Newcastle Support Coordination

What is Early Intervention?

Early intervention helps reduce the impact of the impairment and improves future outcomes.

To be eligible for early intervention, you must meet all these criteria:

You have a likely permanent impairment
Early intervention support will help you (for example, improve your ability to manage daily activities)
The NDIS is the best option for funding the support you need

Early intervention support is available for:

Adults
Children (aged 0-25 with a hearing impairment)
Children under 6 with developmental delay (after age 6, other disability criteria must be met for NDIS) (Source from https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/home/becoming-participant/applying-ndis/do-you-need-early-intervention viewed 12/12/2024)

NDIS Eligibility for Mental Health Conditions

If a mental health condition causes a psychosocial disability, you may be eligible for the NDIS. However, a mental health condition alone doesn’t automatically qualify you.

You must provide evidence of:

A mental health condition (no specific diagnosis required)
How it affects your daily life
Ongoing NDIS support needs due to the condition
Substantial difficulty with daily activities caused by the condition (Source from https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/how-ndis-works/psychosocial-disability viewed 18/1/2025)

Support for Children Under 9: The Early Childhood Approach

The Early Childhood Approach helps children under 6 with developmental delays or under 9 with disabilities get the best start in life.

Children don’t need to be eligible for the NDIS to access early childhood support. Some may access early connections and supports outside the NDIS, while others may be assisted to apply for the NDIS.

Early connections can include:

Connecting to mainstream services (health, early childhood, family support)
Information for the child’s development
Support for families
Applying to the NDIS if needed (Source from https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/early-childhood/early-childhood-approach/what-early-childhood-intervention viewed 15/11/2025)

How to Make a NDIS Access Request:

For people aged 9-65: Contact us or your local NDIS office or partner. We can connect you to local supports or help you apply for the NDIS if eligible.
For children under 9: Look into the NDIS Early Childhood Approach and contact us or your local early childhood partner.or remote or complex cases: If you live in a remote area, have complex needs, or are in a hospital or justice setting, contact the NDIS for help. You can also complete the NDIS access request form.

NDIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION