Article summary
- Shift from clinical to functional reasoning – frame psychological needs in terms of daily functioning and cost–benefit logic, not just clinical symptoms.
- Write for a non-clinical audience – use plain, concrete language that links conditions to real-world impacts and avoids jargon.
- Connect recommendations to participant goals – explicitly align every support with participant goals and NDIS domains (communication, social interaction, learning, mobility, self-care, self-management).
- Provide detailed, evidence-based reports – include behavioural data, practical examples, and cost comparisons to build a watertight case.
- Adopt a multidisciplinary approach – acknowledge and align with allied health recommendations to demonstrate holistic, coordinated care.
- Front-load the effort – invest time in the first report, as funding decisions can lock in plans for years, making early clarity critical.
Navigating the administrative aspects of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can be a challenge – especially when it comes to writing a report to encourage funding. Two psychologists with extensive NDIS experience share their advice.
After one or two experiences writing a report for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), psychologists quickly realise the process is far removed from their usual report-writing experiences – such as for a clinical report or GP/specialist reports.
The audience, purpose and expectations of the report are different. The way a report is framed can determine whether a participant receives the supports they need, or whether their application is rejected.
"In [many] psychological reports, you’re writing for a clinical audience. Whereas in NDIS, the decision-makers are non-clinical people, and [they’re] looking for the best value spend for the participant," says Dr David Hammer MAPS, psychologist at Red Point Psychology & Coaching and member of the APS NDIS Working Group.
"You’ve got to lead the NDIS decision-maker through the [process] and help them make the decision with a strong evidence base."
Dr Hammer adds that there are multiple types of NDIS reports that psychologists may be asked to provide. These include:
- Access and eligibility reports – outlining why a participant should be admitted to the scheme.
- Funding reviews – justifying ongoing supports when a plan is reassessed.
- Progress reports – demonstrating outcomes and whether supports remain necessary or needs to be adjusted.
- Change of circumstances reports – showing why new or different supports are now required.
"Understanding the NDIS participant’s goals and being able to integrate the goals into each report you're writing is really important," he adds.
Renee Dela Cruz MAPS, psychologist at RDIconnect and also a member of the APS NDIS Working Group, says it's important to spend time upfront structuring these reports.
"If the first access form is not framed correctly, the application may be rejected due to insufficient evidence regarding how the participant's condition impacts their functional capacity, or they may be provided with a plan that does not meet all of their needs, or be allocated other services but not psychology," she says.
Dela Cruz adds that it's also important not to leave any room for assumptions.
"You need to step out everything for the NDIS planner to make your clients' needs clear. [Outline] why they need psychology as part of their plan and why their needs cannot be met by other systems, such as a mental health care plan. You need to leave no wiggle room for misinterpretation."
Dela Cruz and Hammer both emphasise that while NDIS reporting is complex, it is a skill that can be learned – one that requires a shift in mindset, a detailed and structured approach and a willingness to advocate with clarity and precision.
Below, they share their best tips for psychologists working within the NDIS system.
1. Emphasising functional capacity and financial reasoning
One of the first challenges psychologists encounter is that their training does not naturally align with NDIS reporting requirements.
Psychologists are often used to presenting assessments and recommendations in cautious, neutral terms, letting the evidence speak for itself. But in an NDIS context, that approach can leave too much room for interpretation," says Dela Cruz.
“I can’t just state, ‘this client needs psychology.’ I need to go into much more breadth of detail about why that’s the case. Otherwise, the NDIS planner or delegate might state that 'there’s no evidence to support the request’ and your participant will not be provided with the psychology services they require."
This means reframing clinical formulations in practical, functional terms. For example, rather than simply stating that a client has executive functioning difficulties, a psychologist should describe how this manifests: missing appointments, being unable to organise daily tasks or failing to sustain employment.
These functional examples allow the planner to see the real-world impact and the necessity of support.
Both Hammer and Dela Cruz stress that reports should also frame recommendations in terms of financial logic. NDIS is an insurance scheme, and cost–benefit arguments are persuasive.
When a family is at a "breaking point", Dela Cruz often includes statements such as: “If this family doesn’t get adequate support, there is a significant risk of burnout and potential relinquishment of their child. That will cost the system far more than providing supports now."
2. Knowing your audience and writing in plain language
Another critical shift is recognising who will be reading the report. You can't assume an NDIS planner or delegate will have any prior knowledge or context about your client’s situation or disability, says Hammer.
“The person reading your report might have a finance or business background. They may have never worked in a clinical role, and may have a limited understanding of the disability sector,” he says.
This has major implications for how psychologists write their reports. Clinical jargon should be avoided, or immediately translated into functional consequences.
“I don’t just write, ‘poor executive functioning.’ I’ll explain that this means they’re late to things, can’t organise their day and can’t sustain employment. That’s the difference between clinical and functional language," says Dela Cruz.
Because planners and plan writers may not even be the same person, detail is essential. The planner who meets the participant might understand the story, but the plan writer who approves the funding might only see the report. Without clear, concrete evidence, vital details can be lost.
This is why both psychologists emphasise front-loading the effort in the first report. With NDIS plans sometimes being locked in for up to three years, an incomplete or vague report can have long-term impact on a participant.
