I’m currently receiving NDIS support for a physical mobility issue, but I’m trying to get additional support for some other challenges I’m dealing with, like severe social anxiety and chronic pain due to arthritis. I’m not sure how to go about getting these added to my plan and I’m a bit lost on what kind of evidence or documentation I need.
For the arthritis, I’ve tried a few treatments, but the pain is still impacting my daily life. As for the social anxiety, it’s been a huge barrier for me in accessing services and participating in community activities.
Has anyone been through the process of getting these types of conditions recognised by NDIS? What kind of documentation helped? And if anyone has tips on managing these issues within the constraints of a budget, I’d love to hear them.
Hey Pinder, I can totally relate to what you’re going through it’s tough navigating all this. Even just applying to the NDIS for my mother was a painful situation. It has to be done, but its overwhelming when NDIS seems to expect people to just know what to do in every situation. At least it can feel that way.
For social anxiety, maybe see if you can get your psychologist to outline how it impacts your ability to access services and participate in the community. That kind of documentation can make a big difference.
As for budget-friendly options, try looking into community health centers or non-profits. They often have sliding scale fees or free programs that could help with managing chronic pain and anxiety.
You probably know this, but you need to show how these new conditions affect your functional capacity. I had my occupational therapist provide a detailed assessment during my application. I’m sure adding new conditions wouldn’t be much different. Also, make sure any documentation includes a history of the treatments you’ve tried and their outcomes.
Navigating the NDIS can definitely be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to add more conditions. One thing that might help is reaching out you local area coordinator or an advocacy service, they can guide you through the process and help you gather the right documentation.
I personally have never had to add additional conditions to my plan, so I’m not much help in this regard sorry.
To add support items to your plan it is best to go through your local area coordinator or if you have a support coordinator they can help. Usually supporting document such as a psychological report for the social anxiety, and I believe an Occupational therapy report for the arthritis.
Depending on what you have in your current NDIS plan would be dependent on who may be able to assist. However, calling your NDIS Local Area Coordinator is a good start because they would be able to give you a list of documentation you may need and what services can help, as well as how to best go about adding more funding to assist you with the plan. I do believe Local Area Coordinators only have a phone number, in which case you could try the email enquiries@ndis.gov.au or try their webchat services on the NDIS website.