The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia provides funding for various supports and services to assist people with disabilities in achieving their goals and improving their quality of life. Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy are both considered essential services under the NDIS, and you can use your funding to access these therapies.

Here's how you can use your NDIS funding for speech and occupational therapy:

  1. ‍Assessment and Goal Setting: Your therapist will conduct an assessment to understand your needs and goals. Goals are set collaboratively with you, your family and therapy team. They will work with you to develop a therapy plan tailored to your requirements. This will be updated on a regular basis depending on your needs.‍
  2. Therapy: You can use your NDIS funding to cover the cost of therapy sessions with qualified speech therapists and occupational therapists. These sessions may include individual therapy, group therapy, or a combination of both, depending on your needs. Therapy may be face to face or via telehealth. Therapy can be provided in the environment which best meets your needs and may include travel costs for the therapist.‍
  3. Equipment and Assistive Technology: If your therapist recommends any specialized equipment or assistive technology to support your therapy goals, such as communication devices or adaptive aids for daily living activities, your NDIS funding can be used to purchase or hire these items.
  4. ‍Home Modifications: In some cases, modifications to your home environment may be necessary to improve accessibility and support your therapy goals. Your NDIS funding can be used to cover the cost of home modifications recommended by your therapist.
  5. ‍Training and Capacity Building: Your therapist may also provide training and support to help you develop skills and strategies to manage your condition more effectively. Your NDIS funding can be used to cover the cost of these training sessions.
  6. ‍Travel Expenses: If you need to travel to attend therapy sessions, you can use your NDIS funding to cover the cost of travel expenses, including transport and accommodation, if necessary.‍
  7. Plan Management and Support Coordination: If you have opted for plan management or support coordination as part of your NDIS plan, you can use your funding to cover the cost of these services, which can help you manage your therapy supports more effectively.

It's important to work closely with your therapist and NDIS planner to ensure that your funding is used effectively to meet your therapy needs and goals. Your therapist can provide guidance on the most appropriate use of your funding based on your individual circumstances and therapy requirements.

For more information please visit the NDIS website - https://www.ndis.gov.au/