- Home /
- Kids Clinic /
- Assessment /
NDIS Functional Capacity Assessment
As part of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), a functional capacity assessment (FCA) evaluates a person’s ability to perform daily tasks. This assessment covers several key areas, including: social interaction, communication, learning, mobility, self-care, and self-management.
About this assessment
To be deemed eligible for NDIS funding, an individual needs to have an impairment that substantially impacts their capacity to function in at least one of these domains, known as “substantially reduced functional capacity”.
While a functional capacity assessment is not always required for access to the NDIS, it is considered essential for many neurodevelopmental conditions, including Autism, and it can also be a helpful way of understanding the areas of functioning where your child needs the most support.
Designed for:
- Preschool aged (18 months to 5 years), Primary school aged (6-12 years), adolescents (13-18 years)
- A Functional Capacity Assessment is best suited to individuals who are seeking NDIS funding or support. A FCA will:
- Assess a child’s current functional capacity
- Identify areas that may require additional support and assistance
- Develop a plan of recommendations to enhance their overall functioning and quality of life
A comprehensive approach leads to better outcomes
This assessment is a valuable way to access the appropriate accommodations and services your child might need—such as what school exam provisions might be helpful, any allowances for the use of sensory tools and what therapy might be useful, from psychology to speech or even occupational therapy.
This assessment at a glance
Initial screening
We do this by firstly asking you to complete a questionnaire that is broadly screening for strengths and difficulties across all domains of functioning (our Initial Assessment Questionnaire). If we need more information we will give you a call.
Developing an Assessment Plan
We then determine what assessments are most appropriate and will provide you with an Assessment Plan and Quote, with an explanation for why we are recommending these assessments.
Assessment
Once you are happy with our recommendations, we will organise the right clinicians to provide this assessment service (as a large health service we have a number of different options for assessing children and adolescents).
Multidisciplinary team results review
Our team will review the assessment results, and if your child meets certain criteria, a diagnosis will be made. Factors contributing to the presenting concern will be addressed.
Feedback session
At the end of the assessment we will provide feedback to you where we explain the outcomes of the assessment, how we are understanding your child and their needs, and we will provide you with recommendations for how to get the best and most appropriate supports for your child.
Throughcare
We will do our best to support you to find the help that has been recommended. Sometimes we can provide this for you but other times we may need to refer you to another service. Either way, we will support you through your journey in any way we can.
Meet CHAMPS
We know that cookie-cutter, traditional assessment methods don’t offer the best outcomes for kids. That’s why we developed ChAMPS (Child & Adolescent Multidisciplinary Private Service), our multidisciplinary team for the assessment of complex childhood development needs.
In our experience, developmental differences show up across several areas and a comprehensive assessment is the best way to understand if a child is neurodivergent and/or has complex needs to support their development. We ensure multiple clinicians from different disciplines are in the one location on the same day to observe and assess your child, with our multidisciplinary team working together to create a holistic plan for ongoing support to ensure your child reaches their potential.
Plus, we explore your child’s ability to complete daily tasks (from communicating to self-care and learning) and we offer tailored interventions and supports to help them achieve independence. These recommendations are aligned with how the NDIS assesses the support needs and funding allocations of individuals with disabilities or neurodevelopmental conditions, such as Autism.
Book Now
Complete this brief Online Intake Questionnaire (2 mins) to speed up the process for booking your initial appointment at Marsden Health. We will contact you as soon as it’s complete.