Maathu Ranjan is a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar at the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University. Her doctoral research investigates the drivers of increasing prevalence of Autism, focusing on the impact of government support schemes.
Maathu is currently on leave from the Australian Government. She is a qualified Actuary with experience in the disability, heath and general insurance sectors and was most recently a Senior Actuary at the National Disability Insurance Agency. She led the Actuarial Strategic Initiatives team evaluating key Scheme initiatives and priorities. Her work ranged over various strategic policy and service delivery areas including the early childhood strategy, framework for consistent decision making, review of pricing arrangements, intergovernmental agreements and workforce modelling.
Maathu is a Fellow of the Actuaries Institute, Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary and Board member of the Actuaries Institute Australia. She won the Actuaries Institute’s Melville Prize and the International Actuarial Association’s Bob Alting von Geusau Prize for research conducted in her Honours degree in Actuarial Studies from the University of New South Wales.
PhD programme
Supervisor(s) and panel members
Topic title
Topic description
Maathu’s doctoral research investigates factors influencing the increasing trend of autism prevalence in Australia and internationally. The research focuses on the impact of public policy, in particular the availability of individualised funding through government support schemes. Her research will also investigate the effectiveness of these disability schemes in achieving outcomes using a data driven approach.
Publications
Research & Thought Leadership
Bourke, J., Sanders, R., Jones, J., Ranjan, M., Wong, K., & Leonard, H. (2024). Intellectual disability and autism prevalence in Western Australia: impact of the NDIS. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1359505.
“Understanding Autism Prevalence”, Maathumai Ranjan, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute Working Paper Series, https://taxpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/publication/ttpi-working-papers/21...
“Two changes to NDIS would make all the difference”, Maathumai Ranjan and Robert Breunig, 23 October 2023, Canberra Times, https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8393446/australia-needs-to-change...
“Providing Better Support for Children with Autism and Developmental Delay”, Maathu Ranjan and Anthony Lowe, 4 September 2023, Actuaries Institute, https://www.actuaries.asn.au/docs/thought-leadership-reports/dialogue-pa...
“Three NDIS reforms to better support those in need, especially children with autism”, Maathu Ranjan and Robert Breunig, 21 June 2023, The Mandarin, https://www.themandarin.com.au/223201-three-ndis-reforms-to-better-suppo...
Nirmalendran, Maathumai & Sherris, Michael & Hanewald, Katja. (2014). Pricing and solvency of value-maximizing life annuity providers. Astin Bulletin. 44. 10.1017/asb.2013.25.
Media Commentary
Quoted in “Thousand-fold increase: What is driving the rise of autism?”, Natassia Chrysanthos, 31 March 2024, The Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/thousand-fold-increase-what-is-d...
Quoted in “School system needs to evolve to cater for changing society”, Editorial, 28 January 2024, The Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/school-system-needs-to-evolve-to-cat...
Quoted in “Shorten flags autism changes, says NDIS ‘can’t be surrogate school system”, Natassia Chrysanthos, 20 November 2023, The Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/shorten-flags-autism-changes-say...
Quoted in “Autism rates in Australia growing faster than global average”, Natassia Chrysanthos, 12 November 2023, The Sydney Morning Herald, https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-unique-factor-that-could-exp...
Quoted in “NDIS may be driving rise in childhood autism diagnosis”, Stephen Lunn, 12 November 2023, The Australian, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/australia-has-highest-rates-of-c...
Quoted in “Australia’s record high autism rates ‘plausibly’ linked to NDIS”, Tom Burton, 12 November 2023, Australian Financial Review, https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/australia-s-record-high-autism-rate...
Quoted in “States told: stump up to support the NDIS”, Stephen Lunn, 7 September 2023, The Australian, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/ndis-future-depends-on-...
Quoted in “Bloated NDIS encourages providers to keep children in care: experts”, Tom Burton, 5 September 2023, Australian Financial Review, https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/bloated-ndis-encourages-providers-to- keep-children-in-care-experts-20230904-p5e1qk
Quoted in “Autism services need overhaul - The NDIS review is an opportunity that must not be wasted”, Editorial, 5 September 2023, The Australian, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/editorials/autism-services- need-overhaul/news-story/d8fce65427c51f817e4faf741695b40f
Quoted in “NDIS skews autism rates”, Stephen Lunn, 4 September 2023, The Australian, https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/ndis-creating-winners-and-losers...
Podcasts & Radio
“Actuaries in Social Policy”, We are Actuaries Podcast, Guardian Actuarial, https://www.guardianactuarial.com.au/podcast-episodes/actuaries-in-socia..., 18 September 2024
Quoted on 2GB “The Ben Fordham Breakfast Show”, Comment Piece on NDIS Reforms, 5 September 2023
Quoted on ABC Illawarra Wollongong “Breakfast with Melinda James”, Interview with Dr Martin Lafferty on Medicalisation of autism and community support programs for children, 5 September 2023
Interviewed on ABC Canberra “Mornings with Lish Fejer”, Providing better support for children with autism and Developmental delay, 4 September 2023 Interviewed on 6PR Canberra “Mornings with Gary Adshead”, Providing better support for children with autism and Developmental delay, 4 September 2023
Interviewed on syndicate of regional radio including 2SM, New FM Newcastle, 2LM Lismore, REAL FM Mudgee, 2GF Grafton, 2HC Coffs Harbor, 2EL Orange, Providing better support for children with autism and Developmental delay, 4 September 2023
Selected Guest lectures/ Conferences/ Workshops/ Events
“Autism diagnoses in Australia”, Actuarial Studies & Business Analytics Seminars, Macquarie University, October 2024
“Autism diagnoses in Australia’s disability policy landscape”, Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies & Statistics, Australian National University, October 2024
“Impact of government funding on autism diagnoses”, Australian Health Economics Society Conference, Australian Health Economics Society, September 2024
“Impact of government funding on autism diagnoses”, Australian Health Economics Doctoral Workshop, University of Technology Sydney, September 2024
“Factors influencing increasing autism diagnoses”, Telethon Kids Research Seminar Series, Telethon Kids Institute, August 2024
“Impact of government policy on child disability prevalence”, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, July 2024
“Impact of government policy on child disability prevalence”, Researchers for Parent Supports in Disability, Monash University & University of Melbourne, June 2024
“Latent Demand for Disability Support – A Spotlight on Autism”, All Actuaries Summit, Actuaries Institute, May 2024
“NDIS: public policy reform, insurance principles and markets”, Public Administration Foundations, Australian National University, April 2024
“Individualised funding for supports and autism diagnoses”, Australasian Workshop on Health Economics and Econometrics, Monash University, April 2024
“Impact of government support schemes on autism prevalence”, Tax and Transfer Policy Institute Seminar, Australian National University, March 2024
“Understanding autism prevalence”, Injury Disability Schemes Seminar, Actuaries Institute, November 2023
Scholarships and fellowships
Sir Roland Wilson Scholarship
Mailing address
Crawford School of Public Policy
ANU College of Asia & the Pacific
J.G. Crawford Building No. 132
Lennox Crossing
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
Updated: 3 December 2024/Responsible Officer: Crawford Engagement/Page Contact: CAP Web Team
