Gaining access to the right supports and healthcare can be the difference between a participant’s ability to thrive and meet their goals, or not.

Allied health services play a crucial role in the NDIS, helping to ensure that participants can make meaningful progress toward their goals while improving their quality of life.

Here we’re covering allied health services, what they are, how to access them, and how they can support participants to build their capacity.

What are allied health providers?

Allied health services are one of the biggest groups of health providers in the NDIS sector. Among other things, they provide therapeutic supports for participants.

Allied health professionals can assess and diagnose a participant’s disability, and then make a detailed plan to support the participant to build capacity and reach their NDIS goals.

As part of their role, allied health providers:

• Provide assessments and reports


• Provide evidence that a person has a disability


• Provide information as to the extent of a person’s disability


• Support participants in building their capacity and working towards their NDIS goals


• Help participants manage everyday living and improve their quality of life

Which supports are considered allied health providers?

Various professionals fall into the category of allied health providers. Some of the common professionals are:

• Occupational therapists


• Speech pathologists


• Exercise physiologists


• Physiotherapists


• Psychologists

Keep in mind that allied health professionals are required to have a professional qualification in their field of practice.

How can I find an allied health provider?

There are various ways to find a health provider that suits your needs. These include:

• Using the NDIS provider finder tool


• Working with your support coordinator to locate and choose an appropriate provider


• Speaking to your local area coordinator about potential providers

Questions to ask an allied health provider

Before choosing an allied health provider, it’s important to ask the right questions to ensure that they’ll be a provider who suits your (or your participant’s) needs.

Some key questions to ask your potential provider are:

• Are you certified by the appropriate governing bodies?


• Are you evidence-based in your practice?


• Do you have experience that’s relevant to my needs?


• Do you have testimonials from those who have worked with you?


• What would you hope to achieve with me in terms of progress and NDIS goal achievement?


• Have you previously worked with people who have similar goals to mine?


• How will you communicate with others in my care team?


• Do you work with other allied health providers to provide comprehensive care?


• How will you assess my progress?

We’re a call away

It’s our goal to help our participants to thrive. If you have a question or query about allied health providers, or navigating the NDIS generally, our friendly team is happy to help.

Contact us today on 1300 60 33 89 or send us an email at [email protected]