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Jeremiah has learnt some sign language and it taught him to communicate his needs for the first time in his life.

Two years ago, Tiffney French couldn’t see a future for her three year old son Axel. Axel couldn’t speak well or comprehend language, struggled with his fine motor skills, and was so frustrated by his inability to communicate that he was violent and had frequent meltdowns. He didn’t want to play with his older brother and sister and would only rarely say ‘mum’ and ‘dad’. He frequently escaped from home through locked doors and over 6-foot high fences, and had no understanding or awareness of danger. His frustrated parents had tried everything to get his behaviours under control, but nothing was working. After much trial and error, Tiffney finally found a group therapy program that seemed to work when Axel was three years old, and he slowly but surely began to show progress. Joining the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) shortly thereafter was the cherry on top, giving the family the funds to allow Axel to continue in their chosen program, fully funded by the Scheme. The result, Tiffney says, is a thriving five year old boy who is looking forward to starting prep in a mainstream school next year – something she never thought would be possible a few years ago.

Since Tiana joined the NDIS two months ago, she has been able to spend two days a week at work, and there’s a possibility she may get a job somewhere else too. Tiana also receives funding for therapies and for transport. Her mum, Marilyn said the NDIS support has made things easier for them both. "I can always get Tiana a support worker who comes to pick her up and take her to activities. It’s really helpful that way,” Marilyn said. Tiana continues to make significant progress with finding employment something Marilyn thought might never be possible. “She has come a long way. She loves working with the kids because she can communicate with them, she’s at the same level," Marilyn added.

This is a story about Ben Hunter, but really it’s just as much about his Mum, Carolyn. Ben is 21, has Down syndrome and is non-verbal. He’s also the front man of Ben & Co, which began as an enterprise in baking but quickly became a community.