Key takeaways:
- The I-CAN is the new support needs assessment that'll shape NDIS budgets under new framework plans, and its scoring manual just became public via Senate Estimates
- It scores support needs across 12 life domains, using a "frequency" and "type of support" score for each one
- The rollout of new framework planning and the I-CAN assessment was slated for mid 2026, but has been delayed until 1 April 2027
The I-CAN scoring manual has just been released through Senate Estimates questions on notice. Until now, we only had a general sense of how the I-CAN assessment would work, but this manual gives us a much clearer picture of how the module could actually function. It's worth noting that the NDIS has indicated further adjustments are still to come before it's used in assessments. Even so, we thought it would be useful to go through what we know about the manual now.
What is the I-CAN, again?
The I-CAN (Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs) is a support needs assessment. It measures how much support someone requires, not their functional capacity. It was developed by the Centre for Disability Studies (CDS), and the NDIA has licensed it (along with the University of Melbourne) to help build new framework plans for participants aged 16 and over.
Note: the manual that's now public is for the current, general-purpose version of the I-CAN. It hasn’t been adjusted for NDIS purposes yet, so the final version participants encounter may look a bit different.
The 12 domains the I-CAN measures
The I-CAN organises support needs into 12 domains of life, each broken into sub-domains (four each, except Physical Health, which gets ten):
- Mobility
- Domestic life
- Self-care
- Community, social and civic life
- Communication
- Learning and applying knowledge
- General tasks and demands
- Life long learning
- Interpersonal interactions and relationships
- Behaviours of concern
- Mental and emotional health
- Physical health
It’s important to note that I-CAN’s 12 domains describe areas of life and functioning, while NDIS categories (Core Supports, Capacity Building Supports, Capital Supports, Recurring Supports) describe how approved funding gets grouped and spent in a plan.
So I-CAN doesn't map neatly onto NDIS categories one-for-one. Hypothetically, a single I-CAN domain may touch multiple NDIS budgets. For example, mobility findings might justify Capital funding (a wheelchair) and Core funding (daily assistance with transfers) and Capacity Building (physio to build strength).
How the I-CAN scoring works
Let’s get into it; this is the part that actually explains how all those numbers come together.
Who is involved in the assessment
- You (the participant): the person being assessed
- The assessor: a trained, accredited professional appointed by the NDIA to carry out the assessment
- The tool: I-CAN v6, which structures the conversation and produces the scores
The assessment takes the form of a three-hour semi-structured interview, and the participant's answers are then fed into a computer program that generates a support budget for their NDIS plan.
During that interview, the assessor records specific support needs under each sub-domain, described using strengths-based language: what the person can do, with the right support, rather than what they can't.
The two scores behind every support need
- Frequency of support (0–5): from "no support required" through to needing support continuously throughout the day
- Type of support (0–5): from fully independent through to needing support from two or more people at once
These two scores are added together to create a support intensity score. If someone has multiple support needs listed under one sub-domain, the highest-scoring one is what counts.
Those sub-domain scores are then averaged (and the highest recorded) at the domain level, which is how you end up with an overall picture of support needs across all 12 areas.
A worked example: scoring Sally's self care
Say a participant, we'll call her Sally, is being assessed under the Self Care domain. For the Eating and Drinking sub-domain, the assessor might record something like: "Sally can eat independently once food is cut into small pieces, and needs a reminder to drink water regularly throughout the day."
Each support need then gets two scores:
- Frequency of support (0–5): Sally’s reminder to drink water happens daily, so this might score a 2 or 3.
- Type of support (0–5): Because Sally just needs occasional prompting rather than hands-on help, this might score a 1.
These two scores are added together to create a support intensity score: in Sally’s example, roughly 3-4 for that particular support need.
If Sally also has other listed needs under Eating and Drinking (needing her food cut up daily), only the highest-scoring need is what counts for that sub-domain, not every need added together.
Those sub-domain scores are then averaged (with the highest also recorded) at the domain level. So if Sally has scores across Eating and Drinking, Personal Care, Toileting, and Dressing, those four numbers are averaged out to give an overall Self Care domain score. This same process repeats across all 12 domains to build the full picture.
One important note: assessors are meant to score the support a person actually needs, not just what they currently receive. That distinction matters, especially for anyone who's been under-supported and might otherwise be scored as needing less.
Why this isn't the full picture yet
A few things are worth flagging:
- The I-CAN currently captures support needs that sit outside what the NDIS typically funds; the NDIA will likely need to narrow this
- It's designed to look at the whole person, not just support needs arising from an NDIS-eligible disability
- The I-CAN measures the intensity of support needed, not the cost of delivering it
Participants will also complete the Personal Environmental and Circumstances Questionnaire (PECQ) alongside the I-CAN.
What the I-CAN means for you
Overall, nothing changes for current plans today, but it's not too early to start getting familiar with the 12 domains and thinking about how support needs show up across each one, in the kind of concrete, everyday detail an assessor will be looking for.
How this actually affects you right now depends on your age and situation:
If your child is 8 or under
From 1 October 2026, children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism with low to moderate support needs will start accessing support through Thriving Kids instead of the NDIS.
Children with higher support needs, including those with developmental delay or autism, will remain eligible for the NDIS. The I-CAN assessment itself isn't part of this pathway, so if your child moves to Thriving Kids, this whole process may not apply to them at all.
If your child is aged 9 to 15
There are no changes for children aged 9 and over who are NDIS participants under the current rules. The I-CAN assessment is for participants aged 16 and over, so for now, kids in this age bracket continue under existing planning processes.
If you're 16 or over
This is the group the I-CAN assessment applies to. Assessments are conducted by accredited assessors, typically allied health professionals, assigned by the NDIA, and you'll likely go through this process at your next plan review or reassessment. This is the group we'd most encourage to start getting familiar with the 12 domains now, so you're prepared with specific, concrete examples when the time comes.
We'll keep you posted as the NDIA-adjusted version of the I-CAN takes shape.
Read the I-CAN scoring manual yourself
The full Scoring Manual, released via Senate Estimates questions on notice, is publicly available here: I-CAN questions on notice.
The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing also has a new framework planning page for all NDIA related updates.
MyCareSpace resources may be shared provided they are credited to MyCareSpace with backlinks to the original resource.
