Document 19

EC Interpreting provider reports and recommendations

SGP KP Publishing

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SGP KP Publishing – EC Interpreting provider reports and recommendations

1 Recent updates …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 2 Before you start …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 3 Understand provider reports …………………………………………………………………………………. 6 4 Interpreting provider reports and recommendations ………………………………………………. 7 4.1 Provider qualifications ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 4.2 Summary of supports …………………………………………………………………………………………… 7 4.3 Goals and outcomes …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8 4.4 Future goals and recommendations ……………………………………………………………………….. 8 5 Apply reasonable and necessary criteria ……………………………………………………………… 10 5.1 Examples of reasonable and necessary considerations ………………………………………….. 10

Table of Contents – 2

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SGP KP Publishing – EC Interpreting provider reports and recommendations

This article provides guidance for early childhood partners, planner delegates and review officers responsible for planning for children younger than 9. It is for use when considering early intervention supports for early childhood (early childhood intervention) to help:

understand and interpret information and recommendations in provider reports
consider reasonable and necessary criteria.

Recent updates – 3

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SGP KP Publishing – EC Interpreting provider reports and recommendations

1 Recent updates

6 October 2025

Best Practice Framework link updated.

Recent updates – 4

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2 Before you start

You have read and understood:

article EC Early intervention supports for early childhood overview
article EC Early intervention supports for early childhood guide (EC Guide)
article EC Understand the key worker role in the delivery of Early Intervention Supports for Early Childhood
Our Guideline - Reasonable and necessary supports (external)
Our Guideline - Creating your plan (external)

Before you start – 5

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3 Understand provider reports

NDIS providers should give families a report detailing the NDIS support (external) they have provided and the progress their child has made. This information is essential for both families and the NDIA to better understand a child’s developmental delay or disability related support needs.

To understand a child’s support needs, you should review any provider reports alongside information from:

the family
other early childhood professionals, health, and education professionals.

This will help you understand the child’s:

strengths
progress and outcomes
level of support already provided and how this relates to progress
goals
challenges and
current and future support needs.

To learn more, go to article EC Early intervention supports for early childhood guide (EC Guide) for children younger than 9.

You should encourage families to ask for reports from early childhood intervention providers who are delivering NDIS supports. Families should receive a report at key points during their NDIS plan. The provider and families can set these key points in their service agreement before starting their NDIS support. A report can help everyone understand the outcomes of early childhood intervention already provided and help inform future goals and NDIS supports.

Providers need to write a report on the progress and outcomes of early childhood intervention. This is good practice and draws on record keeping requirements under the NDIS Code of Conduct (external). Providers can use the Early childhood Intervention provider report form and report writing guidance (external) for children younger than 9.

If Behaviour Supports have been recommended because regulated restrictive practices are identified or being considered, they must only be used as part of a behaviour support plan. This must be developed by a registered behaviour support practitioner with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Where a child is subject, or could be subject to restrictive practices, these must be authorised in line with that state or territory processes. Refer to Our Guideline – Behaviour support.

Understand provider reports – 6

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4 Interpreting provider reports and recommendations

When reviewing provider reports, there is some important information to look out for:

provider qualifications
summary of support needs
goals and outcomes
how any recommended NDIS supports will help the child and family pursue NDIS plan goals
the report date, as a child’s functional skills and needs may have changed since the report was written
how long the provider has been supporting the child and their family.

A provider report should also include information on some or all of the following:

the child’s and their family’s progress towards their goals, including any barriers and things the child and family can build on
the child’s functional capacity, independence, and participation in daily activities
the outcomes of the NDIS support the child and family have received
future goals and recommendations.

4.1 Provider qualifications

For information on qualifications of early childhood professionals delivering NDIS supports, go to the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (external).

Reports from all early childhood intervention providers can be used to help understand a child’s strengths and areas requiring support. When using provider reports to help inform what NDIS supports we will fund, a delegate should consider the qualifications of the provider.

For example, recommendations from an allied health professional’s detailed assessment and work with the child and family should be part of the considerations when determining NDIS supports.

An allied health assistant or support worker might report on what they have observed that a child can do and is working towards however they wouldn’t be qualified to recommend an amount of early childhood intervention.

It’s important to check how recent the reports are when using the information.

4.2 Summary of supports

To understand any early childhood intervention already provided, look in reports for:

was the support provided a funded NDIS support

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where and how the NDIS support was provided
frequency and duration of NDIS supports
a description of how the important people in the child’s life are included in the delivery of NDIS supports.

4.3 Goals and outcomes

When using provider recommendations to help inform funding decisions it is important to consider whether any:

early childhood intervention or therapy goals relate to the NDIS plan goals
NDIS support provided has helped a child and their family progress towards goals and outcomes
NDIS support provided has helped the child and their family to maximise the child’s independence
NDIS support provided has facilitated the child’s participation in everyday activities at home, in the community and in educational settings.

Provider reports should tell you about the child’s progress towards their goals and any barriers that have impacted progress. When reviewing the report consider:

the results of any formal assessment, outcome measures or through a description of a change in function
the effectiveness of the NDIS supports that have been provided. This can help to determine recommendations for future NDIS supports
the child’s informal, community, and mainstream supports and how they have contributed to progress.

4.4 Future goals and recommendations

Provider reports should include future goals and recommendations for supports. Look for information about:

the child’s current functional capacity
the child’s level of participation in daily activities and their community
future early childhood intervention goals and how they relate to the NDIS plan goals
recommended supports the child and their family are likely to benefit from and why. Recommendations may include a combination of community (for example playgroups), mainstream (for example preschool) and NDIS supports
expected outcomes of any recommended NDIS supports.

It’s expected that early childhood intervention providers develop goals with the family. They should focus on:

maximising the child’s independence, for example, in daily activities and routines

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increasing the child’s participation, for example, in the community or within their educational setting.

Goals that are specific and measurable allow a child and their family’s progress to be evaluated over time.

It is reasonable to expect that for most children, the level of NDIS for early childhood intervention will reduce over time. Early childhood intervention is intended to support an increase in capacity and independence as children develop. They should work alongside informal, mainstream and community supports.

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Apply reasonable and necessary criteria – 10

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redacted: [s47E(d) - certain operations of agencies](/library/documents/bc455e3f7247-foi-24-25-0515-documents/document-015__47e-d-certain-operations-of-agencies/)

Apply reasonable and necessary criteria – 11

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