NDIS Supports for Acquired Brain Injury

An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) refers to any damage to the brain after birth — from stroke, traumatic injury, hypoxia, infection, or tumour. The impact varies hugely depending on the location and extent of damage.

NDIS supports for ABI are typically intensive and multidisciplinary. Common funded supports include:

Allied health therapy — physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, neuropsychology, and social work are all commonly funded under Capacity Building.

Support workers — personal care, community access, and high-intensity daily activities funded under Core Supports. ABI participants often need workers with specialist training.

Behaviour support — many ABI survivors experience changes in behaviour, impulse control, and emotional regulation. A Behaviour Support Practitioner can help.

Assistive technology — communication devices, mobility equipment, and home modifications.

Support coordination — ABI plans are complex. A good support coordinator is often essential.

Unlike conditions you're born with, ABI often happens suddenly — and families may not know the NDIS exists until weeks or months after the injury. Here's what to know:

You can apply for the NDIS at any time after your injury, as long as the impairment is likely to be permanent (or likely to require long-term support). You don't need to wait until rehabilitation is finished.

Many ABI survivors first access supports through hospital or rehabilitation services. When discharge is approaching, ask the hospital social worker to help you lodge an NDIS access request — this can start while you're still an inpatient.

You'll need evidence from your treating team (neurologist, rehabilitation physician, or neuropsychologist) documenting the functional impact of the injury. The NDIS assesses what you need to live your daily life, not the medical severity of the injury itself.

If you're already home and haven't applied, you can contact the NDIA directly on 1800 800 110 or ask your GP for a referral to a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) who can help with the application.

NDIS-funded therapy for ABI focuses on maximising recovery and functional independence. The intensity needed varies based on time since injury and goals.

Physiotherapy — rebuilding mobility, strength, balance, and coordination. Neurological physiotherapy is a specialist area — look for providers with ABI experience.

Occupational therapy — relearning daily living skills, cognitive rehabilitation, workplace modifications, driving assessments, and home modification recommendations.

Speech therapy — ABI commonly affects communication (aphasia, dysarthria) and swallowing (dysphagia). Speech therapy can also address cognitive-communication — reasoning, memory, attention, and problem-solving.

Neuropsychology — cognitive assessment and rehabilitation, memory strategies, and support for psychological adjustment after ABI.

Ensure your plan includes enough hours for the frequency of therapy your team recommends — ABI rehabilitation often requires intensive, regular input.

Many ABI survivors need support workers with specialist ABI training. The NDIS recognises High Intensity Daily Activities as a separate support category, with higher hourly rates reflecting the required skill level.

High intensity supports include complex bowel care, enteral feeding, tracheostomy management, ventilator management, and complex wound care.

When looking for support workers for ABI:

• Ask providers whether their workers have completed ABI-specific training
• Look for organisations that employ workers with a background in nursing, disability support, or allied health
• Consider providers that can offer consistent staffing — continuity matters for ABI survivors

Changes in behaviour, emotion regulation, and impulse control are common after ABI. These changes are neurological, not a character flaw — and the NDIS can fund specialist support.

Behaviour Support Practitioners can work with the person, their family, and support workers to understand triggers, build strategies, and improve quality of life.

• Understand what triggers behavioural responses
• Develop strategies to reduce and manage difficult behaviours
• Support families to respond constructively
• Build the person's own self-regulation skills

Behaviour support is funded under Capacity Building – Improved Relationships. Request it explicitly in your planning meeting if behaviour changes are impacting daily life.

Depending on support needs, ABI survivors may be eligible for:

SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) — for those with extreme functional impairment who need purpose-built or modified housing. High Physical Support is the most appropriate SDA design category for many ABI survivors.

SIL (Supported Independent Living) — funding for the staff supports needed to live in a shared or individual home.

Home modifications — ramps, rails, accessible bathrooms, and hoisting equipment as Capital Supports.

Transitional accommodation — some participants need shorter-term supported accommodation while transitioning from hospital or rehabilitation to permanent housing.

Raise housing goals early — SDA and SIL assessments take time, and families often need to plan months in advance.