Getting ready for your first NDIS planning meeting 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding directly to individuals with permanent and significant disability who apply to be a participant and meet the eligibility criteria. 

For a clear overview about the system and how to apply, read our First time NDIS guide for WA families blog. 

Finding out that your adult child is eligible for the NDIS is a significant step for your family’s future. 

By now you’ll have received your access decision letter. The next stage is preparing for your planning meeting. In this meeting you’ll begin shaping the supports that reflect your loved one’s needs and goals so they can live an empowered and connected life. 

To help you prepare, this guide covers commonly asked questions like:  

• What is an NDIS plan? 

• What questions will we be asked? 

• What are the plan management options?  

• What should we bring? 

What is an NDIS plan?

An NDIS plan is a personalised document that outlines your adult child’s goals and the supports available to help them achieve these goals.  

Your plan is created with you both, and everyone’s plan is different. 

An NDIS plan brings together: 

• the goals that matter most to your loved one; 

• the funded supports approved by the NDIS; and 

• any community or informal supports that also play a role. 

The plan is designed to focus on outcomes and quality of life – not just services. It’s all about what your adult child wants to work towards, and how support can help make that possible. 

How does the plan come together? 

An NDIS plan doesn’t appear fully formed – it starts with a conversation. The planning meeting is where you’ll sit down with an NDIS representative and talk through what matters most. This shapes the supports that will appear in the final document. 

What questions will they ask?

To get ready for your planning meeting, start thinking about your loved one’s immediate support needs and their current and future goals. 

The NDIS representative will ask questions about how they’re going in different areas of their life, what goals they’d like to pursue, and what kind of help and support they need. This will help the NDIS representative develop a plan that provides the right support. 

Below are some examples of things you will be asked about in your first NDIS planning conversation: 

• personal details; 

• community and mainstream supports; 

• everyday activity management; 

• safety – including equipment, accommodation, or care at home; 

• goals; 

• plan management; and 

• NDIS plan supports. 

Another way to prepare is to start thinking generally about: 

• who your adult child has around them (family, friends, support workers etc.); 

• how they’re going at school and work; 

• what’s going on in their community; and 

• how long you’d like the plan to go for. 

Why are goals so important?

Talking about goals helps the NDIS representative think about the outcomes you want to look at for the duration of the plan.  

Goals are important because they are your loved one’s personal desires about what they’d like to do.  

NDIS funding aims to provide them with the supports needed for their disability. 

These supports may assist them to increase your independence and pursue their goals. They can also be supported through informal supports like family, friends, and by mainstream or other community services. 

Thinking long-term

The NDIS isn’t just about meeting a person’s immediate needs. It takes a lifetime approach, investing early to improve outcomes later in life. 

In fact, one of the scheme’s key aims is to, ‘support people with disability to live “an ordinary life” – to realise their potential, participate in their community, and have a say in their own future’. 

Read our guide to long-term NDIS pathways for disability support services for some reassuring information on how the NDIS considers your loved one within the bigger picture of life. 

For a real life look into how disability support adapts over different life stages, read Danika’s story. 

Danika’s journey began with living at home with her parents to building skills, moving into her own place, and growing in confidence. With her family self-managing part of her plan and Avivo working alongside them, Danika’s independence has steadily taken shape. 

What are the different types of support?

To prepare for your meeting, you can also start thinking about your support funding. 

The NDIS groups funded supports into three main categories: 

1. Core supports – everyday assistance with daily living and participation.
2. Capacity-building supports – services that help build skills and independence over time.
3. Capital supports – equipment, assistive technology, or home modifications. 

Some people may have funding in one category, while others may have all three – this all depends on individual needs and goals. 

Each funded support category includes an allocated budget. This allows you to monitor spending and, in many cases, use funding flexibly within that category. 

Read more about the different types of support budgets that may be funded in your NDIS plan on the NDIS website (external link).  

Understanding your plan management options 

Before you arrive at your NDIS planning meeting, it’s important to consider how you might like to manage your loved one’s plan. 

There are three different ways to do this: 

• self-management; 

• plan-managed funding; or 

• NDIA-managed funding. 

Many families choose plan management to reduce overwhelm, but you can change this later. 

In your planning meeting, you can talk with your NDIS representative about these different ways of managing the plan. Read more about the options here.  

Self-management 

The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will provide you with funding so you can access the supports that will best help you pursue your goals. 

Read about self-management on the NDIS website. 

Plan-managed funding 

The NDIA will provide funding in your plan to pay for a Plan Manager who pays your providers for you, helps you keep track of funds, and takes care of financial reporting for you. 

Read about self-management on the NDIS website. 

NDIA-managed funding  

The NDIA will pay your providers on your behalf. 

Read about self-management on the NDIS website. 

What to bring 

Important paperwork 

Bringing the right information to your planning meeting can make the conversation easier and more productive.  

Remember to gather and bring the following pieces of paperwork: 

• any letters from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA); 

• your bank account details (if you are considering self-managing all or a portion of your NDIS funding); and 

• your myGov login and password details. 

You can see a checklist of all the documents here. 

Did you know..? 

Your loved one is encouraged to bring along a family member (like yourself), a friend, an advocate, or anyone else who can support them at their meeting. 

Helpful supporting documents 

It’s also important to gather any information or reports you think would be helpful for the NDIS to understand the impact of your disability and your personal circumstances. 

Your planner needs to understand not just a diagnosis, but the functional impact of your loved one’s disability – how it affects everyday life, independence, and participation. 

Helpful documents might include: 

• a page of questions you’d like to ask; 

• recent medical reports or specialist letters; 

• therapy or allied health assessments; 

• behaviour support plans (if relevant); 

• a list of current supports and services; and 

• notes about daily routines and challenges. 

Having this information on hand can help your planner see the full picture. While the meeting is a conversation, written reports often provide additional detail about functional capacity and support needs. 

Even simple notes about what a typical day looks like – what’s working well and what’s becoming harder – can be valuable. 

Final planning meeting checklist  

Before your NDIS planning meeting, take a moment to work through this simple checklist to feel prepared and confident. 

• Understand the purpose of the meeting.

Your planning meeting is a conversation. It’s where you and your loved one talk about goals, daily needs and what matters most. The discussion will shape the NDIS plan that follows. 

• Think about goals.

What does your loved one want to work towards? What would greater independence look like? Are there short-term and long-term goals to consider? 

• Reflect on everyday life.

How are things going at home, school, work or in the community? What tasks are becoming harder? What supports are already in place (family, friends, services)? 

• Consider plan management.

Would you prefer self-management, plan-managed, or NDIA-managed funding? Think about how much admin you’re comfortable handling. Remember, you can discuss options in the meeting and change later if needed. 

• Gather important paperwork.

Bring: Any letters from the NDIA, bank account details (if considering self-management) and your myGov login details. 

• Collect helpful supporting documents.

Recent medical or specialist reports, therapy or allied health assessments, behaviour support plans (if relevant), a list of current supports, notes about daily routines and challenges, and a page of questions you’d like to ask. 

Written information can help the planner understand the functional impact of disability – not just the diagnosis. 

• Bring support.

Your loved one is encouraged to bring a family member (like yourself), a friend, or an advocate to the meeting. 

For more information, view the planning meeting information on the NDIS website (external link). 

We’re here to help you 

Preparing for your NDIS planning meeting is an exciting and important step. It’s the beginning of putting the right supports in place so your adult child can build confidence, grow in independence and thrive in everyday life. 

You don’t have to do this alone 

If you need more information or want someone to talk through your situation with, get in touch with our team today.