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
If you or someone you support needs information about the NDIS in Easy English, you can use our booklets. They 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, developmental delay or developmental concerns work towards their goals in a range of areas.
For more information
- The NDIS: reasonable and necessary supports
- Your child’s NDIS goals: how to develop goals
- Setting NDIS goals to meet children’s needs
- Your child’s NDIS plan: developing and getting a plan
- Your child’s NDIS support budgets: how they work
What doesn’t the NDIS fund?
Generally, the NDIS doesn’t fund supports that are:
- not related to your child’s disability, developmental delay or developmental concerns
- 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.
For more information
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 and show teachers how to encourage your child to use these skills at school.
How can my child younger than 7 years get support from the NDIS?
If your child is younger than 7 years and has disability, developmental delay or developmental concerns, they can get support through the NDIS early childhood approach. But your child doesn’t need a diagnosis to get this support.
Your child must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or holder of a Protected Special Category Visa to get this support.
For more information
- The NDIS pathway: how to get NDIS support
- NDIS pathways to early intervention
- The NDIS pathway: Alima’s story
- The NDIS pathway: Sam’s story
How can my child aged 7 years and older get support from the NDIS?
If your child is aged 7 years and older, your child might be able to get support from the NDIS if they have a disability that’s permanent or likely to be permanent. Your child must also be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or holder of a Protected Special Category Visa.
For more information
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.
For more information
- Your child’s NDIS plan: developing and getting a plan
- NDIS plans and how to use them
- Your child’s NDIS goals: how to develop goals
- Setting NDIS goals to meet children’s needs
- Your child’s NDIS funds: options for managing them
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 an internal review.
For more information
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 12-24 months. About 3 months before your child’s plan reassessment date, your 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.
For more information
- Your child’s NDIS plan: NDIS plan reassessments
- Your child’s NDIS plan: what to do if your child’s situation changes
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.
For more information
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.
For more information
- NDIS providers: registered and unregistered
- NDIS providers: quality, respect and safety
- NDIS plans: choosing early childhood services and supports
- LGBTQ+ families: choosing NDIS services and providers
- NDIS services and LGBTQ+ families: service providers in your home
- Choosing service providers for children with disability, autism or other additional needs
- Complaints about NDIS providers
What can I do if my child’s NDIS application is unsuccessful?
If your child’s NDIS application is unsuccessful and you want to keep trying to get NDIS support for your child, you have 2 options:
- Do another NDIS application.
- Ask for an internal review of the decision about your child’s NDIS application.
For more information
- Your child’s NDIS application: when it’s unsuccessful
- Your child’s NDIS application or NDIS plan: when you want a review
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.
For more information
- Support for children with disability: not funded by the NDIS
- LGBTQ+ families: community, disability and inclusion
- Child disability: parent support groups
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 some respite or learn strategies to support your child. It might also include funding for a support coordinator or plan management.
For more information
- Respite care for children with disability, autism and additional needs
- Your child’s NDIS support budgets: how they work
- Your child’s NDIS funds: options for managing them
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.