Everything in an NDIS plan follows from its goals. Funding is approved because it is reasonable and necessary for pursuing a goal, which means a vague goal quietly limits a plan, and a well-written one opens it up.
This guide covers what the NDIA is looking for, what separates a goal that gets funded from one that does not, and a long list of examples you can adapt.
What are NDIS goals?
NDIS goals are short statements in a plan describing what a participant wants to work towards. They are not targets to be assessed against or promises to be kept — they exist so the NDIA can judge whether a requested support is reasonable and necessary.
That is the whole mechanism. A support is funded because it pursues a goal. No goal, no basis for the funding — which is why the goals conversation is the most consequential part of a planning meeting, and the part most people walk into unprepared.
What makes a good NDIS goal?
A good goal describes an outcome in the participant’s life, is broad enough to cover several supports, and is clearly connected to the disability. It should still make sense in a year’s time.
The four things that matter:
- It describes a life outcome, not a product. “I want to be able to prepare my own meals” leaves room for a course, a dietitian or an OT. “I want a cooking class” leaves room for one thing, and if that one thing closes down, the goal is stranded.
- It is broad enough to cover a few supports. Narrow goals produce narrow plans.
- The link to the disability is visible. The NDIS funds disability-related supports, so the connection should not have to be inferred.
- It is written in the participant’s own words where possible. Plans read better and get read more sympathetically when they sound like a person.
What does a weak goal look like?
A weak goal is either too vague to justify anything specific, or so narrow that it justifies only one thing. “I want to be happy” funds nothing in particular. “I want to attend the Tuesday group at the community centre” funds exactly that and nothing else.
The other common failure is a goal that reads as a general life ambition with no disability connection. “I want to travel overseas” is a fine thing to want, but on its own it does not tell a planner which support is reasonable and necessary.
What are some examples of NDIS goals?
These are written to be adapted rather than copied. The wording that works is the wording that is true for the person — but these show the shape.
Daily living and independence
- I want to prepare my own meals so I can live more independently.
- I want to look after my own home with less help.
- I want to manage my money and pay my own bills.
- I want to build a daily routine I can keep without being prompted.
- I want to do my own shopping.
Community and social life
- I want to build friendships outside my family.
- I want to join a group in my community and keep going to it.
- I want to get out of the house regularly and feel confident doing it.
- I want to take part in an activity I enjoy alongside other people.
Travel and getting around
- I want to travel to places I go regularly without needing someone with me.
- I want to use public transport confidently.
Health and wellbeing
- I want to be more active and look after my health.
- I want to manage my own appointments and medication.
- I want to understand my health and speak up about it.
Work, study and purpose
- I want to build the skills to work or volunteer.
- I want to try study and see whether it suits me.
- I want to do something each week that feels useful.
Communication and relationships
- I want to communicate more easily with people I do not know.
- I want to understand relationships and keep myself safe in them.
How many goals should a plan have?
Usually two to four. Enough to cover the areas that matter, few enough that each one is taken seriously and can actually be worked on during the plan.
A plan with eight goals tends to produce funding spread thin across all of them. Two or three well-chosen goals, each broad enough to carry several supports, generally produce a more usable plan.
Can you change your goals?
Yes. Goals are reviewed at each plan reassessment, and you can bring new ones. If circumstances change materially during a plan, you can request an early reassessment rather than waiting.
It is worth revisiting them deliberately rather than letting the previous plan’s goals roll over by default, which is what happens when nobody brings anything new to the meeting.
How do you connect a goal to the support you want?
Say the goal, name the support, and explain in one sentence how the second pursues the first. Planners are making a decision about reasonable and necessary, and that sentence is what the decision rests on.
For example: “My goal is to prepare my own meals. I would like to do a ten-week cooking course, which costs this much, because it teaches the skills in order and I will be able to cook several meals on my own by the end.”
That sentence does four things at once — goal, support, cost and outcome. Our guide to preparing for a plan review covers how to build the rest of the case around it.