An independent assessment is an evaluation of a person's ability to manage the tasks and activities of everyday life.
The assessment is undertaken as part of one or more appointments organised and paid for by the NDIA. It will be completed by a qualified health professional. This person may be an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, or psychologist, who is both independent of the NDIA, and also not a person’s treating health professional.
An independent assessment is not a medical diagnosis. Instead, it creates a complete picture of how a person manages tasks and activities in their life, as well as the overall impact the disability has on their life.
The health professional will use standardised assessment tools to gather information in one or more appointments to make an assessment of functional capacity. A person’s age and primary disability will determine which and how many of the assessment tools need to be completed.
Assessments may take up to 3 hours, and can be done in person at the health professional’s office, at home or over the phone.
The results of the independent assessment will be provided to the NDIA to inform decisions about the applicant’s eligibility to access the NDIS and if already a participant, their personalised plan budget.
