Disabilities Covered by NDIS

Although the NDIS is a disability-friendly organisation, it is important to understand the types of disabilities covered by NDIS. Below should act as a guide to you as to what you may be able to apply for. However, to ensure you are able to be covered, make sure you speak to your support worker. Having knowledge of whether or not you are covered can create a sense of ease. Furthermore, it can reduce any unwanted anxiety when attempting to work out your finances.

Just Quickly… What Do They Not Support?

NDIS does not support anything unrelated to disabilities. Or, do they support anything likely to cause harm to an individual or others.

Now, What Do They Support?

There are a broad range of disabilities covered by NDIS, such as

• Intellectual Disabilities

Regarding intellectual disabilities, these are relevant to conditions that are present during the developmental period. This is the age between 0-18 and is inclusive of impairments involving mental and cognitive functions, learning difficulties, and adaptive skills. For example, these might include ADHD, down syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis.

• Autism; Check out here to view a more comprehensive criteria for autism
• Physical Conditions

Physical conditions are inclusive of those that impact the body’s ability to perform physical activities. These include those such as mobility. Some examples of this are paraplegia effects, MND, bone formation, or degeneration.

• Genetic conditions, for example Niemann-Pick disease

• Permanent illnesses, such as permanent blindness or bilateral hearing loss

Be mindful, however- some permanent conditions require more assessment. An example of a few of these would be intellectual disabilities, speech or hearing impairments, neurological impairments, chromosomal abnormalities. Note that it can also be a combination of different illnesses.

• Amputation
• Psychiatric

Psychiatric conditions can be a little more difficult, just because of the stigma surrounding mental illness. However, the NDIS is extremely understanding and accepting of all this topic. This involves symptoms and behaviour patterns that are seen to be associated with distress. They can impact functioning in social activity or everyday life. Some examples of these can include schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety, depression, etc.

For a more inclusive definition of disorders, check out the Diagnostic Statistic Manual of Mental Illness or the DSM-5 here.

Note That:

These are just a few of the broader categories. However, for a more comprehensive list, check out the official NDIS website to clarify your condition.

What Next?

If you see that you have met the needs for the NDIS covered disability, the next step is that you must check your age and residence requirement. Your application for this will be assessed. In order to fill out the application, you have two options. Make sure you are constantly following up on your NDIS plan and checking in with yourself.

• The first, is to fill it in yourself. This may seem like the best option, as no one knows you better than yourself, right? But, hear me out. Obviously, the pros are that you have total controls of the goals and type of support you want. You can be as specific or as vague as you would like and it would not matter.
• However, this is where the cons come in. By having a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to fill it out for you, they have experience in what individuals having the same condition as you benefitted most from. Furthermore, they understand the system and can provide you with the best advice from their experiences.

Take some time to think over what would benefit you the best, and then continue on with your plans. Being supported by the NDIS would take off a lot of financial strain. It will also ensure that you have the best care and support available, so you can continue doing what you love without having to worry about your condition.

Permanent Impairments/ Early Intervention Stages

Early intervention stages are present for young children who suffer from permanent impairments. For example, they could suffer from Down Syndrome and would be able to access disability services, and do not require any assessments. There is support provided for parents and carers through various initiatives, for example- Carer Payments.

Acquiring Support Service

After the difficult step of submitting your application and getting it approved, it is time to get support services. It is important that you allocate a provider that fits with your needs and goals and beliefs, for the most success. They must support your plan and have the intention to allow you to grow. Ensure that when you choose a provider, they suit the three criteria

• They are a registered provider
• The support team replies to your queries and concerns promptly and in-depth
• There are positive reviews from other NDIS participants, as you want to make sure they will take good care of you