Nat didn't plan to become an NDIS expert. She didn't plan for a lot of things.
When her triplet boys arrived at 26 weeks, she and her husband spent eight months in the NICU, navigating a healthcare system they'd never needed to understand before. Brand new parents, mid-COVID, with three tiny babies and no roadmap. Then came the NDIS. Then came four different diagnoses, therapies, specialists, support workers, plan reviews and the slow, hard work of building a life that works for their family, on their terms.
Now, with triplets who've just turned five and a two-year-old rounding out their "busy, loud, love-filled" family of six, Nat speaks about all of it. The system, the setbacks and the small wins, with the kind of calm clarity that only comes from having lived through it.
We sat down with her for an honest conversation about what the NDIS really looks like from the inside, what it takes to find providers you can actually trust and what she hopes her kids will remember about this season of their lives.
What people don't see
Despite her triplets being identical, the boys are so different. They all have their own strengths, personalities and ways of seeing the world. We asked Nat what people get wrong about her day-to-day life;
“You are SO organised." I mean, not by nature. I have four different junk drawers and two ‘I don’t know where this lives’ piles. But when it comes to the kids? I do not have a choice.
By 6am, medications have been administered, visual schedules are in place, food is prepared to each child's specific needs and behaviour management is already in motion.
By the time school drop-off is done, she's often been up for hours. From there, it's work, phone calls, appointments and back into the afternoon routine as soon as she gets home.
"It's a long day," she says. "But that's all we have known."
The part nobody warns you about
When her boys were first accepted into the NDIS, she went in thinking clear needs would speak for themselves.
"No one warned me how much you'd have to advocate. How hard you'd have to push. Or how vulnerable you must be, having to describe your own child's most challenging days to strangers."
The emotional toll of that, the repetition, the proving, the feeling of not being believed, is something she now speaks about openly. Not to discourage other families, but to prepare them.
She also found out six months after the fact that she didn't have to personally pay for disability-related equipment like oxygen tubes and feeding supplies. Nobody had told her.
"The NDIS is its own language, no one hands you a dictionary.”
Finding your footing
Nat credits a pivotal moment in her journey to an experienced early childhood partner who took the time to explain the system in plain language and to remind her that she knew her children better than any professional in the room.
"I stopped being a passive spectator in NDIS meetings. I started trusting what I was seeing every day and asking more questions. That's when I felt more in control. Not because I understood the whole system, but because I understood my kids. That mattered more."
The right support feels different
Nat's boys are identical triplets. But their personalities, diagnoses and what they need day-to-day couldn't be more different. Finding support that actually works has meant finding people who see that too.
It hasn't always been easy. The family spent time living regionally, where access to quality support was a genuine struggle. Eventually, they made the call to move back to the city to find better care.
What came out of that experience was clarity on what good actually looks like. Momentum matters. When you find the right provider, things start to click into place and progress builds faster with every step.
"The biggest difference is when they truly see your child as a whole person, not just a diagnosis or a label. It stops feeling like a service and starts feeling more like an extension of your family."
The providers who've made a real difference are the ones who remember the small details, favourite colours, favourite characters and build those into their sessions. Who adapt and work with Nat, not around her.
What she wished had existed from day one
We asked Nat what she wished had been available when she first received the boys' plans. What resource, what support, what person? She didn't describe a website or a brochure.
"I wished I had someone I could actually talk to. Someone who could explain things clearly, in plain language. Someone like your Guru team. I wish I'd had that five years ago."
That kind of guidance, accessible, human and free from the pressure of a planning meeting, is exactly what families on the NDIS deserve from the start.
What they will remember
We asked Nat, if her boys could look back on this time one day, what does she hope they see?
She didn't hesitate. She hopes they remember the zoo trips and movie nights alongside the waiting rooms and hospital visits. New Hot Wheels cars and small treats to make hard days lighter. Their nana's house, Lola’s fried rice, their granddad's tickles, their Dad reading them books and their Mum’s big kisses.
"I hope they remember that they were always allowed to be themselves - loud, silly, joyful. That we celebrated them. That we laughed with them, cheered them on and made space for exactly who they are. That they were never something to fix. Just something to love."
At Provider Choice, we understand the importance of momentum. With fast payments, a dedicated invoicing team and our Guru team ready to answer your NDIS questions, we take care of the details so nothing holds you back. Sign up at providerchoice.com.au or call us on 1300 776 246 today.
Provider Choice shares community stories to inform and inspire. While we highlight real experiences, we’re unable to recommend or endorse specific services or providers mentioned in our articles. The views and advice shared belong to the individuals interviewed.
