Top 10 NDIS terms everyone pretends to understand (but secretly Googles later)

Let’s be honest, the NDIS comes with its own secret language. Between “FCA,” “capacity building,” and “reasonable and necessary,” it’s easy to smile and nod along in meetings while quietly thinking, ‘Wait, SOS! This is moving too fast for me to process!'

If you’ve ever been there, you’re not alone. Here’s our quick guide to ten NDIS terms that families, clients, support coordinators, and even new therapists often find confusing, explained in real words, not government-speak.

1. Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA)

Think of this as an “everyday life snapshot.”

An OT (that’s us!) observes how someone manages daily activities like showering, dressing, or getting around the community, not to judge, but to figure out what support or equipment could make life easier.

“It helped me show the NDIS what I actually do every day, not just what’s on paper.”

2. Capacity Building

Sounds fancy, right? Really, it just means therapy that builds skills, the stuff that helps someone be more independent or confident. Things like cooking, using communication tools, or managing sensory input.

As one participant put it: “It’s not about changing who I am, it’s about making things easier.”

3. 'Reasonable and Necessary'

The NDIS can only fund things that are both reasonable (good value for money) and necessary (connected to your disability).

A shower chair to prevent falls? Yes

A $2,000 hot tub “for pain relief”? Probably not.

4. Core Supports

This is the “everyday life” bucket of your plan. It covers personal care, household help, support workers, and consumables.

Basically, it’s the practical stuff that keeps life moving.

5. Multidisciplinary Team

This just means different therapists: OT, Speechie, Physio, etc. working together toward shared goals.

Less repetition for families, more collaboration and consistency for the participant.

“All my therapists talk to each other now, it actually feels like a team.”

6. Restrictive Practices

These sound scary, but the goal is safety and dignity, not control.

It’s when someone’s rights or freedom are restricted to keep them (or others) safe, for example, using a lock on a medication cupboard.

These must always be approved, documented and reviewed regularly.

7. Assistive Technology (AT)

AT just means equipment that helps you do things more safely or independently.

That might be adaptive cutlery, a pressure cushion, or a powered mobility scooter.

“My scooter means I can still get out and do things I love.”

8. Capacity vs Performance

Two words that sound similar but mean very different things:

• Capacity = what you could do on your best day
• Performance = what you actually do most of the time

It matters because we all have “good days” and “real-life days” and it's important that NDIS reports reflect both.

9. Evidence of Need

This means proof that a support or piece of equipment is needed because of a disability.

Evidence can come from OT reports, videos, photos, or real-life examples.

10. Goal Alignment

Every support in your plan must link to your NDIS goals: the things you want to achieve, like joining community activities, learning a skill, or improving safety at home. Therapy should always connect back to these goals.

The NDIS can sound complicated, but every term really comes back to one thing:
helping people live safely, independently and meaningfully.

So next time someone drops an acronym mid-sentence, don’t be afraid to ask, “Can you please translate that?” 

We promise, there’s always a plain-English version!

If you want more explainers for common NDIS terms, download this guide that puts into plain-English the 18 most commonly-used jargon terms in the NDIS.

Download here