Therapists including Danielle McGettigan said changes to the NDIS is sparking anxiety, with fears reforms may leave children behind. File picture

The community is continuing to grapple with a sense of unease since the announcement of significant reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

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For families in Sutherland Shire relying on these services, the transition towards a foundational supports model, which aims to move some services back into mainstream settings like schools, is raising urgent questions about the future of specialised care.

Shire therapists who have spent years supporting neurodivergent children and those with complex needs are witnessing this anxiety first hand, saying that the proposed changes could leave vulnerable students drifting through a system that is not yet equipped to catch them.

Danielle McGettigan, a speech therapist from WordUp Speech in Bangor, said continuity of care is essential as children navigate the increasing demands of their education.

"A lot of kids need the continued support as they get older and as the school curriculum gets harder. They need to have higher skills to access it. And if they don't have the support, they start falling behind and that starts a cycle of disengagement," she said.

This cycle often has long-term consequences for a child's development and self-esteem, she said. "That impacts not only their confidence, but we see kids in high school who we've been seeing since primary school because they can't get that support at school."

A central pillar of the NDIS overhaul involves shifting the burden of support for some developmental delays onto early childcare centres and the school system. However, professionals on the front line argue that these institutions are already overstretched and lack the specialised clinical knowledge required to replace intensive therapy.

"To pull kids off the NDIS and put the support giving onto teachers and early childcare, they don't have the capacity or the training and experience to say, understand speech sound disorders. As speech therapists, we study at university for that," Ms McGettigan said.

The uncertainty is compounded by the fact that many of the new state-based support systems, such as the Thriving Kids program, do not yet appear fully operational or clearly defined, she said.

For families whose lives revolve around therapy schedules and NDIS planning meetings, Ms McGettigan said the lack of clarity is distressing. "Families are worried because of all the uncertainty because Thriving Kids doesn't seem to be set up properly yet. What's going to happen to the kids if their plan isn't renewed? Many can't afford out-of-pocket expenses and many need speech and OT. There's a real concern about how they will access therapy."

While the federal government has cited the need to curb the scheme's rising costs and address instances of fraud, providers emphasise that the vast majority of participants are families simply trying to help their children reach basic milestones.

There is a growing frustration that the nuances of allied health are being overlooked in the rush to legislate. "Also as a business, we want to keep looking after our families but we also need to stay informed and there's not a lot of clear information out there at the moment," Ms McGettigan said. "We're worried that the people making these NDIS decisions haven't got experience in allied health. Most people are on the NDIS are not rorting the system."