Ask a plan manager: home automation and the NDIS
Home automation is one way technology can help make everyday life at home easier, safer and more manageable for children, teens and young adults with disability. Experienced Leap in! plan manager Tabitha answers some of the most common questions families ask about home automation and the NDIS.
What is home automation?
Home automation uses technology to control different parts of thehome, such as lighting, doors, blinds, windows, air conditioning or appliances.
Under the NDIS, home automation is generally considered a type of home modification. It may include supports that help your child or young person use different areas of the home more independently, such as voice control, sensors, switches, or mobile apps.
Good to know: If approved, home automation is funded through the Capital supports part of your child’s NDIS Plan. This means it must be written into their plan before you can access the supports.
When may the NDIS fund home automation?
The NDIS can fund home automation if the support is:
Directly related to your child’s disability. It must help with daily tasks that are difficult because of your child’s disability.
Reasonable and necessary. The support must help your child work towards their goals, improve independence or safety and represent value for money.
The most suitable option. The NDIS will look at whether simpler or lower cost solutions could meet the same
need first.
Supported by evidence. The most common type of evidence is a report from an occupational therapist. Your child’s OT will assess how their disability affects daily life at home and what supports may help them be more independent and safe.
What evidence do I need?
The NDIS will look at the information you provide to decide if home automation is reasonable and necessary for your child or young person.
The report from their OT should explain:
- Why they need home automation because of their disability
- How the support will help them in daily life
- Why other options aren’t suitable
- How it supports their NDIS goals
- Why it’s good value compared to other ways of meeting the same need.
Clear, detailed evidence can make a big difference. It can also help to include quotes, product comparisons and supporting documents that show the requested support is the best value option.
Do we need to try other options first?
Yes. The NDIS generally expects families to consider low or mid-cost assistive technology first. Depending on your child’s NDIS Plan, these supports may also need approval.
This could include simpler options such as modified switches, remote controls or basic smart devices that may achieve a similar result.
Your child’s OT can help explore these options. If lower cost supports don’t meet their needs, their OT can explain why more advanced home automation is required.
Which parts of the home can be automated?
In most cases, the NDIS will only fund home automation in the parts of the home your child or young person uses regularly.
This may include the:
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Living areas
- Entry or exit points they use often.
The NDIS will not usually fund home automation for rooms they don’t use regularly or that are mainly used by other people, such as bedrooms of other adults in the home.
You can still choose to pay for additional automation yourself if it is not considered reasonable and necessary under the NDIS.
What won’t the NDIS fund?
The NDIS will not fund home automation if:
- It’s not directly related to your child’s disability
- It doesn’t reduce barriers caused by their disability
- It doesn’t represent value for money
- Other supports already meet their needs
- It’s something everyone needs, whether they have a disability or not
- It’s mainly for convenience or comfort, rather than disability support.
For example, general home security or lifestyle upgrades are not usually considered NDIS supports.
How do we get started?
If you think home automation may help your child or young person, the first step is usually to speak with their OT, NDIS Planner or Local Area Coordinator.
They can help you explore the available options, understand what evidence may be needed and work out whether home automation may be appropriate for your child’s goals and support needs.
Leap in! is a two-time winner of the Most Outstanding Plan Management Award and supports families across Australia to understand and use their child’s NDIS Plan with confidence. Call 1300 05 78 78 or email [email protected] to learn more.
