NDIS eligibility, applications and planning

Understanding NDIS eligibility and preparing an application can bring up a lot of questions. You may be gathering information about your disability or getting ready for an NDIS planning meeting. Once you have a plan, there are new questions about goals, changes in circumstances and preparing for the next conversation.

The articles in this section help you think through those steps. They explain planning in everyday terms and offer ways to organise information before a meeting. There are also perspectives on local area coordination and the experience of becoming ready for the scheme.

Start by describing your day. Which activities are difficult, what assistance do you use and what happens when that help is unavailable? Specific examples can make your circumstances easier to explain. Keep useful reports and notes together, and write down the questions you want answered rather than relying on memory during a meeting.

If you are a family member or carer, help the person express what matters to them. Their preferences may be different from the priorities you would choose yourself. Discuss how they want you involved and what communication or preparation would help them take part.

Access and funding decisions depend on the relevant NDIS criteria and the person's circumstances. A diagnosis, a report or a goal does not guarantee a particular outcome. Use current NDIA information when checking the process, and ask your NDIS contact to explain anything you do not understand.

Planning is also an opportunity to think beyond the next appointment. Consider the routines, relationships and activities you want support to make possible. The guides here can help you prepare a clearer account of your needs, identify gaps in the information you have and approach your next conversation with practical questions ready.