Written by the Good Company Disability Services team, NDIS support providers in Perth and Melbourne. Reviewed October 2026.
Autistic adults can get NDIS support if they meet the NDIS access requirements, which look at your age, where you live and how your disability affects everyday life. Once you have a plan, NDIS autism support for adults can focus on building skills and confidence in areas like routines, social connection, work and study. This guide explains how access works, the evidence the NDIS asks for, the kinds of supports adults use, and where to get help if you are not eligible.
Can autistic adults get NDIS support?
Yes. Autistic adults can join the NDIS if they meet three types of access requirements:
- Age: you must be younger than 65 on the day you apply.
- Residence: you must live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or hold a Protected Special Category visa.
- Disability: your disability must meet the NDIS disability requirements.
The NDIS disability requirements say your disability is caused by one or more impairments, the impairment is (or is likely to be) permanent, it substantially reduces your ability to do everyday tasks, it affects your ability to work, study or take part in social life, and you will likely need NDIS supports for your lifetime.
In other words, the NDIS looks at how autism affects your daily life, not just the diagnosis.
What evidence does the NDIS need for autism?
The NDIS Applying to the NDIS guideline (26 August 2026) includes autism on List A, a list of conditions likely to meet the disability requirements, when it is:
- diagnosed by a specialist multidisciplinary team, paediatrician, psychiatrist or clinical psychologist
- assessed using the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria, and
- assessed as severity Level 2 (requiring substantial support) or Level 3 (requiring very substantial support).
If your evidence shows this, the NDIS will likely decide you meet the disability requirements. You still need to meet the age and residence requirements.
What if my diagnosis is Level 1 or has no severity level?
Autism that does not meet the List A severity criteria sits on List B. For List B conditions, the NDIS will likely accept that your impairment is permanent. You still need evidence for the other disability requirements, especially how autism substantially reduces your ability to do everyday tasks.
Who can provide evidence?
For autism, the NDIS page on examples of disability evidence lists professionals such as a paediatrician, psychologist, psychiatrist, occupational therapist or speech therapist. It also lists assessment tools, including the DSM-5, the Vineland-III and, for people aged 17 and over, the WHODAS 2.0.
On the access request form, your treating health professional describes your disability and how it affects mobility, communication, social interaction, learning, self-care and self-management. The NDIS says it helps if they have treated you for at least 6 months.
The NDIS does not fund autism assessment or diagnosis. Its mainstream and community supports guideline lists this as a health system support.
How do autistic adults apply for the NDIS?
The NDIS sets out five steps to apply:
- Connect with an NDIS partner in your area.
- Work with your treating health professional to gather evidence.
- Complete your application.
- Submit your application.
- Wait for the NDIS decision.
Not sure who your NDIS partner is? Call the NDIS on 1800 800 110 or visit a local office.
What NDIS supports do autistic adults use?
Every plan is built around your goals and support needs. These capacity building supports can help autistic adults build skills and independence:
| Support category | What it can help with |
|---|---|
| Increased social and community participation | Finding and joining activities you enjoy, and training to build social skills and independence |
| Improved daily living | Building living skills and independence, including assessments, training and therapies such as occupational therapy or speech therapy |
| Improved relationships | Social skills development and behaviour support |
| Finding and keeping a job | Time-limited help to build work skills, make a career plan and get work experience |
| Improved learning | Moving from school to further study, applying for courses and managing your study workload |
| Support coordination | Usually time-limited help to become more confident managing your funding |
Some plans also include core supports for social, economic and community participation, such as a support worker who helps you take part in activities.
What changed on 1 October 2026?
The NDIS is reducing some support budgets in two categories: Social, Economic and Community Participation, and Improved Daily Living Skills. This applies to plans created or reassessed from 1 October 2026 and plans renewed from 1 February 2027. Employment supports are not affected, and the impact is different for every participant. Our guide to NDIS changes in 2026 explains more.
How can a mentor or support worker help autistic adults?
A mentor works alongside you on the goals in your plan. The aim is to build on your strengths and interests, so you can do more of what matters to you, in a way that suits you.
Routines and everyday life
- Planning your week with a calendar, visual planner or phone reminders
- Breaking bigger tasks, like paying bills or booking appointments, into small steps
- Planning ahead for changes, like a new bus route or a different appointment time
Social confidence
- Finding groups linked to your interests, from gaming and trivia to bushwalking or art
- Visiting a new place at a quieter time first
- Practising introductions, conversations and what to do if plans change
- Going at your own pace, with a plan for taking breaks
Work and study
- Working out the kind of work that suits your strengths
- Writing applications, practising interviews and planning the trip to work
- Support during the first weeks of a new job
- Setting up study routines and connecting with your TAFE or university’s own learning supports
Employers must make reasonable adjustments for your job, and TAFEs and universities must make reasonable adjustments for your study. The NDIS work and study supports guideline explains the extra disability-related supports the NDIS can consider on top of this.
