Last year, the NDIS Review announced that things were going to change with how participant support needs are assessed. Instead of people having to pull together medical reports and spend money and time proving their support needs, the NDIS committed to building a fairer and simpler system.
The Review said this new approach will mean:
- Participants and families don’t need to chase reports and evidence themselves.
- Budgets will be fairer and more consistent, based on actual support needs.
- Plans will be more flexible, giving participants more choice in how they arrange their supports.
What’s Changing?
Back in February 2025, the NDIS announced two key steps:
- They started looking for the right assessment tool for adults (16+)
- They began industry consultation about how best to assess support needs for children and for certain specific supports.
The NDIS has announced the assessment process is moving to a strengths-based support needs assessment.
The rollout of this new way of assessing and planning will take around five years to make sure it’s smooth and supportive for participants.
The Latest Update: I-CAN Has Been Chosen
This week, the NDIS confirmed that the tool chosen for adults (16+) is the I-CAN (Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs), Version 6.
So, what is I-CAN?
- It’s a research-based tool developed here in Australia by the Centre for Disability Studies.
- It’s been around since 2002 and is regularly updated (the current version was released in 2022)
- It’s used worldwide and looks at all areas of life, not just disability, using a World Health Organisation framework.
The I-CAN tool looks at 12 areas of a person’s life. This includes the standard activity and participation areas from the ICF, plus three extra areas focused on health and wellbeing:
- Mobility
- Domestic Life
- Self Care
- Community, Social & Civic Life
- Communication
- Learning & Applying Knowledge
- General Tasks and Demands
- Life Long Learning
- Interpersonal Interactions & Relationships
- Behaviours of Concern
- Mental & Emotional Health
- Physical Health
How Will I-CAN Be Used?
The I-CAN will be the main assessment tool for people aged 16 and older. Here’s how it will work:
- Assessment – Participants will meet with an accredited assessor who will use the I-CAN tool to understand their daily support needs. For people with more complex needs, other specialised tools may also be used.
- Report – The assessor will create a report describing the person’s support needs.
- Budget – That report will then be used to build the participant’s NDIS budget. The NDIA has also said that under this new system, plans will be more flexible than current ones.
Assessments will be free and accessible, and delivered by approved assessors (the NDIA hasn’t yet confirmed exactly who this will be).
When Will This Happen?
- The new process will start gradually from mid-2026.
- Full rollout will take about five years.
- Participants chosen for the first rollout will be contacted beforehand. They’ll be supported through the process and asked if they feel ready before the assessment takes place.
- Changes will come in stages, alongside other NDIS reforms.
Key Takeaways
- The NDIS is changing how it assesses participants’ support needs.
- A new strengths-based approach will focus on what support people need day-to-day, not just their functional capacity.
- The I-CAN tool (Version 6) has been chosen for people aged 16+.
- Assessments will be free, accessible, and done by accredited assessors.
- Budgets created through this process will be fairer and more flexible.
- Rollout starts mid-2026 and will take about five years for all participants.
- Participants will be contacted before their assessment and supported through the process.
Want to learn more about the I-CAN tool? You can visit the Centre for Disability Studies website here: cds.org.au/clinical-services/i-can/