NDIA response to the Independent Review of
Art and Music Therapy
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is committed to supporting a better
life for Australians with a significant and permanent disability.
The NDIA commissioned the Independent Review of Art and Music Therapy
(Independent Review) to understand if art therapy and music therapy wil help
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants meet their goals. The
NDIA thanks Dr Stephen Duckett AM for his detailed consideration of music and art
therapies as NDIS supports, and his extensive work to deliver the final report of the
Independent Review.
We also thank everyone who engaged with Dr Duckett in his conduct of the
Independent Review. Over 600 submissions were received. In particular we thank
the NDIS participants, their families, carers and advocates who contributed.
The Independent Review acknowledges that the premise of the NDIS is facilitative,
contributing to participants achieving their own goals. It also notes that Australia has
a strong history of ensuring that publicly funded services and supports are evidence-
based, and that this approach extends to the NDIS.
The NDIA is committed to ensuring the therapy supports provided to NDIS
participants are effective, beneficial, evidence based, and deliver the outcomes
participants need and want. We also want to ensure participants and providers are
claiming for therapy supports at the appropriate rate.
The key findings of the Independent Review include that:
• art and music therapies are effective and beneficial to people in some
circumstances. For example, where the person has a specific condition and
the therapy is relevant to them achieving a specific objective or outcome; and
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• art or music therapy should only be included as a funded therapeutic support
in a participant’s plan if there is generalisable evidence which shows the value
of art or music therapy for similar people with these types of goals and these
types of conditions.
Recommendations
The Independent Review makes 19 recommendations. Fifteen are for the NDIA,
3 are for the Evidence Advisory Committee (EAC) and one recommendation is for
the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission).
Recommendations directed to the NDIA include providing better support for
participants to make informed choices about therapies, and strengthening our
practice to ensure that NDIS funded therapies are evidence-based and achieving
outcomes for participants.
The Independent Review also recommended that the NDIA adjust the price limit for
art therapy and music therapy to align with the price limit for counsellors, enhance
our invoice verification processes, and consider alternative pricing models.
The NDIA supports or supports in principle all 15 recommendations directed to it.
Recommendations supported in principle may be implemented differently to what
has been proposed by the Independent Review.
Table 1 outlines the NDIA’s
response to each recommendation.
The NDIA has also provided the EAC and the NDIS Commission with their relevant
recommendations for consideration.
Next Steps
Implementation of the recommendations wil take time, and the NDIA wil engage
with participants, providers, other agencies and government in their implementation.
An updated Therapy Supports Operational Guideline wil be published later in 2025
and wil provide clarity to participants, staff and the sector about what an evidence-
based NDIS therapy support is, and which professionals can deliver and claim for
NDIS therapy supports.
An updated NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) wil be published in
September 2025. Changes to price limits for art therapists and music therapists wil
come into effect in November 2025.
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The Independent Review into Art and Music Therapy
In November 2024, the NDIA undertook a ‘rapid review’ of art and music therapy to
inform the implementation of new legislation. The rapid review found limited
evidence about the effectiveness of art and music therapy as an evidence based,
therapeutic support for most people with disability.
Following feedback on the outcome of the rapid review, in December 2024 the NDIA
commissioned Dr Stephen Duckett AM to undertake an independent review into the
evidence base for art and music therapy.
The Independent Review assessed:
• The NDIA’s review of evidence of the effectiveness of art and music therapy
for people with disability.
• Pricing of art and music therapy compared with other allied health therapies.
To inform the Independent Review, Dr Duckett invited submissions and received
over 600 responses from key provider associations, Disability Representative and
Carer Organisations, individual participants receiving these services (and their
families, carers andadvocates), and service providers.
Over a fifth of all submissions were from people who identified themselves as
participants or carers.
Dr Duckett delivered the Independent Review’s final report to the NDIA on
17 April 2025.
The Independent Review makes 19 recommendations directed to the NDIA,
the EAC and the NDIS Commission.
The NDIA acknowledges and appreciates the substantial work of Dr Duckett and all
of the organisations, associations and individuals who contributed to the
Independent Review, particularly those with lived experience.
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Table 1 – NDIA response to Independent Review’s
recommendations
Recommendation
NDIA
NDIA response
Timing
position
Consider ways in
Support
The NDIA wil continue to provide From 2025
which better
advice and guidance to
information can be
participants and providers on
provided to
NDIS Supports, including therapy
participants to assist
through updates to operational
them to make
guidelines.
informed choices
about whether
The NDIA is also developing a
particular therapeutic
wider Informed and Empowered
supports could be a
Consumer (IEC) policy to help
useful, evidence-
participants make more informed
based inclusion in
choices, buy better quality
their plans.
supports and achieve greater
compliance with the purchase of
NDIS supports. This policy is
designed to complement the
Participant Safeguarding Policy
and Supported Decision Making
Policy and provide a number of
new resources to address current
gaps. This recommendation wil
inform the development of the
IEC policy.
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Recommendation
NDIA
NDIA response
Timing
position
Messaging about
Support
The NDIA will address this
To be determined
evidence should
recommendation through its
with EAC
emphasise the
consideration of ways to improve
benefits to a cohort of
the information participants have
participants receiving
on therapeutic supports.
an art or music
therapy intervention,
The NDIA also notes this
distinguishing that
recommendation is related to the
from generic advice
recommendation that the EAC
about any
assess the evidence base of art
intervention provided
and music therapy interventions
by art or music
in specific cohorts as part of its
therapists.
2025-26 work plan.
The NDIA will work with the EAC
on messaging as the evidence
base for specific cohorts is
determined.
