Important NDIS Update for families NDIS Updates
Stay up to date with the latest speech pathology tips and trends
What may change, how it could affect your child, and what to do now.
NDIS changes may affect your child’s funding, eligibility or funded supports at reassessment or renewal. You can generally continue using the approved budget in their current plan. If a reassessment or renewal is approaching, start preparing now.
Jump to: Your child’s situation | What is changing | Reassessment checklist | Funding reduced | How NSST can help | What NSST is doing | Share your experience
Find your child’s situation:
| Your child’s situation | What this may mean | What to do now |
| Current NDIS plan | Continue using the approved plan. Changes are more likely at reassessment or renewal. | Check the reassessment date and begin gathering evidence early. |
| Reassessment or renewal approaching | Funding, eligibility or funded supports may change. | Ask your therapist when updated reports should be requested.
Prepare current evidence of functional impact, support needs and progress. |
| Child aged 8 or under applying for the first time | From October 2026, a child with mild to moderate support needs may be directed to the Thriving Kids program rather than receiving an individual NDIS plan. | Ask which pathway applies and what services will be available locally. |
| Child aged 7 | Some children are undergoing an eligibility check to determine whether they continue receiving individual NDIS funding. | Prepare current evidence of functional impact, support needs and progress. |
| Child aged 9 to 15 | The current planning process is expected to continue for now, but some families are already receiving lower funding. | Prepare carefully for every reassessment and keep copies of all evidence. |
| High or complex support needs | The legislation includes protections for people who need intensive, ongoing support, although individual decisions may still need careful evidence. | Raise concerns early with the planner or support coordinator. |
What is changing and what is still unclear?
| What we know | What is still unclear |
| NDIS access, planning and funding rules are changing gradually. | How the Thriving Kids program will operate in practice. |
| Funded supports will need a clear connection to disability and functional needs. | Which services will be available locally and how quickly families will be able to access them. |
| Some funding categories may change when plans are reviewed or renewed. | How transitions between the NDIS and Thriving Kids will be managed. |
| Children will not all be reassessed at once; changes are expected to occur over time. | The full details of the proposed Thriving Teens program. |
Is your child’s reassessment approaching?
| Action | What to collect or record |
| Check the timing | Confirm the plan end date and any scheduled reassessment. Start early! |
| Request current evidence | Ask your therapist when updated reports or assessments should be requested, allowing enough time for completion. |
| Tell your therapist | Tell your therapist the review date and provide your child’s NDIS goals for their reports.
Book a pre-planning session with your therapist to prepare for the NDIS review meeting. |
| Show functional impact | Record how your child’s communication difficulties affect learning, relationships, independence, safety and participation. |
| Describe support provided by family | Record the extra prompting, supervision, planning and daily support you provide, and how this affects family life. |
| Explain why therapy is needed | Include your child’s goals, progress, barriers and what may happen if therapy is reduced or stopped. |
| Keep copies | Save reports, assessments, school information, emails, decision letters and notes from phone calls. |
| Respond promptly | Reply quickly to NDIA requests and ask for clarification if instructions are unclear. |
Has your child’s funding been reduced?
| Step | What to do |
| 1. Read the decision carefully | Check what changed, when the new plan starts and which supports or categories were reduced. Ask your therapist if you need help understanding the impact on therapy. |
| 2. Ask for reasons in writing | Request a clear explanation of the decision if one has not been provided. |
| 3. Check review options promptly | Confirm the review process and deadline. Consider advice from a support coordinator or independent disability advocate. |
| 4. Contact NSST | Send us the relevant plan information and speak with your therapist about priorities and a realistic service plan. |
| 5. Keep records | Record calls, emails, documents submitted and the effect of reduced support on your child and family. |
| 6. Discuss ongoing therapy and funding options | Even though your child’s NDIS funding may be reduced their therapy needs continue. Talk with your therapist about their recommendations and other options for funding support. You can find more information on the NSST website: NSST Speech Therapy funding |
How NSST can help
We can provide reports about your child’s communication needs, progress, functional impact and recommended supports. We can also help you prioritise therapy if your budget changes. We cannot decide NDIS eligibility, request a review for you or guarantee a funding outcome.
What NSST is doing
We are monitoring these changes and advocating for clear information, timely support, continuity of care and family choice. We have raised families’ concerns with Tim James, Member for Willoughby, and have requested meetings with the NSW Government and Opposition disability spokespeople.
Private practices such as North Shore Speech Therapy are currently excluded from applying to deliver Tier One Thriving Kids services, including supported playgroups and parent support groups. This is concerning because established clinics already have the qualified workforce, clinical skills, facilities and relationships with local families needed to deliver these services. In contrast, organisations entering this area may need to recruit staff and establish services from the ground up. We are concerned that excluding experienced private providers reduces family choice and risks delays or gaps in support.
NSST will continue providing assessments, individual and group therapy, holiday intensives, parent and teacher education, and consultation with the professionals supporting your child.
Share how these changes are affecting your family
If your family has experienced reduced funding, difficulty accessing therapy, delays in support or concerns about eligibility for NDIS, please share this with your therapist so we can best support your child’s therapy journey.
It is important to also register the impact of NDIS changes on your family via one of two national tools designed to collate participants’ experiences and take these to Government.
Children 8 years and under: Early Intervention Impact Tracker (for 8 years and under) or
Child 9 years and older: NDIS Harm Tracker (9 years and older)
Once you have formulated your responses, you can use these to share your experience with your local Member of Parliament and the NSW Minister for Families and Communities (Kate Washington). (we have shared the email addresses below.
| Name | Contact | |
| State Member for Lane Cove | TIm James | willoughby@parliament.nsw.gov.au |
| State Member for North Shore | Felicity Wilson | northshore@parliament.nsw.gov.au |
| State Member for Hornsby | James Wallace | hornsby@parliament.nsw.gov.au |
| NSW Minister for Disability Inclusion & Families and Communities | Kate Washington | portstephens@parliament.nsw.gov.au |
| Shadow Minister for Disability Inclusion | Natasha MacLaren – Jones | office.maclaren-jones@parliament.nsw.gov.au
|
Sharing the practical impact on your child and family helps decision-makers understand how changes affect access to therapy, continuity of care and choice of provider.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to us through the contact form provided. We’re here to listen and to help you navigate whatever comes next.
NDIS Contact Form
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