"At the moment, we’ve got participants who are on an old system within NDIS moving on to a PACE System pay system. When they do that, some of their plans are reassessed and can be extended out over several years. So, if you don’t write a really good report up front, that could be a risk because their funding is locked in for three years."
I don’t just write, ‘poor executive functioning.’ I’ll explain that this means they’re late to things, can’t organise their day and can’t sustain employment. That’s the difference between clinical and functional language. – Renee Dela Cruz MAPS
3. Linking everything to participant goals and NDIS domains
Reports that fail to explicitly link recommendations to participant goals are at risk of rejection.
“Every participant’s plan is structured around their goals,” says Hammer. “If your report doesn’t connect your recommendations back to those goals, it weakens the case."
For example, if a participant’s goal is to shop independently, the psychologist should explain how anxiety reduction or skills training supports that. If the goal is employment, then psychological interventions might target sleep regulation, executive functioning or behavioural activation to enable readiness for work.
Dela Cruz adds that she always addresses the six key domains the NDIS uses to make decisions: communication, social interaction, learning, mobility, self-care and self-management.
“In every report I write, I go through those domains and explain how the condition impacts each area. That’s what the NDIS assessors are looking for," she says.
This domain-based structure also helps distinguish psychological support from other disciplines.
For instance, psychologists may address motivation and regulation, while OTs may focus on daily living tasks. Explicitly spelling this out prevents planners from redirecting clients to Medicare, OTs, or other services inappropriately.
4. Building robust evidence through detail, examples and cost arguments
Both Hammer and Dela Cruz say that while many psychologists aim for brevity, NDIS reports need to be sufficiently detailed and heavily evidence based.
“Sometimes it actually requires a [longer] report [than what a psychologist would usually provide]. When I’ve done that, I’ve had planners come back and say, ‘You’ve made our job 10 times easier. Every single thing you asked for was approved because you stepped it out clearly," says Hammer.
The detail should include, among other things:
- Graphs or behavioural data if relevant.
- Practical examples of daily impacts (e.g., a child missing school due to anxiety, or parents unable to work due to caregiving demands).
- Cost–benefit reasoning, comparing the long-term expense of insufficient support with the upfront cost of services.
Dela Cruz describes one client who received longer weekly psychology sessions because her report carefully documented the reality of sessions.
“The client was so anxious that the first hour was spent cleaning their space. Only then could I engage with them. Without longer sessions, no progress could be made. Writing that out in detail made it clear why more time was essential."
This type of practical storytelling allows planners with no clinical background to understand the importance of psychological interventions.
5. Taking a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach
NDIS plans rarely involve psychology alone. Effective reports acknowledge the broader supports participants need, says Dela Cruz.
For example, she often advocates for speech therapy, OT or support workers in her reports, and explains why those services are essential.
“I’ll often send my reports to the OT and speech therapist as part of a multidisciplinary approach to share how we can work collaboratively on goals.
"It’s important to let other allied health know that you have advocated for their services, and check that you have not missed anything from a collaborative aspect. That way, the NDIS sees an aligned multidisciplinary approach with the same goals and a clear request regarding hours for each allied health member."
This multidisciplinary approach strengthens the overall case and demonstrates that the psychologist is not just advocating for their own profession, but for the participant’s holistic wellbeing.
Training: Explore APS’s professional development:
Introduction to the NDIS for allied health professionals
6. Building confidence through supervision and peer support
Finally, both Hammer and Dela Cruz acknowledge that writing NDIS reports can feel overwhelming, particularly for early-career psychologists.
Their advice is clear: don’t do it alone.
“Know that many people have trodden this path before you. You’re not alone. Reach out, seek supervision, and take a breath,” says Hammer.
Dela Cruz adds: “Every psychologist working in disability knows how important it is to empower each other. We want to get the best outcomes for clients, and sharing knowledge is part of that."
Supervision with experienced colleagues can help less experienced psychologists understand what to include, how to phrase functional impacts and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Peer review of reports can also be invaluable, says Dela Cruz, ensuring that evidence and rationale are watertight before submission.
NDIS report writing is not simply a bureaucratic task. It is a specialised skill that requires psychologists to combine clinical expertise with practical storytelling, cost–benefit reasoning, and collaborative advocacy. Done well, it can profoundly influence the lives of participants and their families within the NDIS.
As Hammer and Dela Cruz emphasise, the keys are to:
- Emphasise functional capacity and financial reasoning
- Write in plain language for a non-clinical audience.
- Link every recommendation to participant goals and NDIS domains.
- Provide robust, detailed evidence and cost arguments.
- Take a multidisciplinary approach.
- Seek supervision and peer support to build confidence.
While she hopes her tips are useful in crafting a well-rounded report that's more likely to result in support for your clients, De Cruz notes that, unfortunately, there's no perfect science to it.
"Even reports that are really well-written can be rejected. All we can do is ensure we've included all the information that the NDIS planner or delegate needs to make an informed decision and advocate for the needs – psychological and otherwise – of our clients."
Ultimately, effective NDIS reports are about clarity, detail and advocacy – leaving no doubt about why psychological services are essential in the NDIS.
Further resources:
The APS is working on a professional development opportunity for those looking for support in writing NDIS reports. Stay tuned for its release in early 2026.