This table summarises the treating health professionals and standardised assessments commonly used to evidence each primary disability type in an NDIS access request. It is written for GPs and treating clinicians. If you are a participant or family member rather than a clinician, our guide to finding an NDIS service provider near you is a better starting point.
| Primary Disability | Treating Health Professional | Standardized Assessments |
| Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) | Any member of a multidisciplinary team specializing in ABI | 1. Care and Need Scale (CANS) (17 years and over) 2. WHODAS 2.0 (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under) |
| Autism | Any member of a multidisciplinary team, including Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists | 1. DSM-V 2. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (Vineland-II) 3. WHODAS 2.0 (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under) |
| Cerebral Palsy | Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Pediatricians, Physiotherapists | 1. GMFCS 2. Other: MACS 3. Other: CFCS |
| Hearing Impairment | Audiologist | 1. Hearing Impairment Responses and Groupings Guide (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under) 2. Other: Hearing Acuity Score |
| Intellectual Disability, Developmental Delay, Global Developmental Delay, Down Syndrome | Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists | 1. DSM-V 2. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (Vineland-II) 3. WHODAS 2.0 (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under) |
| Multiple Sclerosis | Neurologists, Disease Steps trained Nurse Examiners | 1. Disease Steps 2. Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) 3. Other: EDSS |
| Psychosocial Disability | Psychiatrists, General Practitioners (GPs), Psychologists (in limited circumstances) | 1. Life Skills Profile 16 Measure (LSP-16) 2. Health of the Nation Outcomes Scale (HoNOS) 3. WHODAS |
| Spinal Cord Injury | Any member of a multidisciplinary team, including Neurologists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Recreational Therapists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists | 1. Level of Lesion or American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (ASIA/AIS) 2. WHODAS 2.0 (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under) |
| Stroke | Any member of a multidisciplinary team, including Neurologists | 1. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) |
| Vision Impairment | Ophthalmologists | 1. Vision Impairment Questionnaire (17 years and over) or PEDI-CAT (16 years and under) 2. Other: Visual Acuity Rating |
| Other Disabilities | Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Physiotherapists, Social Workers | 1. WHODAS 2.0 (17 years and over) 2. PEDI-CAT (16 years and under) |
Once access is granted the questions usually turn to supports. Our guides to getting a support worker through the NDIS and Supported Independent Living cover what comes next.