Education
The NDIS website says your child's plan covers 'reasonable and necessary' supports. What it doesn't tell you is what that means in a school, or what to ask for.
The NDIS website says your child's funding can support 'reasonable and necessary' supports. What it doesn't say is what that means in a school context, who is responsible for what, or what to actually ask for. I know this from two directions: as an educator who has sat in hundreds of school meetings with families navigating the system, and as a parent who navigates it myself. Our son has an NDIS plan. I know what it feels like to sit across a table from a school and wonder whether you're asking for the right things.
The gap between what families are entitled to and what they actually receive is enormous. And it is almost always a gap in knowledge, not in funding. This guide is my attempt to close some of that gap.
First: whose job is it?
This is the question that causes more confusion than any other. In Australia, schools have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments for students with disability under the Disability Discrimination Act and the Disability Standards for Education. This is separate from and additional to any NDIS funding your child has.
What this means in practice: the school cannot tell you that they cannot support your child because they don't have NDIS funding. The base-level adjustments are the school's responsibility. NDIS funding can supplement what the school provides, but it cannot be used to plug gaps that the school is legally required to fill.
“NDIS money is not the school's budget to manage. It belongs to your child. Understanding that distinction is the first thing that shifts the conversation.”
What NDIS can fund at school
- Occupational therapy (OT) assessments and therapy delivered at school, including sensory profiles, handwriting programs, and classroom environment recommendations
- Speech pathology in the school setting, supporting communication, social skills, and literacy
- Behaviour support and functional behaviour assessments carried out by a registered practitioner
- Specialist support coordination to attend school meetings and help write school-based support plans
- Personal care and daily living supports for children who need physical assistance during the school day
- Assistive technology, communication devices, specialised seating, sensory tools
- Social skills programs run by NDIS-registered providers, sometimes delivered within the school
What schools must provide regardless of NDIS
- An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) or equivalent, a documented plan outlining adjustments and goals
- Reasonable adjustments to the curriculum, the physical environment, and the way information is presented
- Access to a learning support or inclusion coordinator
- Adjustments to assessment, extended time, alternative formats, rest breaks
- A safe and inclusive environment, schools cannot exclude a child due to disability-related behaviour without appropriate process
Core vs Capacity Building, a plain-English explanation
If your child has NDIS funding and you're trying to use it at school, you'll likely be working with either Core Supports (flexible funding for everyday support needs) or Capacity Building, Improved Daily Living (the category that funds therapies like OT, speech, and behaviour support).
Core Supports can sometimes fund a support worker to assist your child at school, this is worth discussing with your planner or support coordinator, as the rules around this depend on your child's specific plan. Capacity Building funding for therapies can generally be used with a provider who can deliver services directly at the school rather than in a clinic.
Questions to ask your support coordinator
- Can any of my child's therapy supports be delivered at school rather than in a clinic? In-school therapy transfers to the real environment in ways clinic sessions often don't.
- Is there funding in the plan for specialist support coordination to attend school meetings with me?
- What assistive technology might my child be entitled to, and who assesses for that?
- Can we build a school-based support plan into the service agreements?
- What should I be asking the school to provide independently of NDIS?
When to push back
If a school tells you they cannot implement a support because they don't have the staff, the funding, or the capacity, note the conversation in writing and ask for their response in writing. You are entitled to request that the school's obligations under the Disability Standards for Education be met, and you can escalate to the relevant state education department if they are not.
If your NDIS plan doesn't seem to reflect your child's needs at school, you can request a plan review, you do not have to wait for the annual one. The families who get the most out of the system are rarely the ones with the most funding. They are the ones who know what to ask for, and who understand that 'no' from a tired system is often not the final answer.
Education
A note on accuracy:While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this article is accurate at the time of writing, facts, policies and research can change. We're human, and sometimes we get things wrong. If you spot something that needs updating, we'd genuinely love to hear from you.
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Dave Harrison
ESW · Neurodiversity Advocate · Podcast Host
Dave Harrison is currently working in Australian schools as an Education Support Worker. He's the founder of THRVHUB, host of the Different Is Normal podcast, and a parent of a neurodivergent teenager, writing from both sides of the classroom.
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