What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent, non-progressive neurological conditions caused by damage or abnormal development in the brain, typically occurring before, during, or shortly after birth. It is the most common physical disability in childhood, affecting approximately 1 in 700 Australian babies.
CP primarily affects movement, muscle tone, and motor skills, but it can also affect speech, learning, vision, hearing, and behaviour. The condition is permanent, but its impact on daily functioning varies enormously between individuals — from mild gait difficulties to complex, high-support needs requiring full-time care.
There are four main types of cerebral palsy, classified by the nature of the movement disorder:
- Spastic CP (most common, ~80% of cases) — characterised by increased muscle tone causing stiffness, tightness, and difficulty controlling movements. Subcategories include hemiplegia, diplegia, and quadriplegia depending on which limbs are affected.
- Dyskinetic CP — characterised by involuntary, uncontrolled movements and fluctuating muscle tone. Often significantly affects speech intelligibility and fine motor control.
- Ataxic CP — affects balance, depth perception, and coordination, leading to an unsteady, wide-based gait and difficulty with precise movements.
- Mixed CP — features of more than one type, most commonly spastic and dyskinetic elements together.
Because cerebral palsy presents so differently across individuals, NDIS supports must be highly personalised. A child with spastic diplegia who walks with a frame has very different support needs from an adult with spastic quadriplegia who requires 24-hour personal care — yet both are eligible for the NDIS.
Find cerebral palsy support near you
Free to use. Tell us what you need and local providers who can start will get in touch.
Get supportIs Cerebral Palsy Eligible for the NDIS?
Yes — cerebral palsy is recognised as a permanent disability under the NDIS. Because CP has no cure and its neurological basis is lifelong, it satisfies the NDIS access requirement for a permanent disability without the need to prove this at each plan review.
To apply for NDIS access with a CP diagnosis, you will typically need:
- A confirmed diagnosis from a specialist — paediatrician, neurologist, or rehabilitation specialist
- Medical evidence confirming the diagnosis is permanent and caused by a neurological impairment (most CP diagnoses satisfy this automatically)
- Functional impact evidence from an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, or speech pathologist showing how CP affects your ability to participate in daily life without support
For children younger than 9, the NDIS early childhood approach gives access to early intervention supports, and children younger than 6 can start on the basis of developmental delay, before a formal diagnosis is confirmed. This is particularly important for CP, where early physiotherapy and OT can significantly improve long-term outcomes.
If your application is approved, you will be invited to an NDIS planning meeting to discuss your goals and determine your funded supports. A Support Coordinator or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) can assist with your application and planning meeting preparation.
NDIS Supports for Cerebral Palsy
NDIS funding for CP can be spread across three budget types — Core, Capacity Building, and Capital. Here is what each covers for people with cerebral palsy.
Core Supports
Core Supports are flexible day-to-day supports that help participants with CP live their life and pursue their goals. Core funding can generally be moved between subcategories (except transport), giving participants flexibility in how they use it.
- Personal care & daily living — assistance with showering, dressing, grooming, meal preparation, and household tasks
- Community participation — supported access to social activities, recreational programs, shopping, appointments, and community events
- Transport — funding to assist with travel to work, education, therapy, and community activities when CP prevents use of public transport
- Domestic assistance — help with cleaning, laundry, and household management tasks that are impacted by mobility or fatigue
Capacity Building Supports
Capacity Building funds are invested in building the participant's skills and independence over time. Unlike Core, CB funds are allocated by subcategory and cannot be moved between them. For people with CP, the most significant CB categories are:
- Improved Daily Living (Therapy) — occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, hydrotherapy, and psychology
- Improved Relationships — behaviour support for CP-related behavioural challenges, particularly for those with intellectual disability or ABI alongside CP
- Support Coordination — assistance to navigate the NDIS, connect with providers, and implement your plan effectively
- Improved Living Arrangements — support to explore and secure appropriate housing options
- Increased Social & Community Participation — programs to build skills for greater independence in community settings
Capital Supports
Capital Supports cover one-off or high-cost investments in assistive technology, home modifications, vehicle modifications, and Specialist Disability Accommodation. These require practitioner assessments and NDIS approval before purchase.
