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NDIS Audiology Providers

NDIS audiology providers can help with hearing assessments, rehabilitation and hearing technology. These services are provided by a qualified audiologist or audiometrist. Depending on your age and eligibility, they may be funded through the NDIS or the Hearing Services Program.

This page walks you through what NDIS audiology providers do, who can access hearing supports and how the funding works.

Ready to explore options? Tell us what matters to you, and we can help you find providers that suit your goals.

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What Is NDIS Audiology?

Audiology is an allied health service that supports people with hearing, listening and communication. The NDIA may fund it as a therapy support.

An audiologist or audiometrist can assess your hearing, talk you through the results and help you decide what to do next. That could mean using hearing technology, learning new communication strategies or combining both.

NDIS audiology services may include:

  • Hearing assessments and written reports
  • Hearing devices and hearing technology assessments
  • Fitting, tuning and reviewing hearing technology
  • Trialling devices before a recommendation is made
  • Listening and communication strategies for home, school or work
  • Tinnitus management and hearing rehabilitation
  • Training for family members, carers or support workers

Audiologists are not registered with AHPRA because audiology is a self-regulated profession. Instead, they are accredited by a recognised peak body. In Australia, the two national bodies are Audiology Australia and the Australian College of Audiology incorporating HAASA. You can always ask a provider which body they are accredited with.

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Who Can Get NDIS Audiology Support?

Hearing supports are split across two government programs. The first step is working out which one applies to you.

If you are 26 or older and cannot access the Hearing Services Program, the NDIS may fund your hearing supports. The Hearing Services Program covers eligible Australians, including children and young people under 26. Some people can use both programs, but the same support cannot be funded twice.

Even if you are eligible for the Hearing Services Program, the NDIS may still cover hearing supports that the program does not provide.

You may choose NDIS audiology if you want support to:

  • Understand your hearing and what your options are
  • Use hearing technology confidently in the settings that matter to you
  • Take part in conversations at work, at school or in the community
  • Manage tinnitus or changes in your hearing over time
  • Get evidence for a hearing technology request
  • Combine hearing supports with other communication supports

Not sure where to start? Your my NDIS contact can help you work out which program to approach first.

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What Does NDIS Audiology Look Like Day-to-Day?

Audiology support is practical and based on what you want to do in daily life. Most appointments happen in a clinic, but some providers also offer home visits or telehealth.

An audiologist or audiometrist may help you:

  • Complete a hearing assessment and talk through the results
  • Compare hearing technology options against your goals
  • Trial a device in the places you actually use it
  • Set up, program and fine-tune your device
  • Build strategies for noisy rooms, phone calls and group conversations
  • Review how your technology is working and adjust it
  • Work with your other providers so strategies stay consistent

If you need a hearing devices and hearing technology assessment, it will be carried out by a specialist assistive technology assessor who is also a qualified audiologist or audiometrist.

How Is NDIS Audiology Funded?

There are two parts of your NDIS plan that may fund audiology.

Your plan may fund audiology appointments through therapy or hearing supports, depending on the service you need. Check your plan to see what funding is available for you.

Hearing devices sit under NDIS capital support, assistive technology. How you buy and claim them depends on whether the item is considered low, mid or high cost.

Depending on your plan and needs, NDIS hearing funding may cover:

  • Audiology assessments and reports
  • Hearing devices and hearing technology
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Maintenance, repairs and replacements
  • Hearing rehabilitation and communication support

Your exact coverage will depend on your plan. If anything is unclear, check your plan or talk to your support coordinator. You can also read the current hearing-support rules at ndis.gov.au.

What NDIS Audiology Doesn't Cover

The NDIS does not fund:

  • Hearing services you can already get through the Hearing Services Program
  • The same support from two government programs at once
  • Medical or surgical treatment, including ENT care and implant surgery
  • Hearing checks unrelated to your disability support needs
  • Hearing technology without the assessment evidence the NDIA asks for

Medical and surgical hearing care is handled through the health system. If that is what you need, your general practitioner is a good place to start.

How Does NDIS Audiology Work for Children?

For most children and young people, hearing services come through the Hearing Services Program rather than the NDIS. Hearing Australia provides these services to eligible people under 26 through the program’s community service obligations.

The NDIS may still fund supports that the Hearing Services Program does not provide. For a child, this could include assistive listening devices, flashing or vibrating smoke alarms, Auslan interpreting, or a co-payment towards maintenance and device replacement.

If your child is younger than 7 and has recently been diagnosed with permanent hearing loss, Hearing Australia can help connect you with the NDIS early childhood pathway. For children under 9, hearing support may also sit within the broader early childhood approach.

If you are a parent or carer, your my NDIS contact or early childhood partner can help you understand how the two programs fit together.

How Care Decisions Helps You Find NDIS Audiology Providers

Finding an audiology provider with availability is not always straightforward, especially when hearing support crosses two different systems. Care Decisions is a free, independent service that can help you find your way through the options.

We are not a support coordinator or part of the NDIA, so we do not make funding decisions or manage your plan.

We will ask what you need, where you live and how your plan is managed. From there, we will send you an Options Report with providers that match what you have told us. The service is free, there is no pressure to choose anyone we suggest, and the decision is always yours.

How It Works

You do not have to search for the right NDIS provider on your own. Our free service can connect you with providers who have availability. Here is how it works.

Step 1

Step 1

Tell Us What You Are Looking For

Tell your NDIS matching specialist about your goals, support needs, location and preferences. The conversation usually takes around 20 minutes.

Step 2

Step 2

Get Your Audiology Options Report

A trained NDIS specialist will create a personalised Options Report for you. It will include audiology providers with availability that match your location, plan management type and support needs.

Step 3

Step 3

Choose In Your Own Time

After we send your Options Report, the providers will contact you. We can also help you make sense of your plan and the supports that may be available. There is no rush: compare prices and services, ask questions and choose the option that works for you.

Common Questions About NDIS Audiology

Does the NDIS or the Hearing Services Program fund my hearing supports?

It depends on your age and eligibility. The Hearing Services Program covers eligible Australians, including people under 26. If you are 26 or older and cannot access that program, the NDIS may fund your hearing supports. Some people can use both programs for different supports. Your my NDIS contact can help you work out what applies to you.

It may. Your plan could cover hearing technology as assistive technology if the same item is not available through the Hearing Services Program. The NDIA may ask for an assessment or other evidence before funding a hearing aid, depending on the device and your circumstances.

If your funding is NDIA-managed, you must use a registered NDIS provider. With a self-managed or plan-managed plan, you may be able to choose either a registered or unregistered provider. Whichever option you choose, check the provider’s accreditation and make sure they can work with your plan management type.

Sometimes. The NDIS may fund an assessment when it relates to your disability support needs, but it does not cover routine hearing checks. Depending on your situation, the Hearing Services Program or Medicare may cover the assessment instead.

Some providers offer home visits or telehealth, although many appointments rely on clinic equipment. Check what is available before you book.

You can ask your support coordinator, local area coordinator or general practitioner for recommendations. Care Decisions can also send you a free Options Report with audiology providers in your area who currently have availability.