An Australian radio host has broken down on air and admitted he is at ‘breaking point’ after the NDIS cut funding for his intellectually disabled son.
Dan Robinson, a co-host on EdgeFM’s breakfast show The Morning Crew, said his 112kg son Isaac, 13, was becoming impossible to handle.
The host, who shares five children with his wife Belinda, said ‘Ikey’ has the intellectual age of a three-year-old and has become increasingly difficult as he starts puberty.
‘My wife and I have been living in a living hell to be honest,’ Robinson said.
‘My eldest son who is now 13, intellectually he is probably the age of a three-year-old, has just been wreaking total havoc on our lives and on our home.
‘He’s got a list of diagnoses, half-a-page long, that he’s dealing with and at the moment we’ve got a 13-year-old, who’s a big boy, who’s about 175cm tall and 112kg.
‘He’s a man’s size. Intellectually he’s three but now we’re adding hormones and puberty into the mix and it’s really challenging.’
Robinson said the situation reached tipping point on Boxing Day when Isaac had a ‘meltdown’ and attacked a police officer.
Dan Robinson, the co-host of EdgeFM’s breakfast show The Morning Crew, broke down on air as he spoke about the struggles of raising his 13-year-old son Isaac
Robinson (pictured with wife Belinda and their five children) slammed the NDIS after the family’s disability funding was cut despite Isaac (far right) needing at least two carers
Isaac had kicked multiple holes in a wall in the family home while Robinson was out, leaving his wife no choice but to call triple-zero.
The radio host said they were being consistently let down by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) which had cut carer funding for Isaac.
The funding now only covers a one-on-one carer when Isaac needs at least two carers due to his physical strength, Robinson said.
‘I had a session a couple of weeks ago after work, I essentially had to wrestle him for an hour and we had to call the police again,’ he said.
‘No obvious trigger, and I’m just there to protect my family as best I can.’
Robinson said he was ‘really worried’ something was going to happen to himself, his wife, their other children or a carer – by which time it would be ‘too late’.
‘We’re consistently crying out for help,’ the emotional radio host said.
‘We don’t want to relinquish him but we’re getting close to having no other alternative because the system is just consistently letting us down.’
Robinson explained his 13-year-old son Isaac, who has the intellectual age of a three-year-old, was becoming challenging to manage as he has violent outbursts
Robinson had to take a week off work 18 months ago after he started having overnight panic attacks over Isaac’s worsening behaviour.
Social media users rallied their support for the Robinson family, with many praising Robinson for his bravery in sharing his family’s situation.
‘Strong man, great father. What a difficult situation to be in, I really hope they get all the help that they need to assist their family,’ one person wrote.
‘It would’ve taken enormous courage and depths of despair for you to share your private story and thank goodness you have with a situation you and your family have managed for many years,’ another person commented.
A third chimed: ‘I am sorry I have no answer. I want you to know though, you a heard by many, seen by many and understood by way to many. The system fails the most vulnerable and it is so unfair.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the NDIS for comment.
