What career option would you like to explore?
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Explore a range of general support options
I want more variety in my work
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Learn more about providing specialised supports
I want to focus on a specific type of support
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Learn more about building capabilities and communities that support inclusion
I want to pursue my interest in inclusion and accessibility
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Learn more about supervisory or frontline management roles
I want to move into a supervision / frontline management role
Allied Health Professionals
Allied health is a broad term for professions that assist participants to manage their health and wellness. In the NDIS, allied health practitioners work with participants to build their capacity for managing everyday life to achieve their goals.
The list of allied health professions is extensive (see the “More information and resources” section of this page for more), but some common examples include occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists, music therapists, and psychologists.
Allied health work requires a professional qualification. Allied health professionals are responsible for assessing, diagnosing, and planning the best way to provide support. Existing support workers who have an interest in finding out more about allied health work could look for allied health assistant roles in the NDIS. Advanced support workers and allied health assistants, work under direction of an allied health professional, to support the participant to implement the support plan. For example, this could mean working with the participant to support them to build recommended therapeutic activities into their daily routines.
This can be very rewarding work and is also a great way to decide whether you want to go further and enrol in a professional qualification in allied health.
Role profile
Angela is an occupational therapist and team leader for the children she supports
Can you describe what you do in a few sentences?
I work with families to assess their child and understand any concerns they might have (such as how they are walking or talking), and then determine the best support to ask for. I act as their advocate in the requests they make for support, such as therapy, assistive technology (AT) or prosthetics. I also manage the team of practitioners and others who deliver the support.
What does a regular day look like?
There is no regular day! I work directly with families to understand options and decide on the support that’s right for their child and then help write applications, recommendations and reports. I also coordinate and support the team of other allied health practitioners who provide the support to make sure plans are being delivered and participants are getting the outcomes they need. It’s really important to make sure family members are treated as an active partner in supporting their child so I spend time with the team and the family to make this happen.
What’s the best part of your role?
All the little things that make a positive difference. I still get excited when a child gets given some legs (like a wheelchair or prosthesis), for the first time, or a kid is able to join a game they haven’t been able to play in the past because I’ve been able to adapt the environment to suit them.
What are the biggest challenges?
Time and resources are always a challenge so it’s about working to find ways to make their plan work as well as we can. When I first started, I remember what a big shift it was going from knowing about my own specialty – occupational therapy – to understanding a transdisciplinary approach so families and children got the support they need while streamlining the number of ‘experts’ they have in their lives.
How did you get into your current role?
I started out as an occupational therapist but I could see the benefits of bringing together the whole team so that all the different supports were coordinated. The team leader role gives me a mix of being able to deepen my understanding of different therapeutic approaches and understanding the evidence base that underpins them, at the same time as giving me plenty of opportunity to collaborate with and learn from peers. I started out as a fairly inexperienced occupational therapy graduate and was lucky enough to be trained and mentored by a very experienced key worker, who basically let me follow her around for a long time!
What skills or experiences did you have that were helpful, and what did you need to learn?
As an undergraduate, I worked as a disability support worker while I was studying. This gave me a great opportunity to find out what work most interested me. Working with children who face particular challenges was what really excited me. If I get it right, I know I can make a really big difference that will last the rest of their lives. Moving into a team leader role, I needed to build an understanding of different disciplines (such as speech pathology, physiotherapy etc.) and shift my mindset from providing specific support to putting the participant at the centre and finding ways to reduce the stress for the participant and their family.
Capabilities
The NDIS Workforce Capability Framework outlines core capabilities for General and Advanced Support work that apply to all support workers.
Allied health work in the NDIS can be different from other settings. It requires a strong focus on listening to, engaging, and working closely with the participant and their carers. Active listening and communication skills are essential, as is an ability to understand each individual’s preferences and routines to design supports that are least intrusive and fit into daily routines. The capabilities listed under the Our Relationship and Support Me objectives of the Framework are especially important.
The Framework also calls out some additional capabilities that are relevant to Allied health. For allied health professionals' wanting to understand NDIS participant expectations, look at:
To see what is expected of more advanced support workers and allied health assistants, look at:
Further specialisation
Most allied health fields require additional training and study, as well as registration with a national body such as the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Agency (AHPRA). To understand the requirements for the profession you are interested in, visit the AHPRA website (see the “More information and resources” section of this page).
Some allied health assistant roles may also require some additional training or qualifications. Check this with your current or potential employer. You may want to look at the Cert III or IV in Allied Health Assistance.
Things to consider
- There are opportunities to work in a variety of settings such as in an individual participant’s home or in a group setting. Consider what would suit you best and check with potential employers where you would be working.
- Allied health professionals are responsible for providing training and guidance so that plans are implemented effectively. Some organisations employ both allied health professionals as well as allied health assistants. Others may contract in these services. You may want to check with a potential employer on the training and supervision you would receive in this role.
- Most allied health work involves working with children and you may also be working as part of a team of other support professionals.
More information and resources
If you want to learn more about allied health work in the disability sector, you may like to review the following resources.
Allied health information
- AHPA | Allied health in the disability sector
- DSS | Allied health information from the boosting the local care workforce program
Allied health assistant information
Skills, training and registration