- Wheelchairs & powered mobility — manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, scooters, and specialised seating systems prescribed by an OT or physiotherapist
- Augmentative communication devices — speech generating devices, eye-gaze technology, and AAC apps for people with dyskinetic or spastic quadriplegic CP whose speech is significantly affected
- Orthoses & splints — ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs), hand splints, and positioning equipment to manage tone and prevent contractures
- Home modifications — ramps, bathroom grab rails, ceiling hoists, widened doorways, and other structural changes assessed by an occupational therapist
- Vehicle modifications — wheelchair tie-downs, hand controls, swivel seats, and other modifications to enable vehicle access and independent driving where possible
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) — for participants with extreme functional impairment requiring purpose-built, accessible housing
How Much NDIS Funding for Cerebral Palsy?
There is no fixed NDIS funding amount for cerebral palsy. Plans are entirely individualised based on your functional needs, goals, living situation, and the supports that are reasonable and necessary for you. That said, there are broad patterns based on CP severity:
Mild CP — from approximately $10,000/year
Participants who walk independently and live without formal daily care support may receive a plan focused on therapies (OT, physio) and assistive technology. Plans in this range might fund 10–20 therapy sessions per year and low-cost AT items.
Moderate CP — $30,000–$80,000/year
Participants who need part-time personal care support, regular therapies, a powered wheelchair, and community access assistance typically fall in this range. Home modifications and vehicle modifications may add significant capital funding on top of the recurrent support budget.
High Support Needs CP — $100,000+/year
Participants with spastic quadriplegia or complex dyskinetic CP who require daily personal care, intensive therapy programs, complex communication supports, and potentially 24-hour support can receive plans of $100,000–$300,000 or more per year. SIL and SDA funding is assessed separately and can add substantially to total plan value.
The most effective way to maximise your NDIS plan is to ensure you have strong functional evidence from your therapy team and to work with an experienced Support Coordinator who understands CP-related supports.
Finding Cerebral Palsy Support Providers Near You
Help Alliance is a free matching service, not a provider. Tell us what support you need and we send your request to NDIS providers who cover your suburb. Providers confirm they can start before they accept, up to three can accept, and you choose who to go with. Here's what to look for in the supports people with CP commonly use.
Personal Care & Daily Living
Help with personal hygiene, dressing, meal preparation, medication prompting and household tasks. Ask for consistent workers who understand your physical support needs, positioning and how you communicate.
Community Participation
Support to get to sport, shopping, social groups, recreation and appointments. If you use a wheelchair, ask whether workers are confident with transfers, accessible transport and places that aren't fully accessible.
Support Coordination
Navigating the NDIS with a complex disability like CP can be overwhelming. A support coordinator helps you understand your plan, find therapists and AT suppliers, set up service agreements and prepare for plan reviews, so your funding is used well. It needs to be funded in your plan.
Therapy & Assistive Technology
Look for occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech pathologists with CP experience, and suppliers for wheelchairs, communication devices and home modifications. You can request therapy, equipment and home modifications through Help Alliance too.
Find providers for related support:
Assistance with Self-Care
- Personal hygiene assistance
- Dressing and grooming
- Meal preparation support
- Medication management
Community Participation
- Social group activities
- Assistance with volunteering
- Recreational outings
- Skill-building workshops
Travel and Transport
- Safe travel assistance
- Accompanied appointments
- Transport to community events
- Assistance with public transport
Frequently Asked Questions — NDIS Cerebral Palsy Support
Get NDIS support for cerebral palsy
Looking for therapy, personal care, community access or support coordination? Tell us what you need and local providers who can start will contact you. Free, no obligation.
Get support