding of the person as well as new providers having a good introduction)
More flexibility in Housing options in liaison with Department of Housing
6 monthly free dental checks at the Dental Hospital or Children’s hospital (ie. under general anaesthetic)
More flexibility to trial an intervention for 6 months and then continue if it is achieving outcomes eg. chiropractor/osteopath/gym membership/dietetics and nutrition – help people make changes to their food eg. using visual schedules/organise pantry etc.
Clinics and computer applications that Teens and Adults are comfortable using.
Who knows whether the NDIS review will listen but it is great to have the opportunity to be part of the conversation. If you want to get updates go to the NDIS review website. NB. The most up to date info is now on the Department of Social Security website: https://www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers-programs-services-for-people-with-disability-national-disability-insurance-scheme/review-of-the-ndis-act-report
Contact me if you are interested in a future meet-up: lee@creativelearningcentre.com.au