NDIS Glossary: A Plain-English Jargon Buster

The NDIS comes with its own language, and it can be a lot to take in. This NDIS glossary explains the most common terms in plain English so you can read your plan, follow a meeting and feel more in control. Keep it handy and come back whenever a piece of jargon trips you up.

We have grouped the terms in a roughly logical order, but you can jump straight to whatever you need. If a word here sends you down another rabbit hole, we have linked to fuller guides along the way.

The basics

NDIS

The National Disability Insurance Scheme. It is the national program that funds supports for people with a permanent and significant disability so they can live more independently and pursue their goals.

NDIA

The National Disability Insurance Agency. This is the government body that runs the NDIS. The NDIA decides who is eligible, approves plans and manages the scheme day to day.

Participant

You. A participant is a person who has been found eligible for the NDIS and has an active plan. We use "participant" rather than "client" because it reflects that the scheme is built around your choice and control.

Access request

The formal way you apply to join the NDIS. You can make an access request by calling 1800 800 110 or by completing the Access Request Form. If you are just starting out, our step-by-step guide on how to apply for the NDIS walks you through it.

Plan

Your NDIS plan is the document that sets out your goals and the funding you have been approved for. It is divided into budgets, and it usually runs for a set period before it is reviewed.

Reasonable and necessary

The test the NDIA uses to decide what it will fund. A support is reasonable and necessary if it relates to your disability, helps you pursue your goals, represents value for money, is likely to be effective, and is not something better provided by another service such as the health or education system. In short, it is the rulebook for what your funding can and cannot pay for.

Your three budgets

Most plans split funding into three categories. For a deeper look, see our guide to the NDIS funding categories.

Core budget

Core Supports funding covers your everyday assistance, such as help with daily activities, consumables, social and community participation, and transport. For most participants this is the largest and most flexible part of the plan.

Capacity Building budget

Capacity Building funding helps you build skills and independence over time. It pays for things like therapy, support coordination, and help to find work or improve your daily living skills. Unlike Core, this funding is usually tied to specific categories and cannot be moved around as freely.

Capital budget

Capital Supports funding covers larger one-off items, such as assistive technology (equipment) and home or vehicle modifications. This budget is the most tightly controlled, and money is generally quoted and approved for a specific purpose.

Who helps you with your plan

Support coordination

A funded support that helps you understand and use your plan. A support coordinator helps you connect with providers, set up services and build your confidence to manage your supports. They do not deliver the hands-on supports themselves. Read more about what support coordination is.

Specialist support coordination

A higher, more intensive level of support coordination for participants in more complex situations, for example where there are significant risks, several services that need to work together, or a crisis to manage. It is delivered by a suitably qualified practitioner. Learn more on our specialist support coordination page.

LAC (Local Area Coordinator)

A Local Area Coordinator is a person from a partner organisation in your area who helps you understand the NDIS, apply, use your plan and connect with services and community supports. LACs are a key point of contact for many participants, especially those with less complex needs.

How your plan is managed

The way your plan is managed decides who pays your providers and keeps track of the money. These three options often confuse people, so here they are side by side. Our guide comparing plan management and support coordination clears up a common mix-up.

Agency-managed

The NDIA manages your funding and pays your providers directly. You can only use providers that are registered with the NDIS. There is no paperwork for you, but less flexibility in who you can choose.

Plan management

A plan manager (a separate provider funded in your plan) pays your invoices, keeps your records and tracks your budget for you. With plan management you can use both registered and non-registered providers. Note that plan management is not a service Navigator In Reach provides, but we can help you understand whether it suits you.

Self-management

You manage the funding yourself, including paying providers and keeping records. Self-management gives you the most choice and control, along with more responsibility. Our guide to self-management explains what is involved.

Housing and equipment terms

Assistive technology

Assistive technology (often shortened to AT) is equipment or devices that help you do things you otherwise could not, or do them more safely. Examples include wheelchairs, communication devices, shower chairs and home safety equipment.

SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation)

SDA is specially designed housing for participants with very high support needs or extreme functional impairment. SDA funding pays for the building itself, not the support delivered inside it.

SIL (Supported Independent Living)

SIL is funding for the support and assistance you receive to live in a shared or individual home, such as help with daily tasks and overnight support. People sometimes confuse SDA and SIL, so we explain the difference in our guide on SDA versus SIL. If you live in South Australia and want to understand your choices, our NDIS housing options guide is a good place to start.

Reviews, changes and your rights

Plan reassessment (plan review)

The process where the NDIA looks at your plan again, usually near the end of your plan period, to decide on your next plan. You can also request a change of circumstances review if your needs change before then. To get ready, see our guide on how to prepare for a plan review.

ART (Administrative Review Tribunal)

The independent body that handles external reviews of NDIS decisions. If you disagree with an NDIA decision and an internal review does not resolve it, you can apply to the ART, which replaced the former Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). Our guide on reviews and appeals explains the steps.

A few more terms worth knowing

Early childhood approach

The NDIS pathway for children younger than 9. Families can get support from an early childhood partner, sometimes before a full plan is in place. See our guide on the early childhood approach.

Provider

Any organisation or person who delivers a support or service you pay for with your NDIS funding, such as a therapist, a support worker, or a support coordinator.

Registered provider

A provider that has been approved and audited against NDIS standards. Agency-managed participants must use registered providers, while plan-managed and self-managed participants can use both registered and non-registered providers.

Goals

The outcomes you want to work towards, written into your plan. Your goals shape what the NDIA decides is reasonable and necessary to fund, so it is worth thinking them through before your planning meeting.

Still feeling lost in the jargon?

A glossary helps, but nothing beats having someone explain your own plan in your own words. At Navigator In Reach, we provide Support Coordination and Specialist Support Coordination to participants across Adelaide and South Australia. We help you understand what is in your plan and connect with the right providers, without the jargon.

If a term in your plan is keeping you up at night, book a free call and we will talk it through. You can also learn more about our team and the areas we cover.