Your step-by-step plan

Getting NDIS access, one step at a time.

Getting into the NDIS is mostly paperwork. This plan breaks it into eight steps. Tick things off as you go: this page remembers your ticks on this phone or computer.

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If behaviour support is what you need, getting into the NDIS comes first. Behaviour support is funded through an NDIS plan, so every step here also builds the case for it.

Keep everyone safe at home

This week

The NDIS takes time. If things at home are unsafe, that can't wait.

Make a plan with brothers and sisters for where they can go if things get big, like a room with a door that locks, or straight to an adult. Agree between the adults who steps in, so one calm adult takes the lead. Start a notes page on your phone for the hard moments.

When your young person is escalating, keep your voice low and your words few. Give them space if it's safe to.

After a hard moment, write down three things: what happened just before, what they did, and what happened after. These notes help every professional you'll see, and they're key evidence if you're asking for behaviour support.

If anyone is in danger, call 000.

Find the diagnosis report

This week

This step decides how easy the rest will be.

Some conditions are on the NDIS's "List A", which means the NDIS usually accepts them as a lifelong disability without asking for more proof. Autism at Level 2 or Level 3 is on List A, but only when the diagnosis came from a paediatrician, psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or specialist assessment team. A GP letter that mentions autism isn't enough on its own.

Autism Level 1, and most other conditions, can still qualify. The NDIS will just need stronger evidence of how it affects everyday life (Steps 3 and 5). ADHD on its own isn't on the NDIS lists, but it counts when reports show how it affects the day.

Find the original assessment report. It's usually long, with testing in it. Check who signed it, and what level or severity it gives. Can't find it? Ask your GP who did the assessment, then ask that clinic for a copy.

If no specialist ever assessed your young person, ask your GP for a referral to a paediatrician or clinical psychologist. Start this now: waiting lists can be long.

Book a long appointment with their paediatrician or psychologist

Within 2 weeks

The NDIS wants to hear from a professional who knows your young person, usually someone who has seen them for at least 6 months. Reports from the last 12 months count most.

Book a long appointment. No paediatrician or psychologist yet? Start with your GP and ask for a referral. When you book, say it's for an NDIS application so they allow time. Take the letter at the end of this plan with you. It tells them exactly what the NDIS needs. Tell them what's been happening at home and at school. If behaviour is a worry, ask them to say in writing whether they recommend specialist behaviour support, and why. Ask when the report will be ready, and whether there's a fee.

If an OT report is needed. Sometimes the doctor or the NDIS asks for a report from an occupational therapist about how your young person manages day to day. These can cost money. If that happens, talk to us first: we may be able to connect you with a charity that could help.

While you're with your GP, you can also ask about a mental health care plan. It gives Medicare rebates for psychology sessions.

If your young person's needs come from a mental health condition, our guide to NDIS support for teenagers with a psychosocial disability explains the evidence the NDIS asks for.

Gather the paperwork

Weeks 2 to 4

One folder, paper or on your phone. Put copies in it and keep the originals.

The diagnosis report (Step 2) Any other diagnosis reports The letter or report from their paediatrician or psychologist (Step 3) Any OT, speech or psychology reports from the last 12 months School reports, and any learning or behaviour plan the school has Any suspension letters or incident reports Your notes about a normal week (Step 5) Proof of age and residency, such as a birth certificate or passport

The diagnosis report and the recent letter matter most. Get those two before you apply.

Write down what a normal week looks like

Weeks 2 to 4

You know your young person best. The NDIS needs to see what everyday life is really like. Write a page or two using the six areas it looks at.

CommunicationHow they tell you what they need, and what happens when they can't.

Social interactionFriends, family, getting on with brothers and sisters.

LearningSchool, homework, following instructions.

Self-careShowering, dressing, eating, sleep. What do they do alone?

Self-managementHandling feelings, changes to plans, money, staying safe.

MobilityGetting around at home, at school and in the community.

Add a part about the hard moments. How often do they happen? What usually sets them off? What happens, and what do you all do to stay safe? How is it affecting the family, school and daily life?

Write what you see"They need three reminders to start the shower" tells the NDIS far more than "mornings are hard".

Say how often, and how much help. For each thing, write how often help is needed (never, sometimes, weekly, daily, many times a day) and how much (a reminder, someone nearby, someone doing it with them, someone doing it for them). Count reminders and supervision as help, and describe the hard days as well as the average ones. The NDIS uses these same terms when it works out the support in a plan later on.

