NDIS updates
Allied Health Evidence for an NDIS Referral: Who Does What?
Strong NDIS evidence is not about collecting the largest number of reports. It is about asking the right professional to answer the right functional question.
Key points
- Strong NDIS evidence is not about collecting the largest number of reports.
- It is about asking the right professional to answer the right functional question.
Start with the question, not the discipline
A useful referral explains the decision or problem the team is trying to address. Is the participant's daily support changing? Is equipment needed? Are communication, swallowing, mobility, behaviour, mental health or housing barriers affecting safety and participation?
Once the question is clear, the most relevant professional can provide evidence within their area of practice. Several disciplines may contribute to a complex situation, but their reports should complement rather than duplicate one another.
What different allied health professionals may contribute
- Occupational therapy: daily function, personal and domestic activities, cognition, sensory needs, equipment, home access, support needs and participation
- Physiotherapy: movement, strength, balance, physical capacity, mobility and rehabilitation
- Speech pathology: communication, swallowing, mealtime safety and communication systems
- Psychology: psychological function, behaviour, emotional wellbeing and the effects of mental health or cognitive conditions
- Dietetic and other clinical evidence: discipline-specific assessment where nutrition, health or another specialised issue affects daily support needs
The role of an occupational therapy FCA
An OT Functional Capacity Assessment often brings information together around everyday life. It can describe what the participant can do, where assistance is required, how the environment affects performance and what practical supports may address the identified barriers.
An FCA does not replace specialist evidence. For example, a wheelchair recommendation may need OT assessment alongside input from physiotherapy, medical specialists, suppliers or other clinicians, depending on the person's needs.
Making a clear referral
Support Coordinators, families and health professionals can help by providing the referral purpose, current plan goals, key risks, relevant existing reports, important deadlines and the people who should be involved with consent.
Referrals to Today & Tomorrow Allied Health Services are acknowledged within two business days. Mobile OT is available across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Logan, Scenic Rim and Northern Rivers, with rural outreach and Telehealth options for participants elsewhere in Australia.
- State the decision the report needs to inform
- Identify changes since the last assessment
- Share relevant evidence rather than every historical document
- Include communication, access or cultural needs
- Confirm the participant's preferred contact person and appointment format
Better collaboration, less repetition
With consent, direct communication between clinicians can reduce repeated questioning and conflicting recommendations. Each professional should remain clear about their own findings, reasoning and scope.
The aim is not a stack of reports. It is a coherent picture of function, goals, risk and support that the participant and decision-makers can understand.
References and further reading
- NDIS — Supporting evidence for your patient
- NDIS — How to write a plan reassessment report
- NDIS — Therapeutic supports
Information checked against the official sources above on 2 June 2026.
This article provides general information only. NDIS rules and individual circumstances can change; check current official guidance or seek advice about your situation.
Need an assessment or ongoing occupational therapy?
We respond to every referral within two business days, with mobile visits across South East Queensland and the Northern Rivers and Telehealth Australia-wide.