As a professional who specialises in supporting autistic adults, including those who are high masking or late diagnosed, I often find that many people are running into the same dilemma. That is, what to do when you need support, but find that having support is draining.
If you find yourself facing this problem, here are two NDIS supports you can ask your OT about recommending in your next plan. This is because these are supports you can access without having to have someone in your home.
01_021_0120_1_1 Linen Service
This category can be used for a service picks up your washing, and delivers it back to you neat, sorted and folded. Customised options are often available eg. Line drying, hand washing, non-scented detergent.
This is a particularly helpful support for those who have a lot of fragile or hand washable items due to sensory needs (This service can only be used if it is stated in your NDIS plan).
01_023_0120_1_1 Assistance with the cost of the preparation and delivery of meals
This line item can assist with the cost of preparation and delivery of pre prepared meals. It does not cover the cost of the food itself, and can only be provided by a provider who can seperate the cost of ingredients from the cost of preparation and delivery. Takeaway and fast food is not covered. This service can only assist for a maximum of 12 weeks, unless stated in your NDIS plan.
If you would like to talk to your OT about this, but don’t have the energy to, I have included a pre-written message that you can use to communicate with your OT, if you find that option more accessible.
Email template:
"Hello,
I hope you are doing well! Lately I’ve been really struggling with needing support, but feeling like having support in the home is really draining. I was wondering whether we could potentially look into support options that are provided outside of the home (eg. washing/linen service, assistance with the cost of the preparation and delivery of meals) so that I can get the help I need with washing and eating healthy food without having to be as overwhelmed? All good if it isn’t possible or if you think there are options that would work better, I was just wanting to look into it after learning about these options recently.
Thank you!"