What the PEDI-CAT measures
PEDI-CAT stands for Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test. It is designed for children and young people from birth to 21 years, with any diagnosis, and looks at four domains:
- Daily activities: dressing, eating, bathing, toileting and household tasks
- Mobility: moving around, transfers, stairs and getting about in the community
- Social and cognitive: communication, interaction, play and behaviour
- Responsibility: how much the child manages tasks and their own life, such as health, safety and planning, compared with how much others do for them
How it works on the day
A parent or carer who knows the child well answers questions on a computer or tablet, usually with a therapist or early childhood partner. The test is adaptive, which means each question is chosen based on earlier answers, so you are not asked about skills that clearly do not apply.
There is a shorter version and a longer, more detailed one. The short version is often quick to complete, and filters such as age and use of a wheelchair or walker keep questions relevant.
What the results show
The PEDI-CAT gives normative scores, such as percentiles and T scores, which compare the child with others of the same age, and scaled scores, which track the child's own abilities over time. That makes it useful both for showing delay and for measuring progress after therapy.
How the NDIS uses it
The NDIA uses the PEDI-CAT to help understand how a child's developmental delay or disability affects their ability to take part in daily life compared with other children their age. It is often completed with an early childhood partner as part of the early childhood approach, which supports children younger than 6 with developmental delay and children younger than 9 with disability.
It is one piece of evidence, not the whole picture. Early childhood partners and therapists can use other routine based or standardised assessments too, and reports from your child's therapists still matter.
Tips for parents
- Answer for what your child usually does, not what they can do on their best day
- If your child needs prompting, supervision or physical help, say so
- Ask what each question means if you are unsure
- Ask for a copy of the results and an explanation in plain language
- Bring other reports, such as speech pathology or OT assessments
PEDI-CAT, Thriving Kids and future planning
From 1 January 2028, children 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs who apply will be supported by Thriving Kids rather than the NDIS, while children with high support needs remain eligible. Standardised measures like the PEDI-CAT help show the level of a child's needs, so keeping results current is worthwhile.