NDIS is a funding scheme that has been allocated by the federal government, for early intervention services for children who have been diagnosed with a disability. Your child must first be assessed against the access requirements in order to see if they are eligible for funding.
Below is a list of requirements that your child must meet:
- Age Requirements
- Location Requirements
- Residency Requirements
- Disability Requirements: The child may meet disability requirements if:
- They have an impairment or a condition that is likely to be permanent (ie: likely to be lifelong)
- The impairment substantially reduces their ability to participate effectively in activities or perform tasks or actions unless they have assistance from others, technology, assistive equipment etc.
- The impairment affects the child’s capacity for social and economic participation
- The child is likely to require support under NDIS for the child’s lifetime.
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- Early Intervention Requirements: The child may meet the early intervention requirements if:
- The impairment or condition is likely to be permanent and there is evidence that getting supports now will help
- Those supports are most appropriately funded through the NDIS and not through another service system.
- The child is aged under 6 years with a developmental delay which results in substantially reduced functional capacity in one or more of the areas of self care, receptive and expressive language, cognitive development or motor development.
The government recognises the importance of early intervention and support people when there is good evidence that this will improve an area of functioning or delay or lessen the decline in functioning.
NDIS funding cannot be used for:
- Subsidizing the gap in a Medicare funded service.
- Paying for cancelled or missed appointments.
For more information regarding the National Disability Insurance Scheme or to see if your child meets the access requirements head to their website. www.ndis.gov.au or you can phone them on 1800 800 110.
