NDIS Psychology for ADHD

ADHD affects attention, organisation, impulse control and emotional regulation, and it can make everyday life harder at home, school, work and in relationships. Psychology can help people with ADHD build strategies that work for them. Whether that psychology can be funded by the NDIS depends on the person’s overall disability and functional needs, not the ADHD diagnosis alone.

This guide explains how ADHD relates to NDIS access, how an NDIS psychologist can help and what other funding options exist.

Is ADHD covered by the NDIS?

NDIS access is based on functional impact, not diagnosis. A person must meet all of the disability requirements, including having a permanent impairment that substantially reduces their functional capacity in areas such as communication, social interaction, learning, self-care or self-management, and being likely to need support for their lifetime (NDIA).

ADHD is not on the NDIA’s lists of conditions likely to meet the disability requirements, but that does not rule out access. A Senate inquiry heard that very few participants have ADHD as their primary disability, while many more have it alongside another disability such as autism or intellectual disability (Senate inquiry into ADHD).

In practice, ADHD alone rarely leads to NDIS access. Many NDIS participants with ADHD have it as a co-occurring condition, and their plan reflects their overall functional needs.

How an NDIS psychologist can help

For participants whose plan includes psychology, therapy may focus on:

• organisation, planning and time management strategies for daily routines

• emotional regulation, frustration tolerance and coping with overwhelm

• building and maintaining relationships and social confidence

• study and work strategies, such as breaking tasks down and using reminders

• self-understanding and self-advocacy, including after an adult diagnosis

• working with parents, partners and support workers so strategies are consistent

Psychologists often work with Occupational Therapists on routines and environments, and with neuropsychology when a detailed picture of attention and executive function is needed. Read Neuropsychology for Memory, Executive Function and Cognitive Change.

What the NDIS won’t fund

The NDIA treats diagnosis and clinical treatment of health and mental health conditions as the health system’s responsibility (NDIA). That generally includes:

• ADHD diagnostic assessments

• medication prescribing and review

• treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety disorders

NDIS psychology must be linked to building or maintaining the participant’s functional capacity and their NDIS goals.

Other ways to access psychology for ADHD

If the NDIS doesn’t apply, Medicare’s Better Access initiative can help with the cost of psychological therapy for eligible mental health conditions. People can access up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year with a Mental Health Treatment Plan and referral, usually from their GP. Sessions can be in person or via telehealth (Department of Health).

Other options include private health insurance extras, school or university support services and paying privately.

Getting the most from NDIS psychology

• set clear, practical goals, such as getting to work on time or managing household tasks

• share how ADHD interacts with the participant’s other disability, with examples from daily life

• ask the psychologist how progress will be measured and reported

• use strategies across settings, with family and supporters involved where the participant agrees

For an overview of funding and choosing a psychologist, see NDIS Psychology: Complete Guide. For OT strategies, read Managing ADHD with Occupational Therapy.

Progress for ADHD often shows up in small, practical ways first: fewer missed appointments, calmer mornings or a household task that now gets finished. Recording these changes helps the psychologist adjust strategies and gives clear evidence when the plan is reviewed.

Next step

This article is general information, not individual clinical or NDIS advice. CARED’s psychologists support children, teens and adults with ADHD in clinic, at home and via telehealth, through NDIS, private or other funding.

Check availability or submit a referral.