Key Points
- Australian entertainer Em Rusciano has called for people with ADHD to be eligible for the NDIS
- She's also detailed her experiences of being diagnosed with the neurological disorder as an adult
Australian presenter and entertainer Em Rusciano has called for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to be included on the list of primary conditions supported by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The 43-year-old made the comments during an emotional address to the National Press Club on Wednesday where she shared her experiences of being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.
The neurological disorder affects an estimated one in 20 Australians, and there has been an uptick in diagnoses in the past couple of years among women and people assigned female at birth.
But while ADHD is recognised as a disability under the 1992 Disability Discrimination Act, it is not included on the list of conditions supported by the NDIS.
Ms Rusciano said people with the disorder "need proper government recognition and support".
"ADHD needs to be included in the NDIS as a primary disability," she said.
But NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said the scheme has never been intended to cover every Australian who has a disability.
"Generally, a person will be eligible for the NDIS if their disability is, or is likely to be, permanent and significantly affects their communication, social interaction, learning, mobility, self-care or self-management," he told SBS News in a statement.
"People whose disabilities are not listed on the access lists, such as people with ADHD, can still become NDIS participants if they meet the requirements set out in the NDIS Act. However, not all people with ADHD will meet the requirements in the NDIS Act to be a participant."
Mr Shorten said community and mainstream supports need to be improved to ensure people who aren't eligible for the NDIS get the help they need.
"The NDIS can't be the only lifeboat in the ocean," he said.
"We need to work together to achieve better outcomes through an integrated approach."
'Enormous grief' triggered by ADHD diagnosis
Ms Rusciano said because of her bad memory, inability to regulate her emotions, lack of organisational skills, and the speed at which she speaks, it was "joked" throughout her life that she had ADHD.
But it wasn't something she ever took "seriously" until her GP suggested in February last year that it could explain why she was feeling so "overwhelmed" and fatigued.
"I associated it with hyperactive 10-year-old boys who should avoid red cordial, certainly not 42-year-old anxiety-ridden adult women who are chronically exhausted all of the time," she said.
Ms Ruciano said her diagnosis "profoundly changed" her core beliefs about herself.
"It ripped open scars I didn't know I had, and it triggered enormous grief," she said through tears.
"I felt a deep sadness for that precocious, curious, and chaotic 10-year-old girl who desperately wanted to get things right, the girl who tried hard all the time, and who just wanted to be like everyone else."
Ms Rusciano also spoke about her son Elio's recent autism diagnosis, and how she's become "painfully aware of how the world isn't set up for his success."
"Schools and workplaces need to shift their thinking and attitudes towards people who are neurodivergent," she said.
"They need to implement strategy strategies and structures that set us up for success.
"Schools can adapt their programs to work with the kid's strengths. Employers can recruit differently. "
There also needs to be more funding and resources directed towards improving access to diagnosis of disorders like autism and ADHD, and ensuring everyone has a better understanding of neurodiversity, Ms Rusciano said.
"The reason that I eventually agreed to give you this speech was because I wanted to make sure that all of you here today and everyone watching from wherever you are … that you get it, that more people get it," she said.
"Don't treat them like there’s something wrong with them.
"Be bigger than that, be better than that, be kinder than that."
