- →Prepare a written list of your daily challenges, goals, and current supports before the meeting
- →Bring supporting documents: reports from allied health, GP letters, and any assessments
- →Think in three areas: daily life, community, and capacity building (independence goals)
- →You can bring a support person — a family member, advocate, or support coordinator
- →If the plan does not meet your needs, you have 3 months to request an internal review
Your NDIS planning meeting is one of the most important conversations you will have about your care. The outcomes — your funded supports, your plan budget, the categories available to you — flow directly from what is discussed in that meeting. Going in prepared makes a real difference.
I have supported dozens of participants through their planning meetings and plan reviews. The difference between a well-funded, useful plan and a plan that falls short almost always comes down to preparation. This guide covers everything you need to do before, during, and after your meeting.
What happens at an NDIS planning meeting?
An NDIS planning meeting (also called a planning conversation) is a discussion with an NDIA planner or a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) about your goals, your disability, your current supports, and what funded assistance you need. The planner uses this information to create your NDIS plan — a document that allocates funding across support categories.
Your first planning meeting determines your initial plan. Subsequent meetings are plan reviews, which happen roughly every 12 months (or sooner if your needs change significantly). Both types of meetings benefit from the same preparation approach.
Step 1: Write down your goals before the meeting
Your goals are the backbone of your NDIS plan. The planner will ask what you want to achieve — and if you go in without a clear answer, it is easy to end up with a generic plan that does not reflect your real life.
Think across three areas:
Daily Life Goals
What do you want to be able to do at home? Cook your own meals? Manage your personal care? Keep your home clean and safe?
Community Goals
What social, recreational, or cultural activities do you want to access? Sporting clubs, social groups, events, volunteering?
Independence Goals
What skills do you want to build over the next 12 months? Employment, education, communication, managing your own plan?
Write your goals in plain language. "I want to be able to shower independently with the right equipment" is more useful than "improve daily living." Specific goals lead to specific funded supports.
Step 2: Document your daily challenges
The planner needs to understand how your disability affects your day-to-day life — not just the diagnosis, but the practical impact. Before your meeting, write down:
- ✓What tasks do you struggle with or cannot do without assistance?
- ✓How many hours per day or week do you currently need support?
- ✓What unpaid support do family members or carers currently provide?
- ✓What would happen if those informal supports were not available?
- ✓Are there tasks you simply do not attempt because of your disability?
This last question is important. Planners sometimes underestimate support needs for participants who have found workarounds or rely heavily on family. Be honest about what you are currently not doing — not just what you are struggling with.
Step 3: Gather your supporting documents
Supporting evidence from treating professionals significantly strengthens your planning meeting. Gather as many of these as are relevant:
- ✓Specialist reports (neurologist, psychiatrist, paediatrician, etc.)
- ✓Allied health assessments (occupational therapy, speech pathology, physio)
- ✓GP letter summarising your diagnosis and functional impact
- ✓Previous NDIS plan (for reviews)
- ✓Any existing care plans or support plans from current providers
- ✓Assessments from schools or early childhood programs (if for a child)
You do not need to bring originals. Copies or emailing documents in advance to your planner or LAC is fine. The NDIA will not fund supports that are not evidenced — so the more documentation you have, the stronger your position.
Step 4: Decide who to bring
You are entitled to bring a support person to your planning meeting. This could be:
- ✓A family member or carer who understands your needs well
- ✓Your support coordinator (if you have one)
- ✓A disability advocate (organisations like Disability Advocacy NSW can help)
- ✓Your LAC (who may already be facilitating the meeting)
Let the NDIA know in advance if you are bringing someone. Having a second person in the meeting means someone can take notes while you are talking — and can remind you of things you prepared but forgot in the moment.
Step 5: Questions to ask in the meeting
Your planning meeting is not an exam — you can ask questions. Having these ready helps:
After the meeting: review your plan carefully
You will receive your plan document within a few weeks of your meeting. Before you start engaging providers, read it carefully:
- ✓Check that your goals are recorded accurately
- ✓Verify the funding amounts for each category
- ✓Confirm the plan management type matches what you requested
- ✓Check the plan start and end dates
If anything is missing, incorrect, or does not reflect what was discussed, contact your LAC or the NDIA promptly. You have 3 months from the date you receive your plan to request an internal review.