Can NDIS Funding Still Be Used for Assessments?
Information current at August 2026
Participants, parents, carers and support coordinators are continuing to receive conflicting information about whether assessments can still be funded through the NDIS. This explainer sets out what the current NDIS documents actually say — and why the purpose of an assessment matters more than its name.
The Short Answer: Yes, in Some Circumstances
Some people are being told that the NDIS no longer funds assessments. That statement is too broad. The current NDIS definition of Therapeutic Supports specifically and expressly states that therapeutic supports include:
"an assessment by health professionals for support planning and review as required."
This definition appears in Supports that are 'NDIS supports', under Therapeutic Supports, page 17. The document is publicly available on the NDIS website and remains the operative definition at the time this explainer was written.
So the important question is not simply "Is this an assessment?" The more appropriate and precise question is: "What is the assessment for, and how does it relate to the participant's disability-related functional capacity, support needs, planning or review?"
Reading the NDIS documents carefully — rather than relying on summaries or word-of-mouth — is essential to understanding what is and is not covered.
Why Is There So Much Confusion?
Part of the confusion appears to stem from a significant change in the wording of the NDIS pricing documents between the 2025–26 and 2026–27 pricing years.
Under the 2025–26 NDIS Pricing Arrangements, psychology support items explicitly used the words "Assessment Recommendation Therapy or Training" within the name of the support item itself. For example:
01_701_0128_1_3 — Assessment Recommendation Therapy or Training Supports – Psychologist
15_054_0128_1_3 — Assessment Recommendation Therapy or Training – Psychologist
The 2025–26 Pricing Arrangements therefore made the inclusion of assessment highly visible, directly within the name of the psychology support item. When that wording disappeared from the 2026–27 Schedule, some practitioners, plan managers and support coordinators drew the conclusion that assessments were no longer fundable. As this explainer sets out, that conclusion is not supported by the current operative NDIS documents when they are read together.
What Changed in 2026–27?
The new 2026–27 NDIS Pricing Schedule uses different terminology for psychology support items. The word "assessment" no longer appears in the name of the general psychology line items. The current items are now described as follows:
01_701_0128_1_3 — Therapy – Psychologist – Direct Service
15_054_0128_1_3 — Therapy – Psychologist – Direct Service
These items can be found under Schedule 4: Therapy and Professional Supports, pages 40–41 of the 2026–27 NDIS Pricing Schedule. The new Schedule also separately identifies Non-Face-to-Face psychology services and NDIA Requested Reports under the relevant psychology codes.
It is important to note that the Pricing Schedule is a document that sets maximum price limits for NDIS supports. It is not a document that defines the scope of what therapeutic supports are, or what purposes they may serve. That definitional work is done in a separate NDIS document — Supports that are 'NDIS supports' — and those two documents need to be read together.
The Important Point
The wording of the pricing code changed. But the removal of the word "assessment" from the name of a pricing item should not automatically be interpreted as meaning that assessments are no longer funded by the NDIS.
The Pricing Schedule sets maximum prices. It tells providers and participants how much can be charged for a support. It is not the document that defines what a therapeutic support is or what it may include.
The 'NDIS Supports' document defines scope. This document explicitly includes assessment by health professionals for support planning and review as a component of therapeutic supports. It remains operative.
Both documents must be read together. Drawing conclusions about what is funded from a pricing document alone — without reference to the definitional document — risks an incomplete and potentially incorrect interpretation.
What Types of Assessment May Be Relevant?
An assessment may have an NDIS-related purpose where it is required to understand or provide evidence about a participant's disability-related needs. Current NDIS therapy guidance also states that therapists assess a participant's disability support needs when developing therapy supports, and specifically notes that psychologists can assess and deliver tailored supports related to a participant's disability and individual goals.
This is not an exhaustive list. The key consideration in each case is whether the assessment has a clear and direct relationship to the participant's disability, their functional capacity, or their NDIS support needs. Assessments that serve these purposes sit within the scope of what the NDIS Therapeutic Supports definition contemplates.
Assessment Is Not the Same as Diagnosis
This distinction is important and often overlooked in conversations about NDIS funding. The NDIS is not responsible for funding every assessment undertaken by a health professional — nor should it be. There is a meaningful and relevant difference between an assessment whose primary purpose is medical or mental health diagnosis and treatment, and an assessment undertaken to understand the functional impact of a disability.
