Guide · updated November 2026
What to ask your OT and therapists to write for the NDIS
A report that only lists a diagnosis rarely changes a plan. Reports that work describe function, recommend specific supports, and link them to the criteria.
| Who | What they can show | Ask them to include |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational therapist | Daily living, home, equipment, home modifications and support hours | A functional capacity assessment covering each life area, with recommended support hours, equipment and therapy, and how each recommendation meets the reasonable and necessary criteria |
| Physiotherapist | Mobility, physical function, falls risk, equipment | Current physical function, the risk without support, recommended therapy frequency and expected outcomes |
| Speech pathologist | Communication, swallowing, assistive communication devices | Communication impact in daily life, recommended therapy and devices, and what happens without them |
| Psychologist or behaviour support practitioner | Psychosocial disability, behaviours of concern, capacity building | Functional impact (not just diagnosis), recommended supports and intensity, and risks if supports are reduced |
| GP or specialist | Diagnosis, permanence, health conditions affecting daily life | Confirmation of diagnosis and that it's likely permanent, how it affects daily functioning, and which supports are disability-related rather than health-related |
| Teacher or school | What the school provides and doesn't provide | What supports the school funds or provides, and what the child needs outside school that the school doesn't cover |
| Support coordinator | How the current plan was used and what's working | Plan utilisation, barriers, progress on each goal, and recommended changes with reasons |
| Family member or carer (statement) | Informal supports and carer sustainability | Hours of care each week, other responsibilities, the carer's own health, and what is not sustainable |
Every report should
- Describe what the person can and can't do, and how often they need help
- Recommend the type, hours, frequency and duration of each support
- Explain the risk without support
- Say what's been tried and the outcome
- Be recent, signed and dated
Build your evidence pack
PlanStrong turns your goals, daily-life impacts and carer situation into a participant statement, a supports request mapped to every criterion, and ready-to-send letters for each professional. The deadline check and support strength check are free.
Build my pack Free support checkMore: How to request an NDIS internal review · NDIS plan reassessment checklist · The NDIS 'reasonable and necessary' criteria, explained · Writing an NDIS carer statement · NDIS funding cut? What to do next · Appealing an NDIS decision to the Administrative Review Tribunal · NDIS new framework planning: delayed to April 2027