We need to decide that getting early intervention supports means you’ll likely need fewer supports in the future.
We need to know that early intervention supports will help you with at least one of the following:
- addressing the impact of your impairment on your ability to move around, communicate, socialise, learn, look after yourself and organise your life.
- preventing your functional capacity from getting worse.
- improving your functional capacity.
- supporting your informal supports, which includes building their skills to help you.
To help us decide if the early intervention will help you in these ways, we look at:
- how your impairment might change over time
- how long you’ve had your impairment
- if there’s been a significant change to your impairment
- if your needs are likely to change soon, such as if you’re finishing school.
Will the early intervention supports you need be NDIS supports?
The early intervention support that you would likely benefit from must be NDIS supports. NDIS supports are the services, items and equipment that can be funded by the NDIS.
Learn more about reasonable and necessary supports and NDIS supports.
What about people aged between 0 and 25 with a hearing impairment?
If you’re aged between 0 and 25 with a hearing impairment, you may meet the early intervention requirements. We’ll decide you meet the early intervention requirements if you give us evidence of all of the following:
- You’re aged between 0 and 25.
- You have auditory neuropathy or hearing loss of at least 25 decibels in either ear at 2 or more adjacent frequencies – see below.
We need evidence of your auditory neuropathy or hearing loss from a specialist audiological assessment. The assessment might include electrophysiological testing when required. The evidence must show your hearing loss is likely to be permanent.
If you’re aged 26 or older with hearing loss, we’ll check if you’re eligible in the same way we consider all other impairments. You may be eligible under the disability requirements.