Raising a child on the NDIS looks quite different from supporting an adult participant. Supports, goals and funding are reviewed and adjusted as children grow, and there are a handful of ages where families tend to notice a shift in how the NDIS approaches their child’s plan. 

Around ages 6, 9 and 16, families commonly reach transition points worth understanding ahead of time. These moments are not designed to catch anyone off guard. They exist so a child’s supports and goals keep reflecting where they are now, rather than where they were when they first joined the scheme. 

There is also a bigger change on the horizon that families of younger children should have on their radar. From 1 October 2026, a new program called Thriving Kids begins rolling out for children with developmental delay or autism, and it will reshape how the age 6 transition works over the next couple of years. We will unpack what that means further down. 

Being prepared for any of these changes makes a real difference. Knowing what to expect, keeping records current and starting conversations early are some of the most practical things a family can do. 

Why NDIS transition ages matter for families

The NDIS is designed to change alongside a child, not stay fixed at the point of first approval. As children move through early childhood, into primary school and toward the teenage years, their goals naturally shift too. A toddler working on communication and motor skills has very different needs to a 16-year-old thinking about work experience or catching public transport independently.

Rather than reviewing every plan the same way regardless of age, the NDIS built in a handful of checkpoints where the approach to planning changes. Understanding these checkpoints in advance means families are not caught off guard by a letter, a review conversation or a change in who they are speaking with at the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

Age 6: When developmental delay access is reviewed

One of the earliest transition points families encounter is around the time a child turns 6.

Children younger than 6 can access the NDIS under the developmental delay criteria, without needing a formal diagnosis. This is a core part of the early childhood approach, designed to get support to children and families as early as possible in a child’s life.

However, the developmental delay access criteria only apply to children who are younger than 6. As a child approaches their sixth birthday, families may be asked to provide updated evidence confirming their child continues to meet NDIS access requirements. The focus at this point often shifts from developmental delay toward evidence of an ongoing disability and its impact on everyday function.

This does not mean every child exits the NDIS at 6. A child with a confirmed diagnosis may continue as a participant if they meet the NDIS eligibility criteria for disability access. But for families whose child was originally approved under the developmental delay pathway without a formal diagnosis, age 6 can mark an important review point.

What evidence may be helpful to prepare

If your child is approaching age 6, it is worth gathering updated information well ahead of time. Evidence that can support an access or reassessment conversation includes:

• Therapy reports from speech pathologists, occupational therapists or physiotherapists
• Letters from paediatricians, GPs or medical specialists
• Functional assessments showing how your child manages everyday tasks
• Observations from childcare educators, kindergarten staff or school teachers
• Progress notes from current NDIS providers
• Information about communication, mobility, self-care, learning, behaviour and social participation

Speaking with your child’s care team and the NDIA directly is the best way to understand exactly what evidence is needed for your family’s situation, since requirements can vary depending on how your child first accessed the scheme.

How Thriving Kids changes the picture at age 6

If you have a younger child on the NDIS, or you are considering applying, there is a significant reform worth understanding alongside the usual age 6 review.

What is Thriving Kids?

Following the 2023 Independent Review into the NDIS, Australian, state and territory governments agreed to build a new layer of support outside the NDIS for children with developmental delay or autism, known as Foundational Supports. The first part of this reform to be delivered is Thriving Kids, a national program aimed at identifying developmental concerns earlier and supporting children in the everyday places they live, learn and play, such as home, childcare and school.

Thriving Kids is designed for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism who have low to moderate support needs. It is expected to start rolling out from 1 October 2026, with governments aiming to reach full national implementation by 1 January 2028.

What this means for the age 6 transition?

Here is why this matters for the age 6 transition specifically. From 1 January 2028, access changes are expected to mean that children aged 8 and under with low to moderate support needs are generally supported through Thriving Kids rather than the NDIS, while children with permanent and significant disability or high support needs remain eligible for the NDIS. Children already receiving NDIS supports before that date are expected to be reassessed under the eligibility rules that applied before the change, so existing participants are not simply moved across without a proper process.

Because the detail of how Thriving Kids and the NDIS will work together is still being finalised by governments, the most reliable place to check current information is the NDIS and Department of Health, Disability and Ageing websites. If your child is approaching age 6 over the next couple of years, it is worth asking your Local Area Coordinator, early childhood partner or support coordinator how Thriving Kids may affect your specific circumstances, since the rules are likely to keep developing as the rollout progresses.

At All Plan Management, we are keeping a close watch on how Thriving Kids unfolds, and we will keep updating families and the wider support network with what it means in practice as more details are announced. Stay tuned for updates as the rollout progresses.

Age 9: moving out of the early childhood approach

The age range for this approach was progressively expanded from younger than 7 to younger than 9 starting 1 July 2023, aligning with the World Health Organisation’s definition of young children as birth to 8 years of age. The change was introduced so families kept receiving support from an early childhood partner throughout the early years of primary school, rather than switching partway through.

When a child turns 9, they generally move from the early childhood approach into the broader NDIS participant pathway. From that point, they are usually supported by a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) rather than an early childhood partner, and their goals, supports and evidence may be reviewed to reflect their current age, needs and everyday settings.

This is a structural change in how supports are coordinated and planned, not a signal that funding or supports are being wound back.

