Understanding the new NDIS Assessment Tool - I-CAN Assessment
As a NDIS participant when navigating the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), one of the most important steps to being able to work towards and achieve your goals, as well as live your life the way you choose, is being assessed to ensure the right services and supports are in place to meet your needs.
To help make the assessment process simpler, fairer and more consistent, the NDIA are introducing a new and standardised assessment tool which will be rolled out mid 2026. It is important to note, until then current plans and the planning review process will continue to remain the same, however it’s also a good time to be prepared for and understand what these changes mean.
We asked Jodi Perkin, JP Trusted Advisor Director and Specialist Support Coordinator what this tool is, why it is being introduced, who will be using it and what you, or the person you support, can do to prepare.
What is the new assessment tool the NDIS will be using?
The new NDIS assessment tool, is called the Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs (I-CAN) v6.
“The NDIA has procured a licence for I-CAN v6,” says Jodi, “meaning it will become part of the assessment process to enable NDIS participants to access the disability supports they need, by concentrating on a participant’s disability support needs, instead of functional impairments.
“In other words, it will focus on what a person can do with the right supports, rather than focusing on what a person cannot do.”
The I-CAN Assessment Tool was developed by the Centre for Disability Studies (CDS) in Australia. It has been refined for more than 20 years and its concept is based on the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework, which looks at 12 domains including mobility, self-care, communication, community, mental and emotional health, physical health and more.
“The assessment tool is a person centred tool, that is strength based and is designed to help the NDIA understand a person’s functional capacity, daily support needs and the level of assistance required across multiple areas of life or domains,” explains Jodi.
“For the tool to be used within the NDIS, the CDS and the University of Melbourne are working together to adapt and refine the tool, to ensure it is fit for purpose for the new national support needs assessment process,” says Jodi. “As part of this new process, the I-CAN assessment tool will become the standardised assessment for NDIS participants aged over 16 years of age. It will be used alongside questionnaires and for participants younger than 16 or with more complex needs, other or further assessments will also apply.
“Our role is to help you understand how the new NDIS assessment tool will work, so you are better prepared for when the tool is rolled out and it is time for your next plan review,” explains Jodi.
Why is this new NDIS assessment tool being introduced?
“There are a number of reasons why this new assessment tool is being introduced and it is particularly around the 2023 NDIS Review which highlighted that participants felt the current assessment process is unclear, unfair and focused on diagnoses rather than what the participants actually need in the way of supports and services,” says Jodi.
“The current process relies heavily on participants gathering and keeping multiple reports from allied health professionals and specialists. This can create confusion, inconsistencies and sometimes unequal access to evidence. At JP Trusted Advisor, we are hoping this new way of assessing participants will do exactly what it is intended to do and that is to allow the NDIA to collect consistent information without participants having to manage everything themselves,” says Jodi.
“When you have different planners, different regions and different assessors, evidence can be interpreted differently. This sometimes leads to people who have similar support needs, often receiving very different funding outcomes. By introducing a standardised assessment tool the NDIA are aiming to deliver fairer budgets, more consistent outcomes and a simpler pathway into the NDIS and through plan reviews ensuring decisions are based on the same criteria nationwide.
“For too long, participants and their families and carers have been overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork and inconsistent decision making. At JP Trusted Advisor we are hoping this new approach will create a clearer, fairer pathway. Our job is to help people feel confident about navigating it,” explains Jodi.
Who will be using the new NDIS Assessment Tool?
“This new assessment tool will be used by trained, accredited assessors, for example, an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, social worker or other qualified clinician. They will be the ones using the new assessment tool when they meet with participants and potentially their support network. Participants will not be expected to complete the assessment themselves, but they can have a support person, family member or advocate present during the assessment,” explains Jodi.
“Think of this time as your chance to talk about what you need to live the life you want and what supports and services you need to enable you to achieve your goals, don’t just show what you can’t do. For us at JP Trusted Advisor, this new way of assessing participants seems that it aligns more closely with the original intent of the NDIS and that was to empower people with disability to live their life the way they choose,” says Jodi.
What does the new NDIS Assessment Tool mean for you or the person you support?
“Although these changes are a while off, it is important to look at the practical side of what these changes will mean for you, or the person you support,” says Jodi.
The new NDIS assessment tool will be used when:
Someone is applying to access the NDIS for the first time – this tool will help the NDIA understand a person’s functional capacity and their support
requirements.
A current NDIS participant is having their plan reassessed – the tool will help determine a participant’s support needs, which will inform their next NDIS plan and budget.
“I’d recommend participants, their families and carers start thinking about support needs across each of the 12 domains or key areas of life. You may find not all the domains are relevant to you and that is ok, but having an understanding of what you can do and where you need help will ensure the new process is smoother for you,” says Jodi.
What are the 12 domains as part of the new assessment tool? The CDS have prepared an easy-to-read information sheet about the I-CAN Assessment tool outlining the 12 domains which can be downloaded here. The 12 domains include:
Mobility – how you move about, if you need any equipment to get about and if you need any transport support.
Domestic life – if you need support to shop, cook, clean and undertake household maintenance.
Self-care – if you need support to shower, get dressed, going to the toilet, shaving, brushing your teeth and hair or anything else relevant to you.
Community, Social and Civic life – how you manage your money and how you advocate for yourself, what you like to do out and about in the community including recreation or leisure.
Communication – how you communicate and your preferred methods of communicating, as well as any support needs you have.
Learning and applying knowledge – how you are best supported to learn something new, how you best make decisions, how you manage your time and if you need any supports with reading, writing or understanding numbers.
General tasks and demands – how you manage your daily routine, including any medications you take.
Lifelong learning – what supports you need if you are currently working, or if you are actively looking to find work or are applying for jobs or undertaking a course (if relevant).
Interpersonal interaction and relationships – the important relationships in your life, you friends, family and intimate relationships (if relevant).
Behaviour of concern – any behaviours you may use, including behaviours that might cause harm to yourself or others.
Mental and emotional health – your mental health and if you need any specific supports to help you manage your mental health and stay well.
Physical health – if you require any additional health needs you may have to ensure supports can assist you with your physical health including sleep, pain or other health issues.
“I would also encourage participants when undergoing an assessment as part of the new process to ask how the assessment outcome will link to their budget and supports. For us, at JP Trusted Advisor one question in particular that we’d like clarification on is how the results from the I-CAN assessment tool will translate into funding for participants’ plans.
“I would also suggest that you ensure you keep good records of what supports and services you are currently using, both formally and informally and what you expect in the future.
“You can also have a talk to your support coordinator or specialist support coordinator about how the change may affect your review, once the new assessment tool is rolled out next year,” says Jodi.
I still have questions about the new NDIS Assessment Tool, how or where can I get help?
“The introduction of this new assessment tool is a significant change in how support needs will be assessed and how plans will be developed under the NDIS. At JP Trusted Advisor, we believe this new assessment tool brings an opportunity for positive change. That said, any change can bring questions and uncertainty. We understand and we are here to help,” says Jodi.
“For us, we want to be sure that the tool can and will adapt to the diversity of people’s lives and experiences and we want to be sure that the budget setting process will be transparent. It’s our job to help you prepare, understand the process, ask the right questions, so you feel empowered and in the best possible position when the time comes, because it is your life, your goals and your needs,” says Jodi.
If you have any questions about how this new assessment tool might impact you, please speak to your JPTA Support Coordinator or Specialist Support Coordinator or email us