The NDIS has moved well beyond funding only the traditional trio of occupational therapy, speech therapy and physiotherapy. A much broader range of evidence-based therapies can now be included in a plan, provided they’re clearly linked to a participant’s goals. At the same time, the scheme has become considerably stricter about what doesn’t qualify — so it’s worth understanding both sides clearly.
The test that decides everything: “reasonable and necessary”
Before looking at specific therapies, it helps to understand the underlying rule. Any support funded by the NDIS must be reasonable and necessary — meaning it relates to your disability, helps you pursue your goals, represents value for money, and is based on good evidence of effectiveness. This single test is what separates funded therapies from the growing list of exclusions.
Creative therapies
Art Therapy — supports emotional expression and processing, particularly useful for people who find it difficult to communicate feelings verbally.
Music Therapy — uses the therapeutic properties of music to work on physical, emotional, cognitive and social goals, and can support motor skills and communication.
Dance and Movement Therapy — uses movement to support emotional, social, cognitive and physical integration, and can be particularly valuable for participants with limited verbal communication.
Psychological and cognitive therapies
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — a well-established, evidence-based approach to identifying and shifting unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns, commonly used for anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) — combines CBT with mindfulness, distress tolerance and acceptance strategies, often used for mood regulation and intense emotional experiences.
Mindfulness-Based Therapies — build awareness of thoughts and feelings to support emotional regulation and reduce stress.
Animal-assisted therapy — where the line actually sits
This is one of the areas people most commonly get wrong, so it’s worth being precise. Equine-assisted therapy, delivered by a qualified allied health professional and aligned to specific therapeutic goals, can be funded — it’s genuinely used to support balance, coordination and emotional regulation. However, general “animal therapy” — informal interaction with pets, puppy therapy sessions or similar — is explicitly excluded, regardless of the benefit a participant might get from it. Assistance animals, like guide dogs, sit in a separate funding category again, with their own strict eligibility criteria.
The distinguishing factor is always the same: is it delivered as therapy, by a qualified professional, toward a specific goal — or is it a pleasant, informal activity? Only the former is fundable.
Assistive technology as therapy
The NDIS recognises assistive technology’s role in supporting therapeutic goals, funding devices and equipment such as communication aids, mobility devices and sensory equipment that enable participation in therapy and daily life.
Holistic and allied health therapies
Occupational Therapy — helps develop, recover or maintain daily living and work skills, often by adapting the environment around the person rather than just working on the person alone.
Speech Therapy — supports communication and swallowing needs, helping participants express themselves and interact socially.
Nutritional/Dietetic Support — dietitian-led guidance to support overall health and manage specific conditions.
What’s explicitly not funded — and this list has grown
Following updates to the NDIS’s official supports list, a range of alternative and complementary therapies are explicitly excluded because they’re considered wellness or lifestyle choices rather than evidence-based disability interventions. This includes reiki and other energy healing practices, crystal or sound therapy, cuddle therapy, reflexology, aromatherapy, yoga and wilderness therapy, and general (non-clinical) animal therapy. Life coaching, hypnotherapy and similar wellness-coaching services are also excluded.
This isn’t a judgement on whether these things can be enjoyable or personally meaningful — simply that they fall outside what the scheme is designed to fund.
Getting a therapy included in your plan
To access any therapy through the NDIS, you’ll generally need documentation from a treating health professional that clearly links the therapy to your specific goals and functional needs — not just a general statement that it might help. Working closely with your allied health team when preparing for a plan review makes this process considerably smoother.