Footprints Advocacy

18/12/2025

My Christmas wish would be: Teenagers do what I ask them when I ask them and don’t argue back! 🤣
Probably more likely to get the unicorn.

28/11/2025

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the second NDIS ART Forum. What an opportunity it was. I was able to meet the case managers, ask questions, give feedback and have a good old ‘chin wag’ with them.
I also spoke directly with the General Manager for the ART branch.
During the 4 hours that I was at Parramatta for we heard from other advocates across Australia and attended 2 break out sessions. The first one hosted by the case mangers and the second by the technical advisory branch (TABID).
I’m looking forward to the next one in 2026 to see how the ART process is tracking.
Oh and yes- there has been a massive increase in ART cases in the past 6 months ….why we ask?

16/11/2025

This is not the first time I have heard of stories like this. Preparation for planning meetings is key. Not only therapy reports, but some form of family impact statement, childcare/ school report/ support worker reports, weekly schedules and so on. Without this evidence documentation, reduction in funding is likely and that’s a problem for many participants.
Reach out to Footprints Advocacy for help!

Darren and Louise Catton have spent years curating a care plan for their daughter Mary, but now face an uncertain future after her NDIS funding was cut dramatically.

15/11/2025

Dedication to my clients is very important to me.
Yesterday I was at a swimming competition with my son, working between races and reminding him to eat. 🤣
Today, I’m at Luna Park with CMT Aussie Kids for my other son who has CMT.
I am working as we need to get a Family Impact Statement right to support the level of need, for a beautiful 3.5 year old with Level 4 CP.

If you’re looking for NDIS support in helping you get a reasonable and necessary plan, reach out to me.

29/10/2025

Sensory Santa Photos - can you believe that its that time of the year already? My sister sent me a text message the other day saying she had booked her daughter (it will be her first Christmas) in for Santa photos already...my children, well, they are older now and althought I 'make' them have the photo for my wall, to say its a challenge would be an understatement.
However - Sensory Santa is definitely your go to Santa. We had a great experience for a couple of years when the kids were much younger going to a location like this, so I highly recommend it.

https://sharemyability.org.au/product/sensory-santa-photo/

Sensory Santa will be visiting our centre again this year on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December to provide a magical Christmas experience for you and your family.

22/10/2025

Foundational Supports for NSW or Thriving Kids is currently being designed and NEEDS YOUR HELP! So many of us have children under 9 years old who may or may not be affected by these changes. I encourage you to have your say and join one of the workshops. I attended one last month run by NSW government and at least I know that I am apart of the design- hopefully they listen to us and create an amazing program for our little kids to help give them the best start to life.

Let’s just wait to hear what mild to moderate ASD and DD is termed as!

NSW FOCUS GROUPS 📢

This November, CYDA is running focus groups in NSW to help shape the future of Foundational Supports.

Those are the services – outside of the NDIS – that the NSW government is currently designing to help children under nine with developmental delay or autism get a good start in life.

If you’re:

👩‍🦽 A young person with disability aged 15–25
👨‍👩‍👧 A parent or carer of a child with disability under

…we want to hear from you! Your insights can help make sure these supports actually work for children with disability and their families or caregivers.

There are multiple sessions throughout November – you can choose the one that works for you!

Sign up as a young person here: https://ow.ly/MHq650Xbw01
Sign up as a parent or caregiver here: https://ow.ly/2Rkt50Xbw00

22/10/2025

Yesterday I attended my first follow up from the CMT Study I am apart of. It was a repeat of the nerve tests to see if there was any change- for me, same results or so I’m told during the 2.5 hr session.
Although I had to stare at a X on the wall for 1.5 hrs (really boring), I find these studies so interesting and what’s best is that I used the report from my first session for my NDIS and I strongly believe it worked!!!

16/10/2025

Interesting story here and such a shame that someone has taken a 9 year olds specialist disability pram. This story talks about how hard it is to get AT from the NDIS and the hoops you have to go through, even for a 9 year old child who can’t walk or talk.
If you’re looking for help with your child’s NDIS plan, please reach out to me.

03/10/2025

Today I had the pleasure of being invited to present at the Eat Speak Play Team building day. I spent 2.5 hrs going through the NDIS changes, plan reviews, funding periods, advocacy and how best to support their clients/ NDIS participants. There was lots of interaction and questions from the 17 strong team.

Thanks for inviting me Eat Speak Play, I’m looking forward to helping your therapists and parents of the participants in the future.

If any therapists are looking for NDIS knowledge to be presented to their team, please DM me.

25/09/2025

Big NDIS news today: the government is moving toward assessment interviews and possibly a greater use of AI-enabled tools to determine supports. While that could improve consistency, we won’t know the real impact on access or funding levels until we see the assessments in practice. This is only relevant for 16 years and above.

Our advice for now: keep building strong evidence—clear baselines, progress data, and participation logs from School/home/therapies—so you’re ready no matter what format the assessment takes. If you’re unsure what to collect, we can help you set up a simple evidence checklist.

We’ll keep watching this closely and share updates as they land. 💬

24/09/2025

Another Successful ART Case completed. We fought hard, stayed respectful, and focused on the evidence. 💙
If you or your client is looking for support with the NDIS, reach out to Footprints Advocacy for support.

18/09/2025

📢 Important Update – NDIS Price Change for Music & Art Therapy 🎶🎨
From 24 November 2025, the NDIS will be reducing the hourly rate for Music and Art Therapy.
👉 Previously: $193.99 per hour
👉 New rate: $156.16 per hour
This change comes after a national review. While the pricing is shifting, the value of these therapies remains the same.
Music and Art Therapy are not “extras” – they are evidence-based supports that play a vital role in building communication, emotional regulation, self-expression, and social skills. For many participants, they open doors to connection and learning that traditional therapies cannot. 💙
At Footprints Advocacy, we know how important it is that these therapies remain accessible and recognised as part of a holistic approach to participant wellbeing.
✨ If you’re concerned about how this change might affect your NDIS plan or future reviews, please reach out – we can help you navigate it.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-10/ndis-pricing-review-evidence-music-art-therapy/105457844

Music and art therapists will be able to bill NDIS participants at the same rate as counsellors after a review found the therapies could be effective in the right circumstances.