The NDIS and children: FAQs

This page is under review because the NDIS is making changes. After 3 October 2024, there will be a clear list of what you can spend your child’s NDIS funds on. And your child’s NDIS plan will have a total budget amount, which shows you how much money there is and how long it needs to last. For more information about these and other changes, go to NDIS – Changes to NDIS legislation.

What is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia’s national scheme for funding reasonable and necessary supports for children with disability, developmental delay or developmental concerns and adults with disability. NDIS support helps people work towards individual goals and gives them choice about the support they need to live the life they want.

The NDIS is run by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

For more information
NDIS terminology: a guide

If you or someone you support needs information in Easy English, you can use our NDIS Easy English booklets. The booklets explain the NDIS and cover topics like NDIS plans, NDIS goals and NDIS professionals, plus inclusion and education. You can download them or print them out.

What does the NDIS fund?

The NDIS funds reasonable and necessary supports to help children with disability or developmental delay work towards their goals in a range of areas.

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What doesn’t the NDIS fund?

Generally, the NDIS doesn’t fund supports that are:

not related to your child’s disability or developmental delay
funded by mainstream services like the education or health systems
part of day-to-day living costs that aren’t related to your child’s support needs
likely to cause harm to your child or pose a risk to others.

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Support for children with disability: not funded by the NDIS

The NDIS and education systems work together to ensure that school-age children’s disability-specific needs can be met at school. For example, the NDIS might fund therapists who can help your child to develop social and communication skills. They might also show teachers how to encourage your child to use these skills at school.

How can my child younger than 9 years get support from the NDIS?

If your child is younger than 9 years and has disability or is younger than 6 years and has developmental delay or developmental concerns, they might be able to get support through the NDIS early childhood approach. Within the NDIS early childhood approach, there are different criteria for getting support, depending on whether children are younger than 6 years or older than 6 years.

Your child must also be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or holder of a Protected Special Category Visa to get this support.

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The NDIS pathway: how to get NDIS support

How can my child aged 9 years and older get support from the NDIS?

If your child is aged 9 years and older, they might be able to get support from the NDIS if their disability is permanent or likely to be permanent. Your child must also be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or holder of a Protected Special Category Visa.

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What is an NDIS plan?

An NDIS plan describes the:

supports and services in your child’s life
goals your child wants to work towards or you want your child to work towards
funding that has been allocated in your child’s plan.

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What if I disagree with the support in my child’s NDIS plan?

If you disagree with the support in your child’s NDIS plan, you can ask for a plan reassessment.

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Your child’s NDIS application or NDIS plan: when you want a review

Will my child’s plan be reassessed?

Your child will have regular NDIS plan reassessments, usually every 12 months. About 3 months before your child’s plan reassessment date, your early childhood partner, local area coordinator or an NDIA planner will contact you to talk about how your child’s plan is working. This is called a check-in, and it’s the start of the reassessment process.

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How will my child’s NDIS plan be managed?

There are 3 options for managing your child’s NDIS plan – self-managed, plan-managed and NDIA-managed. You can choose the option that suits you best.

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Can I choose the providers in my child’s NDIS plan?

You can choose the NDIS providers in your child’s plan. You can also choose when and how your child gets support. Depending on how your plan is managed, you might be able to choose any providers, or you might be able to choose only registered NDIS providers.

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What can I do if my child’s NDIS application is unsuccessful?

Your child’s NDIS application will be unsuccessful if they don’t meet NDIS eligibility requirements. If you want to keep trying to get NDIS support for your child, you have 2 options:

Ask for an internal review of the decision about your child’s NDIS application.
Do another NDIS application.

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What other support can I get if my child isn’t eligible for the NDIS?

If your child isn’t eligible for the NDIS, your child can still get community and other supports. The NDIS can help you with referrals.

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How does the NDIS support families and carers?

The NDIS can support families and carers in several ways. For example, your child’s plan might include funding that helps you get respite or learn strategies to support your child. It might also include funding for a support coordinator or plan management.

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How is the NDIS funded?

The NDIS is jointly funded by the Australian, state and territory governments and is partially funded by money raised by an increase in the Medicare levy.