Who’s Who in the NDIS?

Start with your “my NDIS contact”

Every NDIS participant has a my NDIS contact. This may be a local area coordinator, an early childhood partner or a person working directly for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

Your my NDIS contact can help you:

• understand and use your plan
• work towards your goals
• find and change providers
• use the my NDIS app and participant portals
• ask for a change to your plan and understand what evidence may be needed.

Your contact details should be listed in your NDIS plan. A my NDIS contact can support you, but they cannot approve or change your plan.

What is an NDIS partner?

NDIS partners are independent, community-based organisations that work with the NDIA. They can help people understand the NDIS, connect with community and government services, and gather information and evidence when applying.

There are two main types of NDIS partner:

• Local area coordinators (LACs) generally support people aged 9 to 64.
• Early childhood partners support families with children younger than 9 who have a disability, and children younger than 6 where there are developmental concerns. A child younger than 6 does not need a diagnosis to receive help through the early childhood approach.

You may still see the older term “Early Childhood Early Intervention” or “ECEI” online. The NDIS now generally uses the term early childhood partner.

Important: NDIS partners do not approve plans, decide which NDIS supports are funded or allocate funding. Those decisions are made by an NDIA planner.

What does an NDIA planner do?

An NDIA planner works for the NDIA and has authority under NDIS law to make funding decisions. They review your information and evidence, decide which NDIS supports will be funded, create or change your plan and approve it.

Your NDIA planner is different from your my NDIS contact. Your my NDIS contact helps you use the scheme and ask for changes; the NDIA planner makes and approves plan decisions.

What does a support coordinator do?

If support coordination is funded in your plan, you can choose a support coordinator. They can help you understand and use your plan, connect with providers and community or government services, coordinate supports and build your confidence to manage your supports more independently.

A support coordinator gives you information so you can make your own decisions. They do not approve your plan, control your funding or act as an independent disability advocate.

What does a plan manager do?

A plan manager manages the financial administration of plan-managed funding. They can monitor budgets, check and submit claims, process invoices, pay providers, keep records and provide regular financial statements.

A plan manager is not the same as a support coordinator: a plan manager looks after funding and payments, while a support coordinator helps you connect with and coordinate supports.

What does a disability advocate do?

A disability advocate is independent from the NDIA and NDIS providers. They can help a person with disability understand and exercise their rights, communicate their views and navigate a difficult issue, complaint or review. A support coordinator is not an independent advocate, although they may help connect you with advocacy services.

You can search for an advocate through the Australian Government’s Disability Gateway advocacy service or call the Disability Gateway on 1800 643 787.

How do I find the right contact?

• Check your NDIS plan for the name and details of your my NDIS contact.
• Use the official NDIS office and partner finder.
• Call the NDIS on 1800 800 110 if you are unsure who to contact.

Partner organisations and service areas can change, so the official NDIS finder is the safest place to check who currently supports your area.

If speech pathology is one of the supports you are exploring, our NDIS speech pathology guide explains how funding can work and what speech pathology support may involve.

Creative Therapy Adelaide can answer questions about our services, but we cannot approve funding or make decisions about your NDIS plan.

Last reviewed: July 2026.

This article provides general information only and does not replace individual advice from the NDIA, an independent advocate or another appropriately qualified professional. NDIS information and processes can change; check the official NDIS website for the latest guidance.