Tips on accessing and using the NDIS
What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (also called the NDIS) is the new way of providing disability support. The NDIS will provide all Australians under the age of 65 who have a permanent and significant disability with the reasonable and necessary supports they need to enjoy an ordinary life. The NDIS will help people with disability achieve their goals. This may include greater independence, community involvement, employment and improved wellbeing.
Access to NDIS
How can NDIS support people of short stature?
The NDIS promotes independence, so comparing yourself or your child to average statured peers, think about what are the limitations that people of short stature have in regard to completing everyday life activities personal care, household tasks, shopping, getting out and about in the community for school, work and social activities. Modifications in the home or to car, bikes and clothing. Supports of therapies for maintaining mobility, condition, speech etc
Completing Access Request Form (ARF):
Form available here
When completing the ARF you need to identify in which areas below you or your child requires assistance/support to be independent like same age peers.
1. Mobility/motor skills – Moving around the home, getting in or out of bed or a chair, leaving the home and moving about in the community
2. Communication – Being understood in spoken, written or sign language, understanding others and express needs and wants by gesture, speech or context appropriate for age.
3. Social interaction – Making and keeping friends, interacting with the community (or playing with other children), coping with feelings and emotions.
4. Learning – Understanding and remembering information, learning new things, practising and using new skills.
5. Self-Care – Showering/ bathing, dressing, eating toileting, caring for own health (not applicable for children under two years of age). Looking after household chores, cooking meals etc.
6. Self-Management – Doing daily jobs, making decisions and handling problems and money (not applicable for children under 8 years of age)
Due to limb length, especially children need support to complete self-care, so support from assistive technology such as aids, for dressing, steps to enable access to toilet and sinks etc., reaching aids/ modifications so they can open doors, turn on light switches i.e. things that are out of reach due to their disability and are inaccessible compared to average statured peers. Modifications to the home to make access, and areas accessible.
Core supports to assist adults of short stature with daily living such as household chores, garden and yard maintenance, shopping, assistance to participate in social and community activities.
Modifications, to home, car, bicycle and clothing.
Mobility aids; due to short limbs, short statured children and adults are not as mobile and therefore fatigue easily, as a result of needing to take 2-3 steps to average statured peers. A lightweight wheelchair maybe recommended as it is more age appropriate than being carried by parent/adult or pushed in a stroller. To aid mobility for adults an electric scooters can recommended.
Therapies are available to assist with teaching new ways to complete personal care tasks and to assist with communication and social interaction skills, OT to improve fine and gross motor skills, and physio to maintain or increase mobility.
If you are an SSPA member you can view the helpful online presentation from NDIS Coordinator; Kim Henderson on how to go about completing the form. email [email protected]
Providing information about your disability
https://www.ndis.gov.au/how-apply-ndis/how-apply/information-support-your-request/providing-evidence-your-disability
A range of useful Booklets and Fact sheets on the link below you will find a the new NDIS booklets; 1, 2 & 3 as well as a list of useful fact sheets;
Including the NDIS-GP-Allied-Health-Professional-s-Guide-May-2018-.pdf; which you take along to whoever is assisting with completing your NDIS Access request such as your GP/Specialist or Allied Health Professional.
https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/publications/booklets-and-factsheets
Resources to assist you with preparing for your planning meeting
Children; Queensland Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (QPRS) Tip Sheet for Families for NDIS Pre-Planning _ child
Children & adults can also refer to NDIS Booklet 2 – Planning booklet covers: Understanding your current supports and creating an NDIS plan to achieve your goals
https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/publications/booklets-and-factsheets
Thinking about goals and how to write goals (so you get what you need)
When you write the goals, think about what you need so you or your child can undertake daily activities as independently as possible, in comparison to same age peers.
If a child requires assistance to do personal care toileting etc. then the goal should reflect this area, the same as if for the adult who needs support with household chores, shopping etc.
Choices for managing your NDIS plan
Ways to manage your funding
Agency managed: Minus is that you can only use NDIS registered service providers; plus is the NDIA pays your providers on your behalf.
Plan Managed: The NDIA provides funding in your plan to pay for a Plan Manager who pays your providers for you, helps you keep track of funds and takes care of financial reporting for you. You have the choice to use unregistered providers, but they need to have an ABN for invoicing and tax purposes.
Self-Managed: The NDIA provides you with funding so you can access the supports that will best help you achieve your goals. The providers do not need to be registered with NDIS but they need to have an ABN for invoicing and tax purposes. Participant maybe audited. The NDIS have developed an NDIS guide to self-management for people who are self-managing, or interested in self-managing their NDIS funding. This guide will help people understand the benefits of self-management, roles and responsibilities and how to self-manage effectively.
https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/self-management
Requesting a review of an NDIS decision
If you think a National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) decision is wrong, you can request an internal review of a decision. Any person directly affected by an NDIA decision can request an internal review. Many decisions the NDIA makes are reviewable, including things like being accepted as a participant, the provision of reasonable and necessary supports and becoming a registered provider of supports.
https://www.ndis.gov.au/applying-access-ndis/how-apply/receiving-your-access-decision/internal-review-decision
Services and supports that short statured people have got the NDIS to fund:
Note that what is funded may depend on the individual and the planners
- Mobility Equipment, mobility tools, customised furniture, specialist equipment
- Disability related auxilary medical services such as Physio’s, Occupation Therapists, Podiatrists, Speech Therapy, Hydrotherapy, Swimming Lessons
- Clothing alterations
- Cleaning, cooking, community support
- Mobility allowances – for taxi’s and transport
- Home modifications
- Car modifications See here
Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) is funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme
SSPA NDIS discussion forum on Facebook
For questions or support on NDIS, visit our facebook forum here