Speech Pathology and the NDIS: Early Childhood Approach

Accessing support through the NDIS Early Childhood Approach can make a world of difference for young children who need speech therapy or other allied health services.

If you're just beginning your NDIS journey, the process may seem overwhelming — but understanding how the Early Childhood Approach works can make it much easier.

In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about accessing speech pathology funding for your child through the NDIS Early Childhood Approach.

What is the Early Childhood Approach?

The Early Childhood Approach is a part of the NDIS that is specifically designed for children under 7. It operates differently to the rest of the NDIS.

Rather than waiting for a formal diagnosis, the Early Childhood Approach helps children with developmental delays or disabilities access therapy and supports early — giving them the best chance to thrive at home, school, and in the community.

Who is Eligible for the Early Childhood Approach?

This depends on the age of your child and whether or not they have a recognised disability diagnosis. If your child is over 6, they will need an official diagnosis to gain access to the scheme. If your child is under 6, they may be able to gain access to the NDIS without an official diagnosis. This is one of the key differences (and benefits!) of the Early Childhood Approach.

Your child's eligibility depends on their age and developmental needs:

• Children under 6:
  • Can access the NDIS with evidence of developmental delay, even without a formal diagnosis.
• Children 6 years and older:
  • Need a recognised diagnosis of a permanent and significant disability to access the NDIS.

💡 Good to know: For children under 6, developmental concerns such as delayed speech, difficulty with play skills, or challenges with daily activities can be enough to start the process.

Access with a recognised diagnosis:

If a child has a diagnosis that meets the NDIS criteria (i.e., a permanent and significant disability), they are likely to gain automatic access to the NDIS. Parents will still need to make an application, however the main document used to establish their eligibility will be a letter of diagnosis from a recognised health professional.

Access without a recognised diagnosis:

Children under the age of 6 are able to access the NDIS with a developmental delay, even though this is not an official diagnosis. Children with a developmental delay are not developing at the same rate as their peers and may find it harder to do everyday activities. These children often need a lot of extra help to do age-appropriate tasks.

When a child is accessing the scheme as a result of developmental delay, their parents have a meeting with an Early Childhood Coordinator. The Coordinator will talk with the parents about their child and any concerns they have with their abilities in the areas of cognitive(thinking)/play skills, language and communication, self-care skills, emotional development and physical development. The Coordinator will observe the child in spaces where they spend a lot of their time such as at home, at kindergarten or at a childcare centre. Based on this information, the Coordinator will determine whether there is evidence of a developmental delay and if it is appropriate to put forward an access request to the NDIA.

What if my child has already turned 6?

If your child is already 6 years of age, they are unable to access the NDIS under developmental delay. They will need to have a recognised permanent and significant disability in order to gain access.

How to Access the NDIS Early Childhood Approach

1. Contact the NDIS:

Call 1800 800 110 to be connected with your local Early Childhood Partner. You can also find and contact your local Early Childhood Partner directly by searching here. 

2. Initial Meeting:

Your Early Childhood Coordinator will meet with you to discuss your child’s strengths, challenges, and daily activities.

3. Gather Supporting Evidence:

Reports from speech pathologists, GPs, or early educators can help demonstrate developmental needs.

If you need help preparing a speech pathology report or gathering information for your child’s NDIS application, contact us for more information. We’re here to guide you through the process.

4. Submit an Access Request:

Your Coordinator will help determine if a formal NDIS application is required and support you through the process.

If you would like to read more about Early Childhood Partners and what they do, click here.

What Does Speech Therapy Look Like Under the Early Childhood Approach?

Our speech pathologists use a family-centred, play-based approach to help children:

• Develop communication skills (speech sounds, first words, sentence-building)
• Improve social interaction (turn-taking, eye contact, conversation)
• Strengthen pre-literacy and school readiness
• Build feeding or swallowing skills if needed

Speech Pathology and the NDIS: How It Works

Once your child’s NDIS access is approved, a plan will be created outlining the funded supports needed to work towards their individual goals.

• Capacity Building Budget: Covers therapies like speech pathology, occupational therapy, psychology, and physiotherapy.
• Core Budget: Covers low-cost assistive technologies or consumables, such as picture cards or pencil grips.

✅ Speech Pathology Funding Example:
If your child has a Capacity Building Budget of $15,519.20, with the NDIS allied health hourly rate at $193.99, this allows for around 80 hours of therapy across the year.

You could plan:

• Remaining hours for assessments, progress reporting, and other allied health supports
• Weekly speech pathology sessions (~55 hours)

I’ve got my NDIS plan. Now what?

What Happens After Your NDIS Plan Is Approved?

Discuss any changes or new priorities with your Early Childhood Coordinator during your plan review.

