ADHD not part of NDIS, says Bill Shorten

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has moved to clarify comments about whether the government was considering expanding the scope of the NDIS to include ADHD.

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten. Picture: Liam Kidston

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder will not be added to the list of primary conditions eligible for NDIS support, the scheme’s minister Bill Shorten says.

Mr Shorten moved to clarify comments made on Monday that appeared to open the door for an expansion of National Disability Insurance Scheme eligibility for people with ADHD.

Announcing Paralympian Kurt Fearnley as the new chair of the National Disability Insurance Agency, Mr Shorten was asked if he would consider ­adding ADHD to the list of primary conditions supported by the NDIS as called for by comedian and author Em Rusciano in a National Press Club address last month.

Mr Shorten said Ms Rusciano’s presentation had been “powerful” and he had “asked the agency to give me more advice about diagnosis of ADHD in terms of eligibility for the NDIS”.

But on Tuesday the minister’s office clarified his position, saying people with ADHD could already access the NDIS if the diagnosis met the criteria of being permanently and significantly disabled, regardless of whether it appeared in the current list of disabilities in the NDIS Operational Guidelines.

“The government currently has no plans to make changes to the limited list of disabilities that grant automatic eligibility for the NDIS,” Mr Shorten’s spokeswoman said.

“People with ADHD can become NDIS participants if they meet the criteria of being permanently and significantly disabled and provide evidence showing they meet the requirements set out in the NDIS Act.

“There are around 3000 people with ADHD currently receiving NDIS support, or 0.5 per cent of the scheme. But there are no plans to widen the existing gateway to the scheme,” the spokeswoman said.

It is understood there are only about 180 people, mostly children who are on the NDIS with a primary diagnosis of ADHD.

The NDIS operational guidelines include two lists outlining conditions likely to meet the eligibility requirements (List A), or those likely to result in permanent impairment (List B).

Autism is included on both lists, but for it to be considered likely to meet the eligibility criteria it must be assessed by a specialist multidisciplinary team to be severe.

Other examples of conditions that meet the eligibility ­criteria are permanent blindness, quadriplegia or the absence of two limbs.

The NDIS currently provides support for almost 540,000 people with disability, and is expected to cost the taxpayer $34bn this financial year. It is one of the largest-spending items in the ­federal budget, and growing.

About one in 11 5-7-year-old boys and 4 per cent of 5-7-year-old girls are currently NDIS participants, agency figures reveal.

“This largely reflects the significant proportion of children with autism and developmental delay in the NDIS, with the prevalence of these disabilities being higher for males than ­females,” the June NDIS quarterly report says.