What is supporting evidence for your patient

What supporting evidence for your patient is

Supporting evidence is information about your patient’s disability and impairments. It shows how their impairments have been treated and how they affect their day-to-day activities.

Supporting evidence should:

be recent
be given by the most appropriate treating professional
confirm what impairments result in disability
confirm the patient’s primary disability and any other disabilities
give information about previous treatment, and outcomes for impairments and functional impacts
give information about future treatment options, and expected outcomes for impairments and functional impacts
give information about the impact of your patient’s disability on different areas of their life.

See what is supporting evidence for more information.

What supporting evidence for your patient is for

We use supporting evidence to decide whether your patient meets the disability or early intervention requirements to access the NDIS.

What supporting evidence for your patient is like

Evidence of disability

Evidence that provides information about your patient’s disability and, if relevant, underlying medical condition could include:

clinical specialist letter
clinical diagnostic evaluation report aligned to best practice diagnostic criteria including standardised clinical assessments, for example:
- DSM-V assessments
- CRC ASD assessments
- GMFCS assessments
- ASIA assessments
- standardised functional tests that describe the patient’s impairments and functional impacts
letters of referral
in-patient and out-patient discharge reports
psychological assessment report
neuropsychiatry assessment
allied health progress notes or clinical letters
school reports and individualised learning plans
allied health reports and standardised assessments
GP chronic disease management plan
GP mental health care plan
modified Rankin Scale (stroke).

See what are examples of disability evidence for more information.

Functional assessments related to disability

This evidence gives information about the impact of your patient’s permanent impairment(s). This should include:

ability to do day-to-day activities
ability to participate in social and vocational tasks
the tasks they can and cannot complete within each activity domain of function:
- Mobility: how a person moves around and uses their arms and legs. It includes things like moving in bed, transfers, walking, using stairs, accessing the community, and using mobility aids.
- Communication: how a person understands and expresses themselves, including spoken language, written language, and other forms of communication like sign language.
- Social interaction: how a person interacts with others, makes and keeps friends, and participates in social and recreational activities.
- Self-care: a person's ability to perform personal care tasks like dressing, bathing, grooming, eating, and toileting.
- Self-management: a person's ability to manage their own life, including organising their daily activities, making decisions, and managing their health.
- Learning: a person's ability to learn new things, participate in educational activities, and develop new skills.
the type of support, aid or modification they need and how often this is needed
if functional tasks were observed, assessed or reported.

See what is a functional capacity assessment for more information.

This evidence could be:

specialist reports about their impairment and function
reports or assessments from treating professionals (occupational therapist, psychologist, speech pathologist or other allied health professional)
assessments and reports from relevant government departments (Disability, Health, Education, Housing, Justice)
statements from family members, carers, community services or support workers.

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