Services & Therapies FAQs
The supports the scheme lists, what each involves, and how respite works.
What kinds of therapy does the NDIS fund?
The scheme lists a range of therapeutic supports, from occupational therapy and physiotherapy to speech pathology and psychology, grouped under capacity-building supports. Whether a specific therapy sits in a specific plan depends on that person's goals and the reasonable-and-necessary test.
What are the main types of NDIS supports?
Supports fall into four budget groups: core for everyday activities, capacity building for skills and therapies, capital for higher-cost equipment and modifications, and recurring for ongoing transport. Not every plan holds all four, only the ones that suit the person's goals and situation.
What is the difference between core and capacity-building supports?
Core supports help with everyday activities and tend to be flexible across their categories. Capacity-building supports build skills and independence over time and are grouped tightly by purpose, so the funding for each stays within its own category rather than moving freely.
What is a functional capacity assessment?
A functional capacity assessment is a report, usually written by an occupational therapist, describing what a person can and cannot do across everyday activities. It often supports requests for equipment or supports, because it evidences need in the terms the NDIA weighs.
Do assessments count as supports?
Assessments are part of how supports get planned and evidenced rather than a standalone category. An assistive technology assessment, for example, explains how an item helps your goals and informs the funding decision. The type of assessment depends on the support and its cost or complexity.
How do I find a provider for a service?
The provider directory on this site lets you browse by service and location, alongside official market data for each area. For registered providers specifically, the NDIS Commission publishes the official register, which the directory links for verification. A listing is not an endorsement, so verify anything that matters.
Are all services delivered by registered providers?
No. Self-managed and plan-managed participants can use unregistered providers, and a large share of the workforce is unregistered. Agency-managed participants generally need registered providers. Which applies depends on how the plan is managed, and the full guide covers how each arrangement works in practice.
What is short-term accommodation in the NDIS?
Short-term accommodation, also called respite, is a support that gives a participant time away from their usual care arrangements. It also gives the family, friends, or carers who usually help a short break, so they can keep providing care afterwards. It covers a stay plus support during it.
What does STA pay for during a stay?
STA can cover everyday support like help with showering, cooking, and getting around, plus standard accommodation such as a motel, cabin, or respite house. A stay at home with a support worker can fit too, where someone usually needs overnight support. Guidance sets out how it works.
How many days of STA can I get?
Guidance describes a limited number of days each year, used flexibly, such as a longer block or a weekend at a time. The funding still has to last the whole plan period even though usage is flexible. Your own plan sets what is available to you.
What can't STA funding be used for?
STA does not cover holidays, cruises, holiday packages, airfares, or travel documents, nor food and meals or costs for family and support workers holidaying alongside the participant. It also does not replace ordinary time apart like school or work, or mainstream services such as crisis accommodation.