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Recommendation
NDIA
NDIA response
Timing
position
Strengthen oversight Support The NDIA has an obligation
Ongoing
of plans to ensure
under the
National Disability
that all therapeutic
Insurance Act 2013 (NDIS Act) to
support approved -
ensure that funded therapy
not only in art or
supports are effective and
music therapy - has a
beneficial for participants and
robust evidence
current good practice.
base.
Consistent with the Independent
Review of the NDIS, the
Government has established the
EAC to make determinations
regarding evidence-based
supports that are appropriate
NDIS supports.
The NDIA will work closely with
the EAC and continue to review
and apply evidence in
accordance with the legislation,
and to update decision making
guidance for NDIA delegates.
This includes reviewing and
proactively engaging with
professional associations on
evidence for a range of therapies.
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Recommendation
NDIA
NDIA response
Timing
position
Systematise its
Support
The NDIA will explore
From 2025
collection of data
in
opportunities to systematise its
from providers about principle data collection from providers
the effectiveness and
about the effectiveness and
outcomes of therapy
outcomes of therapy for
interventions for
participants.
participants, including
development of
The NDIA will work closely with
consistent definitions
peak professional associations to
of interventions
explore consistent definitions of
aligned to a robust
interventions and the range of
participant outcomes
individual outcome measures,
framework.
and to explore opportunities to
work with providers to collect this
information.
The NDIA is also developing a
new NDIS Outcomes Framework
to replace the existing framework.
Measuring the effectiveness and
outcomes of therapy wil be
considered in the context of
this work.
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Recommendation
NDIA
NDIA response
Timing
position
Ensure that data
Support
The NDIA wil endeavour to
Ongoing
collected by the NDIA in
collect, collate, and analyse data
is collated and
principle that supports its ability to assess
analysed to ensure
the extent to which therapeutic
that the therapeutic
support provided to participants is
support provided
contributing to the achievement of
actually achieves a
outcomes (or results) for the
result for the
participant, compared to the
condition for this
magnitude of funding provided.
participant with this
provider.
Where possible, the NDIA wil
consider key participant and
provider characteristics. This will
be contingent on the availability
of suitable and reliable data.
Set rate maxima for
Support
The NDIA wil update the PAPL in September 2025
art and music
line with this recommendation.
therapists on the
basis that these are
distinct professions,
providing evidence-
based therapy, not
simply supervising art
or music activities.
Align the maximum
Support
The NDIA wil update the PAPL in From November
payment limit for art
line with this recommendation.
2025
and music therapy
with the maximum
payment limit for
counsellors.
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Recommendation
NDIA
NDIA response
Timing
position
Explore establishing
Support
The NDIA has committed to
Ongoing
differentials within the in
publish a three-year Pricing
allied health
principle Workplan (Pricing Workplan)
professionals’ scales
before the end of 2025.
to recognise different
capacity to provide
services and/or to
recognise levels of
skills and
experience.
Expand its capacity
Support
The NDIA remains commit ed to
Ongoing
to monitor market
in
supporting and monitoring the
dynamics to assess
principle NDIS provider market to deliver
supply of, and the
for people with disability over the
demand for, art and
next generation and beyond.This
music therapy and
includes consideration of market
therapists.
dynamics and plan utilisation data
to ensure participants have
access to quality supports.
In the medium term,
Support
The NDIA is committed to
Ongoing
set payment limits for in
monitoring NDIS markets to
art and music therapy principle ensure continuity of supports for
that take account of
participants as pricing reforms
their labour market
are implemented.
monitoring and the
need to ensure there
is an adequate
supply of art and
music therapists to
meet the requirement
for evidence-based
provision of art and
music therapy.
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Recommendation
NDIA
NDIA response
Timing
position
Consider alternative
Support
The NDIA will continue to work
From 2025
methods for funding
in
with the Department of Health,
early intervention
principle Disability and Ageing to ensure
services which are
the approach to early childhood
consistent with best
intervention supports aligns with
practice guidelines
best practice frameworks,
and any future
including through the design and
agreed early
development of the Thriving Kids
childhood
program.
intervention best
practice frameworks,
which encourage
holistic evidence-
based and outcomes-
focused provision
consistent with the
early childhood
approach.
Consider a different
Support
The NDIA has committed to
Ongoing
payment and funding in
publishing a Pricing Workplan
approach, particularly principle before the end of 2025 outlining
for large
how future pricing reforms wil be
organisational
delivered, as recommended in
providers.
this year’s Annual Pricing
Review.
Specify in its Pricing
Support
The NDIA wil update the PAPL to September 2025
Arrangements and
provide clear guidance for art and
Price Limits, that art
music therapy claiming processes
and music therapy
against the relevant profession
cannot be claimed
line item.
under ‘other
professional’
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Recommendation
NDIA
NDIA response
Timing
position
Ensure that funding
Support
The NDIA supports the intent of
2025-26
for art and music
in
this recommendation and wil
therapy as a
principle engage with the NDIS
Therapeutic Support
Commission on this
for self-managed
recommendation.
participants be limited
to supports provided
The NDIA notes that funding
by appropriately
cannot be used to cover the cost
trained art and music
of art or music activities, however
therapists as defined
NDIS funding can be used for
by NDIA who meet
supports a participant may need
the requirements of
to participate in art or music
NDIS Quality and
activities.
Safety Commission
registration.
In other
circumstances, art or
music activities
should be classified
as Participation in
Community, Social
and Civic Activities
and funded
accordingly.
Enhance invoice
Support
The NDIA is considering its
2026
verification process to
options to amend the claim form
ensure that only
to include a practitioner ID field.
eligible providers are
This will enable the NDIA to
reimbursed under the
validate therapy supports to
art or music therapy
ensure they are being provided
item numbers.
by an appropriately qualified
professional.
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National Disability Insurance Agency
ndis.gov.au
Telephone 1800 800 110
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