What should you ask an NDIS provider?
The right provider should suit the way you like to communicate and work. Good questions to ask:
- How do you match mentors with participants, and can I meet my mentor before we start?
- Can we communicate in the way that works best for me, like text, email or phone?
- How will you tell me in advance about changes, such as a different worker or time?
- How do you help me set goals and track progress?
- How will you build my skills so I can do more on my own over time?
- How do I give feedback or make a complaint?
You have the right to quality, respectful supports that follow the NDIS Code of Conduct. If you have a concern you can’t sort out with a provider, you can report it to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission on 1800 035 544. For more tips, read how to choose an NDIS provider in Perth or Melbourne.
What if you are not eligible for the NDIS?
Not everyone on the autism spectrum will be eligible for the NDIS. If you are not, you still have options:
- Ask for a review. You have 3 months after getting the decision in writing to ask for an internal review, and you can give new evidence. The reviewing our decisions guideline explains the next steps.
- Apply again later. If it has been more than 3 months since the decision, you can apply again.
- Use community connections. NDIS partners can help people with disability aged 9 to 64, and their families, find other services and supports, even if they are not eligible for the NDIS.
- Search the Disability Gateway. The Disability Gateway is an Australian Government website that helps people with disability, families and carers find information and services, including jobs, housing, health and transport.
For young children, a separate program called Thriving Kids sits outside the NDIS, with access starting from 1 October 2026. It is for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs, so it does not apply to adults.
How Good Company can help
Good Company supports autistic adults through our mentoring and support services. Our in-person teams work across Perth and Melbourne, including the Mornington Peninsula, and we offer remote support by phone or video in other states.
- NDIS mentoring for routines, confidence and personal goals
- Social and community participation to try new activities and build connections
- NDIS employment support for finding and keeping a job
- Support coordination to help you understand and use your plan
Related reading
- Who we support (and our 1-minute right-fit check)
- NDIS mentoring for social anxiety and psychosocial disability
- Leaving school with disability: the school-to-work transition
- Finding the right NDIS support worker: how mentor matching works
Frequently asked questions
Is autism on List A for the NDIS?
Yes, in some cases. The NDIS Applying to the NDIS guideline (26 August 2026) lists autism on List A when a specialist multidisciplinary team, paediatrician, psychiatrist or clinical psychologist has diagnosed it using current DSM criteria at severity Level 2 or Level 3. If your evidence shows this, the NDIS will likely decide you meet the disability requirements. You still need to meet the age and residence requirements.
Can I get the NDIS with Level 1 autism?
Possibly. Autism that does not meet the List A severity criteria is on List B. The NDIS will likely accept that your impairment is permanent, but you need evidence for the other disability requirements. That includes showing how autism substantially reduces your ability to do everyday tasks, such as communicating, socialising, learning or self-care. Reports from treating health professionals who know you well can help.
Does the NDIS pay for an autism assessment or diagnosis?
No. The NDIS treats assessing and diagnosing disabilities such as autism as a health system support, not an NDIS support. That means you will usually need your diagnosis and other evidence before you apply. Include any existing reports or assessments with your application, as they help the NDIS understand your support needs.
What NDIS supports can help autistic adults find work?
The finding and keeping a job category is time-limited support for working-age participants. It can include building work skills, making a career plan and getting work experience. Employment supports are not affected by the budget reductions that started on 1 October 2026. A mentor can also help with applications, interview practice and settling into a new job.
What can I do if the NDIS says I’m not eligible?
You can ask for an internal review within 3 months of getting the decision in writing, and you can give new evidence. If you disagree with the review decision, you have 28 days to ask the Administrative Review Tribunal for an external review. After 3 months, you can apply again. NDIS partners can also connect you with community supports.
Can a mentor help me feel more confident socially?
Yes, if social confidence is one of your goals. A mentor can help you find activities linked to your interests, practise conversations, try new places at your own pace and plan for changes. Over time, the aim is for you to do more on your own.
Want to talk about NDIS autism support for yourself or someone in your family? Call Good Company on 08 9334 6995 or send us a message and we’ll get back to you.
