Which NDIS Assessment Do I Need?

Planners favour assessments that are standardised, validated and linked to the NDIS functional domains. Our clinicians select complementary tools matched to each participant's age, diagnosis and primary challenges — typically triangulating 2–3 measures within a report.

Tool selection is a clinical decision made at assessment — the measures listed are indicative, not a menu.

NDIS / NDIA

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is the program; the National Disability Insurance Agency is the government agency that runs it and makes funding decisions.

Participant

A person who has been accepted into the NDIS and has an NDIS plan.

Access Request Form

The form the applicant (or their nominee) completes to ask the NDIA to consider them for the scheme — personal details, consent and contact information.

Supporting Evidence Form

The NDIA form completed by a treating health professional describing the impairment and how it affects everyday functioning. This is the document our occupational therapists complete.

FCA — Functional Capacity Assessment

An assessment of how a person's disability affects their everyday life — what they can do, what they need help with, and what risks exist. The NDIA funds supports based on this functional impact, not diagnosis alone.

Plan review / reassessment

When the NDIA looks at a participant's plan again to decide whether funding should stay the same, increase or change. Strong, recent evidence matters most here.

SIL — Supported Independent Living

Paid support with daily tasks (personal care, meals, overnight support) to help someone live as independently as possible — most common in shared living arrangements.

SDA — Specialist Disability Accommodation

The physical home itself — specialist housing for people with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. Often funded alongside SIL.

ILO — Individualised Living Options

A flexible living arrangement designed around the person — for example a host or housemate arrangement — rather than a standard shared SIL house.

STA — Short Term Accommodation

Short stays away from the usual home (sometimes called respite) — used for carer sustainability, skill building or planned breaks.

AT — Assistive Technology

Equipment or devices that help with daily living — from simple aids to communication devices, hoists and home modifications.

Behaviour Support Plan (BSP)

A plan written by a specialist practitioner documenting behaviours of concern, their triggers, and the strategies that keep everyone safe and participating.

Restrictive practices

Any practice that restricts a person's rights or freedom of movement (physical, chemical, mechanical or environmental restraint, or seclusion). These are strictly regulated and must be authorised and reported.

Early Childhood Approach

The NDIS pathway for children under 7 — supports can begin without a formal diagnosis where a child shows developmental delay.

Reasonable and necessary

The legal test under the NDIS Act that every funded support must meet — effectively: is this support related to the disability, likely to work, value for money, and not something the health or education system should fund instead?

Support Coordinator / LAC

A Support Coordinator helps participants find and manage their supports. A Local Area Coordinator (LAC) is an NDIS partner who helps people understand and use the scheme.

Nominee

A person legally appointed to make NDIS decisions on a participant's behalf.

NDIA-managed, plan-managed & self-managed

The three ways NDIS funding can be handled. NDIA-managed: the agency pays registered providers directly. Plan-managed: a plan manager pays invoices for you. Self-managed: you pay and claim reimbursement — the only type that can pay a provider directly (e.g. by card). We support all three.

Telehealth

Assessment delivered by secure video call — how we assess participants Australia-wide. Some matters (equipment trials, home measurements) may need a local in-person provider, which we'll flag at intake.

• Someone applying to the NDIS with complex support needs may choose a comprehensive Functional Capacity Assessment rather than the shorter Access Request Assessment, so the same evidence is available when a first plan is built.
• A participant applying for SIL may also need an RN Clinical Assessment if there are health or supervision concerns.
• A participant applying for SDA may also need SIL evidence if they require paid daily support in the home.
• A participant with behaviours of concern may need a Behaviour Support pathway as well as a Functional Capacity Assessment for daily living, housing or support hours evidence.
• A participant leaving hospital may need urgent support evidence first, followed by a more detailed Functional Capacity Assessment or RN Clinical Assessment.
• A participant with recent reports may only need an Evidence Review, Update Report or Addendum Report rather than a full new assessment.

• This guide is general information only. It does not guarantee that any assessment, report, support or funding request will be accepted or approved by the NDIA.
• The NDIA makes funding decisions based on each participant's individual circumstances, available evidence, NDIS legislation, reasonable and necessary criteria and current decision-making requirements. No assessment or report is automatically approved by the NDIA — funding is assessed individually for each participant.
• Whether to make an NDIS access request is the participant's decision. Purchasing any service does not guarantee NDIS access, acceptance of evidence or funding.
• All services are subject to participant consent, funding, service capacity, available evidence and agreement about the scope of work.
• Some requests may not be suitable for telehealth only — including matters requiring physical assessment, equipment trials, home measurements, manual handling assessment or direct observation. Where this applies, we will explain this during intake and may recommend a local in-person provider.
• Referral options for Behaviour Support are only discussed with the express consent of the participant, their nominee or decision maker. The participant or decision maker remains responsible for choosing whether to contact any external provider.
• Information collected is handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
• Services are delivered in accordance with the NDIS Act 2013, NDIS Practice Standards, Australian Consumer Law and relevant State and Territory legislative requirements.
• Functional Capacity Assessments Pty Ltd does not provide emergency or crisis response services. If there is immediate risk of harm, call 000.