Contact your local area office
Do you need to provide an assessment or quote for an Assistive Technology (AT) or home modifications (HM) item? Do you have a question, request or urgent matter about AT or HM for a participant? Service providers can now email a participant's local NDIA team directly. Find your local office.
When does a participant need an AT assessment?
Participants with AT funded supports in their plan can seek advice (from an Independent Living Centre, AT assessor) and buy it themselves.
Sometimes a participant may need help to select the right AT solution for their needs. Where this is the case, appropriate supports will be included in the participant's plan and this could include an AT assessment which assists a participant to understand what are the most appropriate AT solutions to meet the goals in their plan.
The NDIA has set four levels to describe AT complexity to help you identify the level of assistance a participant may need. Sometimes an item of AT may move up a level or two because of the risks the participant has associated with their disability or the environment where they need to use the AT.
For more detailed information and examples, please refer to the NDIS AT Complexity Level Classification document (DOCX 1.4MB).
Providing AT assessments
The Guide to Suitability in the Provider Toolkit (External website), provides details of the criteria that would qualify a provider for the different AT assessments.
The NDIS AT Complexity Level Classification document (DOCX 1.4MB) also provides some guidance on what the level of assistance a participant may require depending on the complexity of their AT needs. You should self-assess whether you are suitably competent to provide the level of assistance which is required by the participant.
Some additional guidance has also been provided under Additional guidance and resources below for assessing specific types of AT.
AT assessment template forms
Below are some templates to help assessors and participants provide the information required by the NDIA, to determine the appropriate supports to include in a participant's plan. The use of these templates are strongly encouraged to ensure NDIA delegates have the necessary information for planning and approval. Delays may occur where information is provided in other ways or formats.
- General Assistive Technology Assessment Template (DOCX 110KB)
- Prosthetics and Orthotics Assistive Technology Assessment Template (DOCX 116KB)
- Continence Related Assistive Technology Assessment Template (DOCX 107KB)
- Complex Home Modification Assessment Template (DOCX 120KB)
- Vehicle Modification Assessment Template (DOCX 115KB)
- Dog Guide Assessment Template (DOCX 104KB)
Pricing and payments for AT assessments
Appropriate supports will be included in a participant's plan where they require an AT assessment. The NDIS Price Guide outlines the appropriate support items you should be claiming payments against. You should work closely with the participant to understand their needs and how you will be paid for supports and services you have provided.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 states that a funded support must represent 'value for money' in that the costs of the support are reasonable, relative to both the benefits achieved and the cost of alternative support. The price for providing a routine service that requires limited expertise should thus be much lower than one that requires specialist expertise or detailed and complex work to deliver.
Participants will choose supports that get the best outcomes from their allocated plan budget so they would expect to pay less (per hour) for simple supports, versus something more complex. Support providers can help participants to make these choices by describing their support offers as clearly as possible, including price options.
Information to support Providers is available in the Provider Toolkit (external) (External website), including the NDIS Terms of Business for Registered Support Providers.
How does the AT process work?
The process for supplying AT will depend on:
- what the participant's needs are;
- how complex the participant's needs may be; and,
- how the participant is managing their AT supports
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) describes four levels of AT complexity in the NDIS AT Complexity Level Classification.
Payments for AT supports and services
How you are paid for your services will depend on:
- how the participant manages their supports; and,
- whether you are a NDIS Registered Provider.
Participants will choose supports that get the best outcomes from their allocated plan budget so they would expect to pay less (per hour) for simple supports, versus something more complex. Support providers can help participants to make these choices by describing their support offers as clearly as possible, including price, warranty and other options.
The Provider Toolkit (external) (External website) provides more information about working with the NDIS, including how to be paid for providing supports and services to participants.
The Assistive Technology and Consumables Code Guide (PDF 955KB) lists the most commonly used supports to assist providers to claim payments using a 'best-fit' approach, and to assist participants with consistent terminology for AT comparison. Listing in this guide does not mean that an item would be considered reasonable and necessary for a particular individual under the NDIS, nor is it a comprehensive list of what may be considered.