Why preparation matters
Your plan is built from what the NDIA learns about your life. The planner or local area coordinator only has a limited time with you, and what you tell them, plus the evidence they have, shapes the supports and funding in your plan. People who arrive with a clear picture of their week and good reports usually find the meeting easier and the plan closer to what they need.
Step 1: log a typical week
Write down what happens across a normal week, morning to night, and who helps with each part. Include:
- Personal care: showering, dressing, eating, toileting, medication
- Household tasks: cleaning, cooking, shopping, laundry, the garden
- Getting around: at home, in the community, to appointments, to work or school
- Overnight: any help or supervision you need at night
- Social life, work, study and therapy
- Your hard days, not just your good ones, and how often they happen
Step 2: list who supports you now
The NDIA looks at what is reasonable to expect family, friends and the community to provide. Be honest about what your family can keep doing, and what is putting strain on them. If a parent or partner is ageing, unwell or working, say so. List the services you already use, such as health, school or community programs, so the plan does not double up.
Step 3: draft your goals
Goals are your own and can be big or small, short or long term. Write a few in your own words, such as living more independently, making friends, getting a job or managing your health. You do not need a goal for every support, but goals help show why supports matter. You can refine them with your planner, and change them later.
Step 4: gather your evidence
Reports that explain how your disability affects daily life carry the most weight. Useful evidence includes letters from your GP or specialists, therapy reports, assessments such as a functional capacity assessment, and quotes for equipment or home changes. Ask professionals to describe what you can and cannot do and what support they recommend, not just your diagnosis. Send evidence to the NDIA before the meeting if you can.
Step 5: decide how to manage your funding
You will be asked whether you want to self manage, use a plan manager, have the NDIA manage your funding, or mix these. Think about how much admin you want, and whether the providers you want are registered, because NDIA managed funding can only pay registered providers. Plan management is funded separately in your plan.
Step 6: write your questions
Bring a list. Common ones include:
- What can I buy with each part of my funding?
- How long are my funding periods?
- When do I need a registered provider?
- Will I get support coordination to help me start?
- How do I use the my NDIS portal and app?
Preparing for a reassessment, and for new framework planning
The same steps help before a plan reassessment. The NDIA contacts you 2 to 3 months before a scheduled reassessment, which gives you time to update your week log and ask providers for progress reports. From 1 April 2027 participants start moving to new framework planning with a support needs assessment, and a clear record of your support needs across the week and night will help there too.