NDIS UPDATES
New Assessment Tool: Paving a Simpler Pathway for Disability Supports 🛠️
The NDIA is rolling out a new tool called I-CAN to make it easier for people with disability and their families to navigate the supports system.
🧩 What’s Changing?
Focused on support needs, not just functional impairment: I-CAN will assess disability support needs across 12 domains, paired with questionnaires about personal and environmental factors.
Who it applies to: Participants aged 16 and over. The assessment will be done by trained, accredited assessors.
Rollout timeline: Starts in mid-2026, gradually introduced so participants can give feedback.
Backed by research & collaboration: The tool has been refined over 20 years and already used in other programs. The NDIA will work with the University of Melbourne and Centre for Disability Studies to adapt it.
🚧 What to Watch Out For
Advocacy responses: Some disability advocacy groups welcome the move toward consistency but urge strong safeguards, transparency, and co-design with people with disabilities.
Not a “one size fits all” fix: The I-CAN tool is intended to be used alongside additional assessments for people with more complex or unique needs.
Participant involvement is vital: The staged introduction is designed to allow real-time feedback from participants.
🔑 Why This Matters
This change could mean:
Faster, more predictable planning processes
Reduced burden on participants to gather evidence
Greater consistency in how support needs are assessed
But also a need for vigilance: ensuring fairness, safeguarding individual voices, and avoiding the reduction of complexity to numbers and standardised processes.
NDIS UPDATES
NDIS Sets New Pricing Rules for Art & Music Therapy 🎶
The NDIA has finalised new pricing arrangements for art and music therapy, aiming to ensure participant access while keeping standards high and costs consistent.
💲 The New Price Cap
From November 2025, the maximum hourly rate for art and music therapy will be $156.16. This is lower than the previous cap of $193.99, but far above the $67.56 that was initially proposed to be changed in 2024. The change confirms that these supports remain recognised as therapeutic interventions, not just leisure or community activities.
👩🎓 Who Can Deliver Therapy?
To be eligible under NDIS therapy funding, practitioners must meet strict professional standards:
Art therapists must hold a Master’s degree and be registered with ANZACATA.
Music therapists must hold a Master’s degree and be registered with the AMTA.
Anyone without these qualifications cannot bill sessions as therapy; their work is instead classified under social or community participation.
📊 Why the Change?
An independent review led by Dr Stephen Duckett found that while art and music therapy can be valuable for certain participants, the body of research is still smaller compared to other allied health fields. The revised pricing reflects this smaller evidence base while keeping these therapies available for those who clearly benefit.
🛡️ Oversight and Next Steps
To strengthen quality and reduce misuse, the NDIA will:
Tighten invoice checks so only qualified therapists can claim under this category.
Limit self-managed claims to services delivered by therapists who meet NDIS standards.
Expand data collection on outcomes, helping identify which participant cohorts gain the most benefit.
📌 What Providers Need to Know
Only qualified and registered therapists are eligible.
The new price limit is $156.16/hour.
Sessions must contribute to participant goals, not just recreation.
RESOURCES
Why Is My Child Struggling to Learn?
A Psychologist’s Guide to Reading, Writing and Maths Struggles: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia 📖
If you’ve ever wondered why a child might be finding reading, writing, or maths harder than expected, this guide, Why Is My Child Struggling to Learn?, is a thoughtful place to start. It explores learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, how they may overlap with ADHD or autism, and offers age-by-age checklists to help identify early signs.
📘 What’s Inside This 50+ Page Guide
Clear explanations of dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, and how they differ
How these learning differences often overlap with ADHD and autism
Age-by-age checklists for signs in children from 5 to 13+
Real-world strategies for home and school support
Tips for advocating with teachers, requesting assessments, and interpreting results
Useful tools: sample emails, conversation scripts, and resource lists
CIRCLE SPOTLIGHT
What others say about our Specialist Support Coordinators 🙌
RESOURCES
Social Workers as Psychosocial Therapy Experts in the NDIS 🌱
When it comes to psychosocial disability, social workers play a vital role in supporting participants to live meaningful and connected lives. This resource explains how social work therapy goes beyond traditional medical or behavioural approaches: integrating therapeutic practice with advocacy, systemic navigation, and recovery-focused strategies.
It outlines how social workers are uniquely equipped to address the emotional, relational, and environmental barriers participants face, while also building resilience, independence, and community participation. With a strong evidence base and alignment to NDIS frameworks, this guide shows why social workers are recognised as the lead discipline for psychosocial therapy under the NDIS.
RESOURCES
Shared Management with Interchange: A Flexible Way to Shape Your Supports 🤝
Interchange delivered training to our team on Shared Management which offers people with disability and their families the chance to take a more active role in managing supports without carrying the full responsibility of self-management. It can be funded through Flexible Core, SIL, or ILO budgets, and delivered either in a variety of living situations. Each arrangement is unique, built with a participant-centred approach that balances independence with reliable provider support.
The attached resource from Interchange explains how Shared Management works, the responsibilities involved, and the benefits it can bring to participants and families. With over 30 years of experience, Interchange is trusted across WA to deliver this model of support built around the person.
If you’d like to learn more or explore whether this approach is right for a participant or family you support, please reach out to Shane Mumford, Shared Management Advisor.
📧 [email protected] | 📞 (08) 9329 9399 | 0481 230 85 | 🌐 www.interchangewa.org.au
RESOURCES
Explore, Play & Connect This Spring Break: Arise Services Spring School Holiday Program 🌼
The Spring school holidays are almost here, and Arise Services has put together an exciting program for children and young people supported through the NDIS.
From Scitech adventures in West Perth to picnics in Kings Park and John Forrest National Park, and even a ferry ride across Elizabeth Quay, there’s something fun for everyone. Each day runs from 9am to 5pm, with pick-up and drop-off included.
This program is funded through NDIS Core Supports (Social & Community Participation) or Capacity Building (Increased Social & Community Participation). Families will just need to provide the essentials: companion card, meals and snacks, water bottle, hat, sunscreen, and a change of clothes.
