Intellectual Disability and Capacity Building

What is Capacity Building?

Capacity building is a term the NDIS used to describe funded services and supports to help build your independence and skills to help you pursue your goals.

Capacity building typically refers to allied health therapists who provide interventions to address your goals and build your capacity.

There are other service providers who can also work with you to build your capacity, such as support workers and employment services.

Capacity Building and Intellectual Disability

An intellectual disability affects how a person thinks, learns and processes information.

An intellectual disability can result in difficulties in a range of areas related to understanding, communicating, socialising and emotions.

Working with an allied health professional or another professional with training in capacity building for intellectual disability may assist you in developing skills to achieve your goals. These skills can be across a wide range of activities that make up your life at home, school, work and out in the community.

Capacity building intervention may be beneficial for people with intellectual disability across the lifespan, including children to adults.

Who can provide capacity building services for an intellectual disability?

Capacity building services can be provided by a therapist, such as:

• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Pathologist
• Physiotherapist
• Psychologist
• Social Worker

Under the NDIS, there are other early childhood support professionals that can be explored, such as:

• Developmental Educator
• Early Childhood Teacher or Educator
• Early Childhood Therapy Assistant
• Early Childhood Counsellor
• Keyworker

Learn more about keyworker services here: Keyworker in the NDIS

Capacity Building for Children

Depending on the needs of the child, there is a wide range of capacity building options to be explored.

Capacity building for young children is described as early intervention, which seeks to address difficulties experienced by a child at a young age to reduce the severity or impact experienced later in life.

Capacity building can be accessed in a variety of methods listed below.

Individualised Therapy

This gives the child direct attention with a therapist to focus on their goals in a one-one-one setting. Sessions may occur at a clinic setting, at home or in school, depending on what works best for the child and therapist.

Group Therapy

Group programs provide opportunities for children to work towards their individualised capacity building goals, while benefiting from engaging in a group environment. This provides them the opportunity to develop play and social skills, learning from others, sharing and turn taking etc.

Intensive Therapy Programs

These therapy blocks are designed around the principles of neuroplasticity to accelerate skill development over a short period of time. Intensive therapy programs can be delivered 1:1 or in a group setting, depending on the goals and interventions addressed.

Parent Training

This is a key component of capacity building, where a therapist is reliant on a parent or caregiver to implement interventions and recommendations into daily routines. Parent training enables children to continue to work towards their therapy goals at home.

Find out more about childhood supports for intellectual disability funded by the NDIS

Capacity Building for Adolescents

There is a huge scope for capacity building for adolescents, as these are the formative years where independence is explored and boundaries can be pushed.

Daily Living Interventions

Capacity building can seek to increase independence and participation in daily routines at home. Areas for capacity building includes:

• Personal care routines, such as showering, dressing, grooming & hygiene
• Meal preparation activities, including the planning and preparation of small and larger meals
• Domestic activities, such as laundry tasks, cleaning and maintaining a home

An Occupational Therapist would typically work with you to address goals related to these areas.

Social Skills Interventions

Effective social communication skills are essential to establish and build meaningful relationships with others. This enhances daily interactions across a range of settings.

Social communication interventions may address:

• Forming and maintaining authentic, meaningful relationships
• Self-advocacy and conflict resolution
• Conversation skills
• Understanding social differences
• Job interview skills
• Work readiness
• Interpreting social cues (understanding emotions, sarcasm and social context)

A Speech Pathologist would usually be involved to address goals related to these areas.

Community Participation Interventions

Engaging in your local and broader community is a key part of life. Due to your intellectual disability, you may require additional support to develop skills across the following:

• Shopping, attending appointments and running errands
• Work, in mainstream workplaces and supported employment
• Transport, such as using public transportation and driving
• Participation in community-based activities and events

Depending on your goals related to these skills, a variety of therapists may be involved to build your capacity to increase your independence.

Capacity Building for Adults

Capacity building interventions for adults can be similar to those addressed in adolescent years. Particularly if someone did not have access to capacity building supports throughout their childhood or adolescence, there is much to be gained from capacity building intervention throughout your adult years.

Typically, the primary goal of capacity building interventions for adults is to improve independent daily living skills at home and in the community. This can be addressed by a wide range of therapists and service providers to build your capacity.

Capacity Building NDIS Budget

Unlike your Core Supports budget, your Capacity Building Supports budget cannot be moved from one support category to another.

Funding can only be used to purchase approved individual supports that fall within that Capacity Building category.

The Capacity Building categories are:

• Support Coordination
• Improved Living Arrangements (referred to as CB Home Living)
• Increased Social & Community Participation (referred to as CB Social Community and Civic Participation)
• Finding & Keeping a Job (referred to as CB Employment)
• Improved Relationships (referred to as CB Relationships)
• Improved Health & Wellbeing (referred to as CB Health and Wellbeing)
• Improved Learning (referred to as CB Lifelong Learning)
• Improved Life Choices (referred to as CB Choice and Control)
• Improved Daily Living (referred to as CB Daily Activity)

Funding for an allied health provider (a therapist) is available in the Improved Daily Living category. 

How do I find a therapist for a child, teenager or adult with an intellectual disability?

At MyCareSpace, we are connected with many therapy providers. 

More importantly, we monitor their capacity real-time could be the perfect match for you. Let us help you navigate the NDIS and find the therapist you need.

Find A Therapist