"No, you do not need money for that,"

is what I wanted to say. I managed to keep my mouth shut but it was difficult. 

I spent some time yesterday with a friend of mine who needed a bit of help. It was only holding one end of a very long tape measure but, as she said, "It is much faster with someone to help."

While I was there one of her neighbours called in wanting to know if F... would watch her children "for half an hour. I need to go and get one of the presents". 

F... gave in reluctantly on the understanding that the children came over to her place "with something to do".  The mother left and the three children arrived looking anxious.  Each of them had an i-pad. F... sighed and sent them to sit well away from each other on the lawn.

"I suppose I had to give in to that one but I have told G.... she has to make her own child-care arrangements over the holidays. I am not a free child minding service. They don't like me minding them anyway. I don't let them play with their screens."

"Expensive toys," I said.

"Hah! Their parents didn't pay for them," F... told me. I know G...'s partner is a very senior partner in a legal area. He earns a very, very good income every year. They have investments most people could only dream of, run two expensive cars and G... recently boasted that the mortgage on a five bedroom house with a swimming pool has been paid off. 

But no, they did not pay for the i-pads. The National Disability Insurance Scheme did because all three children are supposedly "autistic" and have "learning difficulties".

I have observed these children over a number of years. The eldest had some problems learning to read. He still prefers to kick a ball around. He can be sullen and moody, especially when he does not get what he wants. He can also be very pleasant and polite, especially if his mother is not around. The middle boy is almost silent. If what I have seen of his school work - homework done at F...'s place - is any indication he does not have learning difficulties but he does have some emotional issues. His older brother bullies him. The youngest boy is simply out of control. He knows how to behave in ways that will get him attention and will frequently say of school work, "I can't do it."  

I think all three boys have issues but they are not "autistic". Their "learning difficulties" are not related to any type of autism I have ever observed or read about. The oldest boy can read quite adult material without difficulty if it relates to something he is interested in. His maths is average for his age. He simply "hates school" and causes issues for other children because of it. The middle child is simply keeping his head down and trying not to attract attention. I estimate his work probably places him well above average - or would do if he was happy about saying more than a few words.  The youngest is very immature, the result of spoiling by his mother. 

F... talked to me quietly about the boys as we went on measuring up her new garden beds. "Their mother knows how to work the system. They all get some tutoring too. The i-pads were part of that."

F...was once a teacher of children who did have severe learning difficulties. She has worked with children who are severely disabled by autism. I think between us we know that this family is abusing the NDIS. 

It might be better to require the parents, or at least their mother, to attend classes in parenting. She needs to be told, "No, you don't need money for that. You need to spend time and effort on your children instead. You are encouraging them to be "disabled" and our taxes are paying for it." Last year they received a very large sum of money in assistance - assistance that could be better spent elsewhere. It won't happen.