Outside NDIS Scope: An assessment whose primary purpose is the medical or mental health diagnosis and treatment of a health condition may appropriately fall within the responsibility of the mainstream health system — not the NDIS.
Potentially Within NDIS Scope: An assessment undertaken to understand the functional impact of a disability, establish disability-related support needs, inform intervention, measure functional capacity or provide evidence for NDIS support planning has a different and potentially NDIS-relevant purpose.
So the correct question is not simply "Is it an assessment?" It is: "Why is the assessment required, and what disability-related support need will it address?" Answering that question with reference to the participant's individual circumstances, their NDIS plan and the current NDIS documents is the appropriate starting point — not a blanket assumption based on a change in pricing code terminology.
What About Children?
Psychology remains specifically identified within the Early Childhood Supports section of the 2026–27 Pricing Schedule. Parents and carers of young NDIS participants should be aware that psychology supports — including those that involve assessment — are still listed within the Early Childhood framework.
The psychology items for Early Childhood Intervention are located on pages 57–58 of the 2026–27 NDIS Pricing Schedule and include:
01_700_0118_1_3 — ECI Professional – Psychologist – Direct Service
15_001_0118_1_3 — ECI Professional – Psychologist – Direct Service
The Schedule also includes associated non-face-to-face items and NDIA-requested report items under the Early Childhood psychology codes. Families navigating early intervention supports should refer to pages 57–58 of the current Pricing Schedule and read those items alongside the operative definition of Therapeutic Supports in the Supports that are 'NDIS supports' document.
As with all NDIS funding decisions, the purpose of the support, the participant's individual circumstances and their plan remain the determining factors. Early Childhood supports have their own framework, and families are encouraged to discuss their child's specific needs with their Early Childhood partner or support coordinator.
Before Accepting "The NDIS Doesn't Fund Assessments" — Ask These Questions
The terminology in the Pricing Schedule has changed. The purpose of an assessment has not stopped mattering. If you are told that the NDIS no longer funds assessments, these are the questions worth asking before accepting that statement at face value.
What is the purpose of the assessment? Is it aimed at understanding disability-related functional capacity, or is its primary purpose diagnosis and treatment of a health condition?
Is it assessing disability-related functional capacity or support needs? Does it directly relate to what the participant can and cannot do as a result of their disability?
How will the results inform the participant's supports? Will the findings be used to plan, develop or review disability supports under the participant's NDIS plan?
Is it required for therapy planning, support planning or review? Is it directly connected to the participant's therapy goals, support planning or an upcoming plan reassessment?
How does it relate to the participant's disability and NDIS goals? Is there a clear connection between the assessment and the participant's stated NDIS goals and disability support needs?
The purpose of the assessment still matters. The change in pricing code terminology does not change what the NDIS Therapeutic Supports definition expressly includes.
Check the NDIS Source Documents Yourself
The documents listed below are the current official NDIS source materials relevant to this topic. Readers are encouraged to check these sources directly rather than relying on summaries or secondhand information.
Supports that are 'NDIS supports' — See Therapeutic Supports, page 17, which specifically includes assessment by health professionals for support planning and review. This is the key definitional document. https://www.ndis.gov.au/media/8351/download?attachment=
NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27 — See pages 40–41 for general psychology supports and pages 57–58 for Early Childhood psychology supports. https://www.ndis.gov.au/media/8703/download?attachment=
NDIS Therapy Supports Guideline — Further guidance about therapy supports, assessment of disability support needs and the role of allied health professionals. https://www.ndis.gov.au/media/8091/download?attachment=
Current NDIS Pricing Arrangements Page — The NDIS page where the current Pricing Schedule and pricing information are published. https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-and-payments/pricing/pricing-arrangements
Previous 2025–26 Pricing Arrangements — Allows readers to compare the previous "Assessment Recommendation Therapy or Training" terminology with the new 2026–27 wording. https://www.ndis.gov.au/media/7739/download?attachment=
What to Bring
To help your testing session run smoothly, please bring the following items with you: Water and Snacks, Aids and Supports, Reports and Documents, and Comfortable Clothing.
Want the full picture?
This is just a glimpse. The complete guide also answers frequently asked questions, including: "Can I fail the assessment?", "Will I definitely receive a diagnosis?", and "Can my report be used for NDIS?"
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Redefini Therapies provides psychological assessment and therapy for children, adolescents and adults. Areas of clinical focus include autism, ADHD, intellectual functioning, learning, executive functioning, emotional wellbeing and the practical effects of disability and neurodivergence.
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