Children’s Therapy | NDIS OT & Speech Support
If your child has an NDIS plan — or you’re in the process of applying for one — Ability Rehab can help. We are a registered NDIS provider offering paediatric occupational therapy and speech pathology for children aged 0–18 across Melbourne’s north-east, including Ivanhoe, Heidelberg, Kew, Doncaster, and surrounding suburbs.
What Is the NDIS and How Does It Work for Children?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding to support Australians with a permanent or significant disability. For children, the NDIS can fund a range of early intervention and therapy supports to help them develop skills, build independence, and participate in everyday life.
NDIS plans are individualised — every child’s plan is different and reflects their specific goals, needs, and circumstances. Funding is managed in one of three ways:
- NDIS-managed (Agency-managed): The NDIA pays registered providers directly on your behalf. Ability Rehab is a registered provider and can work with NDIA-managed plans.
- Plan-managed: A plan manager handles your funding and invoices. You can access both registered and unregistered providers.
- Self-managed: You manage your own funding and can choose any provider.
If you are unsure how your child’s plan is managed, check your NDIS myplace portal or contact your support coordinator.
What Can NDIS Funding Cover for Children's Therapy?
NDIS funding for children’s therapy typically falls under the Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living support category. This category can fund:
- Paediatric occupational therapy — supporting fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing, self-care, school readiness, and daily living skills
- Paediatric speech pathology — supporting communication, language development, speech clarity, feeding, and social skills
- Assessments and reports — including functional capacity assessments and therapy planning
- Therapy reviews — regular progress reviews and goal updates
Funding under the Early Childhood support category may also be available for children under 9 through the NDIS Early Childhood Approach (ECA).
NDIS Early Intervention — Why Starting Early Matters
Research consistently shows that early intervention leads to better long-term outcomes for children with developmental challenges. The NDIS recognises this through its Early Childhood Approach, which provides supports for children aged 0–9 who have a developmental delay or disability — without needing a formal diagnosis in many cases.
If you have concerns about your child’s development, you do not need to wait for a diagnosis to seek support. Our team can assist families who are navigating the early intervention pathway and help connect therapy goals with your child’s NDIS plan.
How Ability Rehab Works With NDIS Families
At Ability Rehab, we work with families to make the NDIS process as straightforward as possible. Here is what you can expect when accessing therapy through your child’s NDIS plan:
- Initial contact — Contact us to discuss your child’s needs and confirm your NDIS plan details. We will confirm we can support your child under their current funding.
- Service agreement — Before therapy begins, we will provide a service agreement that outlines the supports to be delivered, the cost, and how sessions will be scheduled.
- Assessment — Where appropriate, your child’s occupational therapist or speech pathologist will complete an initial assessment to understand their strengths, challenges, and goals.
- Therapy and goal setting — Therapy goals are developed collaboratively with your family, aligned to your child’s NDIS plan goals.
- Ongoing review — Progress is reviewed regularly and communicated with families. We can also provide reports to support NDIS plan reviews when required.
We support NDIS-managed, plan-managed, and self-managed participants.
What If My Child Doesn't Have an NDIS Plan Yet?
You do not need an existing NDIS plan to start the process. If you believe your child may be eligible for NDIS funding, here are some steps to consider:
- Contact the NDIS directly — Call 1800 800 110 or visit ndis.gov.au to find out whether your child may be eligible and to start an access request.
- Speak with your GP or paediatrician — They can provide supporting documentation for an NDIS access request.
- Contact Ability Rehab — Our team can provide information about the types of supports we offer and what documentation may be helpful for an NDIS access request.
Families can also access our services through Medicare’s Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan or private health insurance while an NDIS application is in progress.
NDIS Paediatric Therapy Across Melbourne's North-East
Ability Rehab provides NDIS-funded children’s therapy from our clinic in Ivanhoe East, with services available across a wide range of Melbourne suburbs including Heidelberg, Kew, Doncaster, Bundoora, Eltham, Greensborough, Balwyn, Rosanna, and surrounding areas.
Therapy can be delivered in our clinic, at your child’s school, in your home, or within the community — depending on what best supports your child’s goals and NDIS plan.
Frequently Asked Questions — NDIS for Children
Ready to Get Started?
We work with NDIS families across Melbourne’s north-east, including Heidelberg, Kew, Doncaster, Bundoora, Eltham, Greensborough, and Balwyn.