The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia’s program that provides funding to people with permanent and significant disabilities. NDIS funding covers therapies such as speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychological support and early childhood intervention. To access NDIS, individuals must have impairments that significantly affect their mobility, communication and/or self-care. Common diagnoses that may meet eligibility for NDIS include autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, spinal cord injury, and global developmental delay.
For a more detailed understanding of eligibility requirements and the list of conditions, visit the NDIS FAQ page.
Educational supports in Western Australia provide students with disabilities access to appropriate learning environments and resources. These supports can include education assistant hours, attending an Education Support Centre, or seeking placement in a Language Development Centre.
Below are the comprehensive assessments that Online Speechie offers to help you or your child access appropriate supports.
What’s covered in this article:
This assessment can determine whether you or your child DOES or DOES NOT meet the criteria for autism spectrum disorder, as specified in the Diagnostic & Statistical manual 5th Edition (DSM-5). At Online Speechie, we can offer a sole practitioner assessment where only a clinical psychologist assessment is sufficient for diagnostic purposes, or a multidisciplinary team assessment where evaluation by both speech pathologist and clinical psychologist is needed. For more information about your child’s requirements or to book an assessment, visit our Autism Assessments page.
Our functional capacity assessment (FCA) can help determine you or your child’s level of functioning and how your disability impacts your daily life. This assessment looks at the level of mobility, communication, self-care, and social interactions. By understanding these areas, we can identify specific NDIS supports that can help improve independence and quality of life. FCAs are often needed for accessing NDIS, as they provide evidence of a person’s limitations due to their disability.
This comprehensive assessment is usually carried out by a multidisciplinary team, including a speech pathologist and clinical psychologist. As a result, it helps identify multiple areas where your child might be experiencing delays. This includes delays in communication, motor skills, cognitive abilities, or social-emotional development.
Getting a Global Developmental Delay (GDD) diagnosis can assist with accessing NDIS Early Childhood Intervention support. Through this assessment, we aim to give NDIS the evidence that your child shows delays in multiple areas and, eligible to receive appropriate early intervention services, which will help develop the skills needed to participate more actively in everyday life and reduce their need for supports later in life.
Cognitive functions include mental processes involved in learning, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making. These cognitive assessments can help determine a person’s IQ level, to diagnose an intellectual disability, and to identify any cognitive difficulties that may accompany a primary diagnosis (i.e. autism, developmental syndrome, learning disorder etc). This information will assist with NDIS eligibility, as it helps to demonstrate how cognitive limitations can affect an individual’s independence to carry out daily activities, participate at school and learn,
Language Development Centres (LDC) are designed for children who have been diagnosed with a significant language disorder, impacting their ability to communicate effectively. These centres in Western Australia cater to children from Kindergarten to Year 2. Your child must demonstrate evidence of average learning potential and without any other medical or developmental conditions to be eligible. Online Speechie will use speech pathology assessments to assess various language skills and to determine whether your child meets the criteria to study at a LDC. Referrals for LDC placement must be submitted early, usually by Term 3 each year. It is important to note that this assessment does not guarantee a placement at the LDC.
For more detailed information about the referral process and eligibility requirements, you can visit the official West Coast Language Development Centre or Fremantle Language Development Centre websites.
The Cognitive Assessments and Autism Assessments offered by Online Speechie would also help determine if your child is eligible for:
Online Speechie is dedicated to providing comprehensive assessments to support you and your child. Whether it’s an autism diagnostic assessment or a Language Development Centre (LDC) placement assessment, our goal is to help you or your child access the necessary supports as soon as possible, reduce their developmental gap with their peers, reduce their support needs later in life, and ultimately improve your child’s quality of life.
If you have any questions or would like to book an assessment, please contact us here for an appointment or learn more about how we can assist your family.