Areas that may be considered during this transition

As a child approaches age 9, planning conversations often start to look at:

• Participation at school, including in the classroom and during social activities
• Communication and language development
• Building independence in daily tasks
• Social participation with peers and in the community
• Ongoing therapy and capacity building needs
• Family and carer supports

Keeping reports current and asking providers for progress updates before any review conversation gives everyone, including your LAC, a clearer picture of your child’s current needs.

Age 16: preparing for adulthood

Around the time a young person turns 16, NDIS planning conversations often start to look further ahead. The focus tends to widen to include independence, community participation, employment, further education and life after school.

This does not mean a plan changes automatically at 16. It is simply a useful age for families to begin thinking about what their young person might need in the years ahead, and to start having those conversations early rather than waiting until 18 is close.

Areas that may come into focus around this age

• Daily living skills and independence at home and in the community
• Transport training and community access
• Social and community participation
• Further education or vocational training
• Employment preparation and work readiness
• Supported decision making as the young person builds confidence and autonomy
• Preparing for the transition to adult NDIS supports at age 18

School leaver employment supports

One area worth knowing about for families of young people approaching the end of school is School Leaver Employment Supports, commonly known as SLES.

SLES is an NDIS support designed to help young people with disability move from secondary school into meaningful employment. It sits within the Capacity Building funding budget, under Finding and Keeping a Job, and focuses on building practical skills and confidence for the workforce. Eligibility generally applies to participants who are about to leave school or have recently left, typically up to around age 22.

Support under SLES can include work experience placements, skill-building workshops, interview preparation, travel training and workplace mentoring, tailored to each person’s goals and needs.

It is worth noting that the NDIS is currently transitioning SLES toward a newer approach called Employment Assistance, with this change expected to be complete by 30 June 2027. If employment is a goal for your young person, speaking with your LAC or support coordinator about current options is a sensible starting point.

Who makes decisions about my child’s NDIS plan?

For NDIS participants under 18, families and carers play a central role in planning and decision-making.

Under the NDIS, a child representative is appointed to make decisions on behalf of a child participant. In most cases, this is a parent or legal guardian, and the role is often established automatically. A child representative helps with decisions about the child’s plan, communicates with the NDIA and attends planning conversations.

The child representative role is different to a nominee. Nominees apply to participants aged 18 and over, while child representatives are specifically for participants younger than 18. If a guardianship arrangement is in place under Commonwealth, state or territory law, the guardian is usually appointed as the child representative, although this is not automatic and the NDIA has its own process for confirming it.

As a young person approaches 18, the NDIA will typically make contact to discuss what the transition to adult decision-making may look like, which is another reason it pays to start these conversations early.

Practical checklist: how families can prepare for NDIS transition age

No matter which NDIS transition point is approaching, being organised in advance makes a real difference. Practical steps families can take include:

• Keep therapy and medical reports current. Ask providers for updated assessments ahead of any review or planning conversation.
• Request progress notes from providers. These can be valuable evidence of how your child is developing.
• Keep copies of service agreements. Having a record of the supports your child has received supports continuity across reviews.
• Keep invoice and payment records. A clear history of which providers have been paid, and when, can support reassessment conversations. If you have a plan manager, they can help pull this together when you need it.
• Document changes in everyday life. Note changes in communication, mobility, independence, school participation, social skills or behaviour over time.
• Keep a list of current providers and supports. This saves time and helps everyone involved stay on the same page.
• Start transition conversations early. Do not wait until a birthday or review date is imminent. Raising topics with your LAC, support coordinator or therapists well in advance gives everyone more time to prepare.
• Check official sources before making decisions. The NDIS and Thriving Kids landscape can change, so the most current guidance is always at ndis.gov.au and health.gov.au.
• Embed goal planning into everyday conversations. Talk regularly with your child and the people in their support network, such as therapists, educators and carers, about what they are working toward. Goals that are revisited often, rather than only at review time, tend to stay meaningful and make each transition conversation easier.

How plan management can support families through transitions

When your child is approaching a transition age, conversations with the NDIA and your planning team tend to focus on therapy progress, goals and functional needs. The financial side of your child’s plan matters too, and having that side in good order can make those conversations considerably easier.

Find out what is NDIS plan management

A good plan manager keeps track of how your child’s NDIS funding is being used across all their providers. This means that when a review comes around, whether at age 6, 9 or 16, good NDIS budget management gives you a picture of what has been funded, which providers have been involved and how the budget has been spent over time. That kind of record can be genuinely useful context during a planning meeting.

For families managing multiple therapists, support workers and service providers at once, keeping on top of invoices and spending manually can be a lot. A good plan manager handles that administration on your behalf, freeing you up to focus on the parts of planning that really need your attention.

Getting ready for what’s next

At All Plan Management, we work with families of children and young people across the NDIS, including through the transition ages described here. If you would like support with the financial administration of your child’s plan, our dedicated NDIS plan manager team is here to help.

Watching your child grow is one thing. Keeping up with how their NDIS supports, and now the wider Thriving Kids reforms, need to grow with them is another challenge entirely, and it is one that many families navigate without always knowing what is coming next. 

The transition points at ages 6, 9 and 16 do not have to catch you off guard. With some preparation, updated records and early conversations, families can approach these milestones feeling informed rather than anxious. 

If you are ever unsure what a transition or the changes might mean for your child’s specific situation, the NDIA Thriving Kids information page is the right place to start.

Alternatively, if you have questions about how the NDIS transition age or Thriving Kids may affect your specific plan, our team is happy to help. You can reach us through the contact form on our website or speak with our plan manager directly via 1300 634 776.