Your guide to working with your service provider

When it comes to your child’s support, working together makes all the difference – not just for your child, but for your whole family.

Your service provider brings professional expertise, but you bring something just as important: invaluable knowledge of your child – who they are, what they enjoy and what their daily life looks like. The best outcomes happen when you and your service provider work together.

Your service provider should actively seek your input, respect your insights and partner with you to support your child. So don’t hold back – your voice (and your child’s voice) should always be at the heart of your support plan.

What good support should look like

There’s a lot to understand when it comes to crafting your child’s support plan – which is why it’s important for your service provider to design this plan with you, and not just for you.

In your early conversations, ask for clear explanations of:

• what will happen in each session
• how your child’s funding is being used
• what is included in billing.

Good support focuses on real life outcomes, not just activities. Each session should be tailored to your family’s routines, priorities and capacity, which will make sure the strategies you learn actually fit into everyday life.

Your appointment checklist

You play a key role in your child’s progress. When working with your service provider, be sure to:

• ask questions if something isn’t clear
• share what is realistic for your family
• Speak up if something isn’t working.

Ideally, you should also:

• be present and participating during sessions
• watch what the provider is doing and trying these strategies yourself with your child
• practice simple strategies between sessions.

These small, consistent moments are where real progress happens. Often, it’s the everyday changes that make the biggest difference over time.

Before you meet with your service provider

A little preparation can help you get the most out of your sessions and avoid confusion later.

Before meeting with your service provider, consider checking:

• what is currently funded in your child’s NDIS plan
• how your remaining funding will cover planned services
• what service delivery model (e.g. in person or online) will support the purpose of the session.

Being clear about your expectations from day one will make it easier to move forward with confidence.