Mark Butler came armed with statistics when announcing his plan to move mild to moderate autism out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, recognising it was politically tough territory.

The Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing said 10% of all six-year-olds were in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which, he declared, “most Australians would be alarmed to know”.

“Tens and tens of thousands of young children with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism are on a scheme set up for permanent disability,” he said.

In this opinion piece, psychologist Emeritus Professor Steven Schwartz warns that viewing medical diagnoses as keys to unlocking government funding has encouraged “psychiatric branding” of children. Whatever new scheme emerges, he says, must not repeat the mistakes.