NDIS Allied Health Reports: What Support Coordinators Need to Know

A progress report, Functional Capacity Assessment, assistive technology assessment, behaviour support assessment and neuropsychological assessment answer different questions. Before requesting a report, define the decision the report needs to support.

The short answer: the most useful allied health report is the one that answers a clear question about the participant's function and support needs, comes from the right professional and reaches the NDIA at the right time. This guide covers how Support Coordinators can choose, request, coordinate and submit NDIS allied health reports. For the broader picture, read What Evidence Do You Need for an NDIS Plan Reassessment in 2026?

Start with the decision, not the report

Before asking a practitioner for a report, be clear about:

• The decision: what the report needs to inform, such as a plan reassessment, an assistive technology request, a change in living arrangements or a new therapy pathway.

• The question: what the team does not yet know about the participant's function, risks or support needs.

• Existing evidence: what reports already exist and whether they are still current.

This reduces duplicated assessment and helps practitioners produce evidence that is useful rather than generic.

Which NDIS report answers which question?

• Progress report: What therapy was provided, what changed and what is recommended next?

• Functional Capacity Assessment: How does the participant manage everyday life, and what support do they need?

• Assistive technology (AT) assessment: Is a specific item needed, and how will it help the participant reach their goals?

• Behaviour support assessment: Why are behaviours of concern happening, and what will reduce them?

• Neuropsychological assessment: Which cognitive processes are driving the participant's functional difficulties?

The NDIS publishes a general assistive technology assessment template setting out the information AT evidence must include. Behaviour support plans are developed by an NDIS behaviour support practitioner; see What is a Behaviour Support Plan?

If you are unsure whether a participant needs an FCA, read the Functional Capacity Assessment Guide for Support Coordinators.

How to request a report well

Practitioners write better reports when they know what the report is for. When you request one, include:

• the decision the report will inform and when it is needed

• the specific questions you want answered

• the participant's goals and current supports

• any reports already available, so the practitioner does not repeat them

• how the report will be shared, and who has consented to what

Give practitioners enough time. A report requested a week before a reassessment meeting is rarely as strong as one planned months ahead.

Check the report before you rely on it

Before sharing a report, check that it answers the referral question, describes current function with specific examples, explains its findings and gives a rationale for each recommendation. If it does not, ask the practitioner to clarify or update it.

The NDIA's guide to report writing sets out what reports should cover. For a full checklist, read What Makes a Strong NDIS Allied Health Report?

Coordinating reports from several disciplines

Complex disability rarely respects professional boundaries. A participant may have mobility, cognition, communication, behaviour and nutrition needs at the same time.

The answer is not necessarily one enormous report. Often the better approach is coordinated evidence from the right disciplines, with each practitioner staying within their scope. For example:

• an Occupational Therapist describes daily living needs

• a Speech Pathologist addresses communication and swallowing

• a Physiotherapist reports on mobility and falls risk

To keep reports consistent, share relevant reports between providers with consent, agree who is answering which question, and watch for recommendations that contradict or duplicate each other.

A simple evidence tracker helps. List each functional issue, the evidence you have, the gap, who is responsible and the due date.

How reports reach the NDIA

Providers usually give reports to the participant or their representative, who shares them with the NDIA. With the participant's consent, providers can also upload reports through the NDIA's provider portals.

If the reports support a plan reassessment request, remember that since 27 August 2026 only the participant, their plan nominee or child representative can make the request, using the NDIA's form. Evidence should usually be dated within 4 months of the request and after the current plan was approved (NDIA).

A report provides evidence. It does not decide the funding outcome. The NDIA decides whether supports meet the NDIS funding criteria.

One referral, coordinated reports

CARED's multidisciplinary model allows referrals to be triaged across eight allied health services. With one referral, Support Coordinators can find out whether a participant needs one discipline, a staged pathway or coordinated input from several practitioners, and get reports that are planned to work together.

Next step

This article is general information, not individual clinical or NDIS advice.

Refer once to CARED for discipline-specific assessment and reporting, or explore CARED's services.