I've written about all six areas I've written about the hard moments, including the hard days

Apply to the NDIS

When Steps 2 to 5 are ready

From age 9, you apply through a local area coordinator, the NDIS's local partner in your area.

Call 1800 800 110 and say"I'd like to apply for the NDIS for my child, who is [age]."

Called the NDIS and found out who our local area coordinator is Made the application (you can ask someone you trust to help) Sent in everything from the Step 4 folder Wrote down the date we applied and any reference number

Keep a call log: the date, who you spoke to and what they said. First Nations families can call 1800 411 640.

After you apply

Up to 90 days

90 daysfor the NDIS to decide, once it has everything

14 daysto decide after you send anything extra they ask for

3 monthsto ask for a review if the answer is no

If the answer is yes: next comes the first plan, and that's where you ask for behaviour support (Step 8).
If the answer is no: before asking for a review, look at what evidence was missing. We're happy to talk it through with you.

Why apply now: in April 2026 the government announced that from about January 2028, a diagnosis alone won't be enough for new applicants. That change isn't law yet. Applying under today's rules is in your young person's interest.

We have a decision

Ask for behaviour support in the plan

At the planning meeting

Behaviour support isn't decided when you apply. It's decided when the NDIS plan is made. The NDIS funds it when it's needed because of the disability, from a specialist behaviour support provider.

What makes the case

The doctor's or psychologist's letter recommending behaviour support Your notes on the hard moments: before, what happened, after Suspension letters and anything the school has written How it affects safety and your family's daily life

At the meeting

Bring your folder.
Give two or three real examples of what's been happening.
Say what you want to change, in your words.
Ask how the behaviour support funding will be set out in the plan.

Say it clearly"We are asking for specialist behaviour support."

You choose who provides it. The way NDIS plans are made is changing from April 2027, so check the current process before your meeting.

At the same meeting you'll be asked how the plan will be managed: by the NDIA, by a plan manager, or by you. Each one works differently. If you're thinking about managing it yourself, Hai Helper is an Australian tool built for people doing exactly that. It gets invoice details ready to copy into the NDIS portal. You still check every claim. We partner with Hai Helper, so you know.

Letter for the doctor or psychologist

Copy this into an email, or show it on your phone at the appointment in Step 3. Fill in the [brackets].

Dear Doctor,

We are applying for NDIS access for our child, aged [age], who has a diagnosis of [diagnosis]. The NDIS asks for evidence from a treating professional, usually someone who has known them for at least 6 months, about their functioning over the last 12 months.

A letter or report would help most if it includes:

Each diagnosis, its severity level where relevant, who made it and when.
That the condition is lifelong.
How it affects them day to day, with examples, in the six areas the NDIS looks at: communication, social interaction, learning, self-care, self-management and mobility.
What support they need now, and how often.
Results of any standardised functional assessment you have used.
If behaviour is a concern: whether you recommend specialist behaviour support, and why.

Describing what they do and need, as well as the diagnosis, gives the NDIS what it needs to decide.

Thank you.

Help you can use now, while you wait

None of these need an NDIS plan.

School. Ask in writing for a Learning and Support Team meeting. Ask what the school will do before things build up, as well as after.
Your GP. Referrals, and a mental health care plan for psychology sessions.
headspace. Free support for anyone in Australia aged 12 to 25. headspace.org.au
Family Connect and Support. A free NSW service that links families with local help. Call 1800 236 762 to check if it covers your area.
You and the rest of the family. This is hard on everyone. Your GP can help you find support for yourselves too.

Numbers to keep

000Emergency: anyone in danger

1800 800 110NDIS: applying, finding your local area coordinator

1800 411 640NDIS for First Nations families

1800 236 762Family Connect and Support (NSW, check your area)

0480 800 521Supporting Communities Australia: stuck on a step? Call or book a free 15-minute chat

Want a checklist to keep?

Get the whole plan as a printable checklist (PDF), with the doctor's letter and the numbers to keep. Stick it on the fridge or take it to appointments. We'll email it to you, plus a few short tips over the next two weeks.

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Who wrote this

Yos, an NDIS behaviour support practitioner at Supporting Communities Australia, with about eight years on the frontline with young people and families across disability and community services. It's general information to help you apply. The NDIS makes every eligibility and funding decision.

Checked 20 October 2026, next review April 2027, against: NDIS, Applying to the NDIS (26 Aug 2026) · NDIS, Our Guideline: Behaviour Support (6 May 2026) · NDIS, What is a functional capacity assessment · NDIS, New way of planning · Autism Australia, NDIS changes 2026 · Better Health Channel, headspace · Family Connect and Support