Thriving Kids? Or Just Treading Water?
On 20 August 2025, Health Minister, Mark Butler, took to the stage at the National Press Club and told the nation: "This will be the biggest change since the NDIS began." He wasn't talking about Medicare. Or hospitals. Or mental health. He was talking about our kids. About the brand-new
Thriving Kids initiative
which he pitched as the shiny new universal support system that will replace NDIS access for thousands of children with developmental delay and what he called "mild autism" (his words not ours).
For many families, it didn't feel like a bold new chapter. It felt like someone was yanking the rug out from under our feet. Families aren't naïve. We've seen the rumblings for years. We've felt the winds shifting. But hearing it said out loud with timelines, with certainty, with words like "mild autism" tossed around like we're ordering takeaway dinner on a Friday night, that's a whole other level of confronting.
The Speech: What Butler Said vs. What Families Heard
Butler said:
"The NDIS was never meant to be the only lifeboat for children with developmental concerns."
Families heard: "The lifeboat you've been clinging to? Yeah, we're deflating it. You can swim, right?"
Butler said:
"Too many children with mild autism or developmental delay are on the NDIS, when they could be supported elsewhere."
Families heard: "'Mild autism'? Sorry, Minister, autism isn't a jar of salsa. There's no mild, medium, or hot option. It's lifelong, diverse, dimensional — and support needs vary not because autism is 'mild' or 'severe', but because environments and supports either meet needs… or don't."
Butler said:
"No child will go without the support they need."
Families heard: "We promise. But please ignore the 18-month waitlists for speechies, the schools already crying out for staff, and the fact that half the country's OTs are leaving clinical work because the system is so broken."
Butler said:
"This will be the biggest change since the NDIS began."
Families heard: "This is going to be messy, confusing, and exhausting… and you're about to be the guinea pigs."
The Emotional Fallout
The response was instant and raw.
Parents flooded social media describing themselves as "betrayed", "terrified", and "abandoned."
Autistic advocates like Reframing Autism and Amaze called the language of "mild autism" "outdated, invalidating, and harmful."
Clinicians raised red flags: the Australian Psychological Society warned that without a massive workforce injection, this move risks "widening inequities rather than closing them."
Schools groaned collectively. Teachers were already leaving in droves, and now they're expected to be the backbone of "foundational supports"?
The System We're Handing This To
Butler painted a picture of schools and communities "stepping up" as the new frontline. Great in theory. But here's what's actually happening:
Teacher burnout is epidemic.
Nearly half of new teachers quit within five years. One NSW survey in 2024 found 73% of teachers had considered leaving in the past year.
Therapy waitlists are brutal.
In regional Australia, waits of 12–24 months for speech and OT are the norm.
Funding gaps are yawning.
Schools are already scraping by. Learning support is rationed. EAs (education assistants) are spread thinner than Vegemite on a toddler's toast.
Families are already carrying the load.
Most parents reading this blog already know the drill: juggling work, paperwork, therapy homework, meltdowns, endless meetings… and now? Preparing to jump systems midstream.
So when Butler promised,
"No child will go without,"
families collectively thought:
"Mate, plenty of kids are already going without."
What Communities Are Saying Since the Announcement
Before the speech, families were nervous. After the speech, they're devastated. The reaction across Australia has been swift:
Open letters from parent groups have described the reforms as "a cruel bait-and-switch" that risks leaving children stranded in underfunded schools.
Therapists warn of an "avalanche effect" as kids are cut from the NDIS, community health clinics will be swamped without extra staff or funding.
Teachers' unions are fuming, arguing that schools cannot possibly carry the load without a complete overhaul of workforce strategy.
Families with PDA or ODD kids (who already struggle with being pulled from class or singled out) are terrified. The thought of being excluded from mainstream again, this time under the banner of "universal support," feels like déjà vu.
Advocacy organisations are demanding clearer definitions: what exactly counts as "mild autism"? Who decides? And why is the government clinging to such outdated terms?
The tone is consistent: parents feel blindsided, clinicians feel ignored, and teachers feel dumped on. ## The Human Cost: What Families Are Living
It's easy to talk systems. But let's remember what this actually looks like in kitchens and classrooms across the country.
A mum in WA has already been waiting 14 months for her child's speech therapy. Now she's being told her child may not qualify for the NDIS at all.
A dad in QLD described the announcement as "dangling a carrot then yanking it away." His son has PDA and struggles with transitions. Pulling him into "specialist supports" outside the classroom is a nightmare.
A teacher in VIC said bluntly: "We don't have enough staff to manage the needs we already have. Add more without resourcing and we'll collapse."
Where RegEd Stands
This is exactly why we exist. RegEd has always been about bridging the gap giving families and schools tools that are sensory-aware, neurodiversity-affirming, and practical in the real world. Because in reality although governments make speeches and plans, families need support now. Teachers need strategies now. Kids need connection now.
For Families
Parent Workshops
We unpack what's happening in your child's brain and body, using plain English, humour, and science. You leave with tools, not guilt.
Toolkits
Routines, regulation strategies, sensory-friendly guides — ready for home and school.
For Schools & Early Years Centres
Teacher & Educator Training
Practical, evidence-based sessions that show staff how to embed sensory awareness into every lesson.
SensoryEd AI
Our lesson-planning tool helps teachers build curriculum-aligned, inclusive, sensory-aware lessons with less admin stress.
For Everyone: RegEd Waves 🌊
Our body-based regulation framework helps children (and adults) understand their inner states. Then we use body-based strategies to help kids "ride their waves." It's not about compliance. It's not about "fixing behaviour." It's about helping kids understand their bodies and feel safe.
Regulation. Inclusion. Thriving.
Butler's speech was daunting. It was scary. And yes, at times it felt dismissive of what families actually live every day. But we are not powerless. We can prepare. We can support each other. We can build the paddles, even if the lifeboat needs a few patches. And RegEd is here to help you do exactly that.
