What supporting evidence for your patient is
Supporting evidence is information about your patient’s disability and impairments. It shows how their impairments have been treated and how they affect their day-to-day activities.
Supporting evidence should:
- be recent
- be given by the most appropriate treating professional
- confirm what impairments result in disability
- confirm the patient’s primary disability and any other disabilities
- tell us about previous treatment and outcomes for impairments and functional impacts
- tell us about future treatment options and expected outcomes for impairments and functional impacts
- tell us about the impact of your patient’s disability on different areas of their life.
Learn more about what is supporting evidence.
What supporting evidence for your patient is for
We use supporting evidence to decide whether your patient meets the disability or early intervention requirements to access the NDIS.
What supporting evidence for your patient is like
Evidence of disability
Evidence that gives information about your patient’s disability and, if relevant, their underlying medical condition could include:
- clinical specialist letter
- clinical diagnostic evaluation report aligned to best practice diagnostic criteria including standardised clinical assessments, for example:
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) assessments
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (CRC ASD) assessments
- Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) assessments
- American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) assessments
- standardised functional tests that describe the patient’s impairments and functional impacts
- letters of referral
- in-patient and out-patient discharge reports
- psychological assessment report
- neuropsychiatry assessment
- allied health progress notes or clinical letters
- school reports and individualised learning plans
- allied health reports and standardised assessments
- GP chronic disease management plan
- GP mental health care plan
- modified Rankin Scale (stroke).
Learn more about what are examples of disability evidence.
Functional assessments related to disability
This evidence tells us about the impact of your patient’s permanent impairments. It should include details about:
- your patient’s ability to do day-to-day activities
- their ability to participate in social and vocational tasks
- the tasks they can and can’t complete within each activity domain of function:
- Mobility: how a person moves around and uses their arms and legs. It includes things like moving in bed, transfers, walking, using stairs, accessing the community and using mobility aids.
- Communication: how a person understands and expresses themselves, including spoken language, written language and other forms of communication like sign language.
- Social interaction: how a person interacts with others, makes and keeps friends, and participates in social and recreational activities.
- Self-care: a person's ability to perform personal care tasks like dressing, bathing, grooming, eating and toileting.
- Self-management: a person's ability to manage their own life, including organising their daily activities, making decisions and managing their health.
- Learning: a person's ability to learn new things, participate in educational activities and develop new skills.
- the type of support, aid or modification they need and how often they need it
- if functional tasks were observed, assessed or reported.
Learn more about what is a functional capacity assessment.
This evidence could be:
- specialist reports about their impairment and function
- reports or assessments from treating professionals such as an occupational therapist, psychologist, speech pathologist or other allied health professional
- assessments and reports from relevant government departments such as disability, health, education, housing and justice
- statements from family members, carers, community services or support workers.
Impact of disability on daily life
Evidence could include:
- case notes from service providers
- carer statement
- self-reports.
Learn more about how to apply.