Functional Capacity Assessments for Children and Teenagers
A functional capacity assessment for a child looks at the same areas as for an adult, measured against what's expected at their age. The NDIA lists PEDI-CAT for children 16 and under, and Vineland-III for autism and intellectual disability. Children younger than 9 usually start with an early childhood partner, who can help gather evidence of disability or developmental delay.
How Is an FCA Different for a Child?
It compares what the child can do with what's typical for their age, and draws heavily on parents, teachers and therapists.
A young child isn't expected to manage money or cook. So the assessor looks at age-appropriate tasks, such as dressing, eating, toileting, play, communication, learning at school or kindy, and joining in with others. Parents and educators often contribute a lot of the information, because they see the child across different settings.
Which Tools Does the NDIA List for Children?
The NDIA's list of best practice evidence names tools by disability and age.
| Disability | Tools listed for children |
|---|---|
| Autism | DSM-5 diagnosis; Vineland-III; PEDI-CAT for 16 and under |
| Intellectual disability, developmental delay, global developmental delay, Down syndrome | DSM-5; Vineland-III; PEDI-CAT for 16 and under |
| Cerebral palsy | GMFCS, with MACS and CFCS |
| Acquired brain injury, hearing and vision impairment, spinal cord injury, other disabilities | PEDI-CAT for 16 and under |
For autism, the NDIS lists paediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists and speech therapists among the professionals who can provide evidence.
Need a Functional Capacity Assessment?
We'll connect you with an occupational therapy practice that does FCAs and may have space.
What About Children Younger Than 9?
Most start with an NDIS early childhood partner.
An early childhood partner can help connect a family to the right supports and help gather evidence of the child's disability or developmental delay. The NDIA needs evidence from the child's treating health professional showing the diagnosis and treatment. Where there's no early childhood partner, a GP, child health nurse, early childhood educator or other health professional can provide evidence. For children under 6 with developmental delay only, the NDIA lists developmental delay rather than an impairment category.
How Do You Prepare a Child for an FCA?
Keep it familiar, and tell the assessor what helps.
- Ask if the assessment can happen at home or another familiar place, and at a good time of day
- Bring reports from school, kindy, therapists and the paediatrician
- Tell the assessor about communication, sensory needs and what helps the child settle
- Describe hard days too, such as meltdowns, sleep and transitions, not only what happened in the session
Questions People Ask
Does my autistic child need an FCA for the NDIS?
Not necessarily, but the NDIA wants evidence of how autism affects daily life. It lists Vineland-III and, for 16 and under, PEDI-CAT among preferred evidence.
Who can do an FCA for a child?
Professionals the NDIS names include paediatricians, psychologists, occupational therapists and speech therapists, depending on the disability.
At what age is WHODAS used instead of PEDI-CAT?
The NDIA lists WHODAS 2.0 for people 17 and over and PEDI-CAT for children 16 and under.
Keep Reading
- What an FCA assessesWhat a functional assessment for the NDIS looks at: the six areas of daily life, the tasks observed and the standardised tools the NDIA prefers by disability.
- FCA for an access requestWhether you need a functional capacity assessment to apply to the NDIS, what evidence of functional capacity the NDIA asks for, and who can provide it for you.
- Who can do an FCAWho can do an NDIS functional capacity assessment: OTs, physiotherapists, psychologists and specialists.
- How to prepare for an FCAA checklist for a functional capacity assessment: what to gather, how to describe a typical day and a hard day, who to bring and what to ask the assessor.
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