1. Choose Your Therapy Providers:

Depending on your plan management type (self-managed, plan-managed, or NDIA-managed), you can access registered or non-registered speech pathologists.

2. Start Services:

Begin therapy sessions aligned with your child’s goals.

3. Prepare for Plan Reviews:

A few months before the plan ends, gather progress reports from your child’s therapists.

4. Update Goals:

Discuss any changes or new priorities with your Early Childhood Coordinator during your plan review.

💡 Tip: Always request therapy reports 6–8 weeks before your review meeting to avoid delays.

What do I have to do for my plan review?

1. Prepare your reports – A few months before your child’s plan is going to expire, you are required to ask for progress reports from the services and supports you have been accessing with NDIS funds. Allied Health Clinicians will be aware of the format and what needs to be included in the report. The report will outline the progress your child has made, how they have worked towards their NDIS goals and recommendations for their next plan. It is important that you ask for these reports prior to your child’s plan review appointment, as it can take clinicians a few weeks to prepare the report.
2. Attend your plan review meeting – When your child’s plan is due to expire, you will be contacted by their Early Childhood Partner to book a ‘Plan Review Meeting’. In this meeting, the Early Childhood Coordinator will discuss with you what your child can now do, how they have been working towards their goals and if there are any goals you would like to change, remove or add. The Early Childhood Coordinator will ask you to send your child’s progress reports through to them prior to the meeting to ensure they have an understanding of your child’s progress, capacity and what may need to be included in their next plan.
3. Start your new plan – Once the meeting is completed, the Coordinator will build your child’s new NDIS plan and it will be submitted to the NDIA. The NDIA will review the plan and either approve the supports that have been requested by the Coordinator or modify the plan to fit within the criteria. The criteria is that the requested supports must be deemed ‘reasonable and necessary for that particular child.  You will then receive your child’s new plan and it is ready to be utilised.

What happens if I do not receive the funding or support I need to achieve my goals?

When you receive your child’s next NDIS plan, it sometimes won’t include all the supports you were expecting or feel your child needs to have to reach their goals. The best way to gain insight into why this is the case is to speak with your Early Childhood Coordinator.

Your Coordinator can talk you through why your child received reduced, different or no funding for certain supports in that area of their plan. If you are still not happy with the plan, you can request a plan review. This is facilitated by your Early Childhood Coordinator.

What happens if my plan expires prior to receiving my new plan?

Sometimes the NDIA is backlogged with approving plans. If your child’s plan expires prior to the new plan being approved, their current plan will go into ‘auto-extension’. Auto-extension means that your child’s current plan will be duplicated and rolled over until the new plan is approved.

This means that, even if you had utilised all of your child’s allocated funds on the current plan, you will be able to continue to access funds from the day after expiry with no interruption to their support.

It is important to note that, once your new plan is approved, all unused auto-extension funds will be overwritten and your new plan will start fresh.

What happens when my child turns 7?

Turning 7 with a recognised diagnosis:

Your child will continue with their current NDIS plan under the Early Childhood Approach until it expires.
When it's time for a plan review, your Early Childhood Coordinator will hand over to a Local Area Coordinator (LAC), who will help build your child’s next plan under the general NDIS pathway.
Support will continue if your child still meets NDIS eligibility criteria.

Turning 7 without a recognised diagnosis:

Your child can finish using their current plan, but at the next review, they must meet NDIS eligibility criteria to continue receiving support. Without a recognised diagnosis, this may be their final plan under the NDIS. Your Early Childhood Coordinator will guide you through the next steps.

How Care Speech Pathology Supports Families Through the NDIS

At Care Speech Pathology, we specialise in working with families accessing the NDIS Early Childhood Approach. We provide:

✅ Early childhood speech assessments for NDIS access and planning
✅ Play-based therapy tailored to young children
✅ Progress reports to support ongoing NDIS funding
✅ Guidance during plan reviews and transitions

If you would like to book an initial consultation with a Speech Pathologist from our team, please contact us at 1300 086 280 or book your initial consultation here.

Let’s work together to support your child’s communication, confidence, and future!

References

NDIS. (2022a). The early childhood approach. [online]. NDIS. Available at https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/families-and-carers/early-childhood-approach

NDIS. (2022b). Developmental delay and the early childhood approach. [online]. NDIS. Available at https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/families-and-carers/early-childhood-approach/developmental-delay-and-early-childhood-approach

NDIS. (2022c). Offices and contacts in your area. [online]. NDIS. Available at https://www.ndis.gov.au/contact/locations

NDIS. (2022d). Connecting with an early childhood partner. [online]. NDIS. Available at https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/families-and-carers/early-childhood-approach/connecting-early-childhood-partner