What Makes a Good Allied Health Report
The elements of a strong NDIS allied health report — clear functional impact, specific recommendations, justification and links to your goals.
An allied health report can be one of the most influential pieces of evidence in your NDIS plan. But not all reports are equally useful — a strong one does specific things that a weak one misses. This guide breaks down the elements of a good therapist report, so you know what to look for and can work with your occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech pathologist or psychologist to get the…
Why the report matters
Functional impact described clearly
Clear and specific recommendations
Justification that connects the dots
Linking to your goals
Currency, author details and working together
Frequently asked questions
What should a good NDIS allied health report include?
A clear description of your functional impact across the relevant life domains, specific recommendations for support, justification connecting the difficulty to the support and the difference it makes, links to your NDIS goals, and practical details like the author's profession, qualifications and…
Can I ask my therapist to change or explain the report?
Yes. You are entitled to understand your own report and to make sure it reflects your real experience. It is reasonable to ask your therapist to explain what they have written and to correct anything that does not match your day-to-day reality before it is finalised.
Why do recommendations need to be specific?
Because vague recommendations create delay and are hard for a planner to act on. A recommendation that explains what support is suggested, why it is needed, roughly how often, and what outcome it aims for is far more useful than a general statement that someone would benefit from support.
How does linking to goals help?
The NDIS is built around your goals, so a report that connects its recommendations to those goals shows how a support helps you live more independently or participate more fully. Sharing your current goals with your therapist before they write helps them make that link clearly.
How recent does the report need to be?
As current as possible, so it reflects your situation now — especially the parts that change, like your functional capacity and support needs. If a report is out of date before an assessment, ask your therapist whether it can be updated with recent detail.
Which allied health professional should write it?
It depends on the support in question — an occupational therapist for daily living and equipment, a physiotherapist for movement, a speech pathologist for communication or swallowing, a psychologist for mental health. Our guide Who Can Write Evidence for Your NDIS Plan explains who covers what.