Intellectual disability: support that starts with the person
“I want to choose what I do on Saturday.” For many people with an intellectual disability, that’s what good support is for. Kinship supports people with an intellectual disability, and the families who back them, across Western Sydney, with the same support worker every visit. Below: plain-English information, what helps day to day, and where the NDIS and Kinship fit in.
- Registered NDIS provider (4-GWVHCEY)
- Same support worker every visit
- Free plain-English guide to download
What is intellectual disability?
Inclusion Australia, the national voice of people with an intellectual disability and their families, describes intellectual disability as a lifelong condition that affects a person’s intellectual skills and their behaviour in different situations. It can show up in communication, memory, understanding, problem solving, self-care, and social and emotional skills.
A person can be born with an intellectual disability or acquire it before age 18. Common causes include Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, premature birth and childhood brain injury. Many people also live with another disability, such as autism, a hearing or physical disability, or a mental health condition.
Every person is different. Some live on their own with a bit of help from family, friends or paid supports. Others need support with many parts of life. And with the right support, Inclusion Australia says, every person with an intellectual disability can learn and develop new skills.
A note on words: Inclusion Australia says most people use “person with an intellectual disability”, and some people prefer “disabled person”. We follow the person’s lead.
Figures: Inclusion Australia, citing Australian Bureau of Statistics data (page last updated December 2021). General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your GP or health team about your own situation.
The questions people search for
These are the questions Australians type into Google about intellectual disability, answered from the organisations that know it best.
Is intellectual disability a mental illness?
No. It’s a lifelong condition that affects learning, thinking and everyday skills. A mental health condition is something different, although some people with an intellectual disability also live with one (Inclusion Australia).
Is intellectual disability permanent?
Inclusion Australia describes it as lifelong. That isn’t the same as fixed. People keep learning and building new skills throughout life when the support fits.
How is it diagnosed?
Usually in childhood, by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, using an IQ test and an adaptive behaviour test. Sometimes it isn’t picked up until adulthood, which can make support harder to get (Inclusion Australia).
Is intellectual disability covered by the NDIS?
It can be. Intellectual impairment is one of the impairment types the NDIS considers. Whether someone is eligible depends on age, residence and how the disability affects everyday life, not on the label alone (NDIS).
Can a person with an intellectual disability live on their own?
Many do, with help from family, friends or paid supports. Others need more support. It depends on the person and what they want for their life (Inclusion Australia).
How do I support someone with an intellectual disability?
Start with them, not the diagnosis. Ask what they want, use plain words, give them time, and let them make the decisions they can make. The ideas below are a good place to begin.
What helps, day to day
Small, practical things that make a week easier. Take what fits and leave the rest.
Plain words, one step at a time
Short sentences, real examples and time to answer. Easy Read documents help too: Inclusion Australia and the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability both publish Easy Read resources.
A yearly check with the GP
Inclusion Australia’s It’s Doctor Time! campaign encourages a yearly health check, even when you feel well. Medicare helps cover the cost.
Their choice, with support
Supported decision making means the person makes the call, with help to understand the options. It takes longer than deciding for them. It’s worth it.
Help with money and forms
Using money and dealing with government systems are common areas where people want support (Inclusion Australia). One trusted person who explains the letters makes a big difference.
A real job, if they want one
Inclusion Australia’s Everyone Can Work project shares employment pathways for people with an intellectual disability.
How the NDIS can help
To be eligible for the NDIS you need to be younger than 65 when your application is received, an Australian citizen or permanent resident (or Protected Special Category visa holder) living in Australia, and have an impairment that’s likely to be permanent and substantially reduces your ability to do everyday things.
Intellectual impairment is one of the impairment types the NDIS lists. A diagnosis can help, and the NDIS will ask for evidence from treating professionals about how the disability affects daily life (Inclusion Australia; NDIS).
A plan can fund support workers for help at home, personal care and getting out, plus supports that build skills. Start by calling 1800 800 110 or your local NDIS partner. The NDIS says it will decide within 90 days once it has your application and all your evidence.
The NDIS is changing
New NDIS laws passed in August 2026. From 1 October 2026, budgets for social and community participation and for daily living skills are being reduced as plans are reassessed or newly approved, and a new way of planning is due from April 2027. Check ndis.gov.au for the latest.
What’s changing (ndis.gov.au) →Support at home and in the community
We support people, not diagnoses. For someone with an intellectual disability, that means support that listens, explains things clearly and lets the person lead.
We understand what people want from support
People with an intellectual disability want what everyone wants: friends, a job or something meaningful to do, a say in how their week runs, and to be spoken to directly, not talked about. Too often support does things for people instead of with them.
Families have usually been advocating for years, at school, at appointments and with the NDIS. Many are also quietly thinking about what happens next, as parents get older.
Registered, experienced and local
- Registered NDIS provider (4-GWVHCEY)
- In disability and aged care since 2017
- High intensity: medication management, and dementia and behaviour support
- Registered to deliver SIL
- Same support worker every visit
- Hundreds of clients and families supported
Founded by Shazia Begum, who has spent more than 15 years alongside people living with disability. Based at 39 Victory Road, Colebee, and families get updates from us as standard.
Here’s how we can help
Daily living and personal care
Help at home with routines, meals, personal care and the jobs that keep a week running, at the person’s pace.
Daily living support →Community participation
Getting to the things that matter: the shops, the gym, a class, catching up with friends.
Community participation →Life skills and group activities
Building skills for more independence, one real task at a time.
Life skills →Supported Independent Living
For adults who want to live with housemates, with support at home. We’re registered to deliver SIL; call us to talk about current availability.
Supported Independent Living →Respite for the family
A familiar support worker stays with your family member at home or takes them out, so you can rest, get to your own appointments or simply have the afternoon. NDIS-funded or booked privately.
Respite care →When needs are complex
Medication management, and dementia and behaviour support, are on our registered high intensity list.
High intensity support →Families stay as involved as the person wants. We send updates as standard, and we’re glad to talk about longer-term plans, including moving out of home.
Respite care →If you coordinate supports or manage plans for an adult with an intellectual disability, call us about daily living, community participation, life skills and SIL. We’ll be upfront about current availability.
Information for referrers →Come and talk to us
If you’d like us to help with this, call 0437 733 744 and we’ll talk it through. The person is welcome to call or come along to the conversation too. We’ll tell you plainly whether and how we can help.
Take it with you
The free intellectual disability guide is a printable PDF of this page, with a checklist and the numbers to call. Easy to share with family, your GP or your support coordinator.
Referring someone?
Support coordinators, plan managers, discharge planners and case managers: a short call is the fastest way to check whether we can help.
For referrers →Continence products and advice
If continence support is part of daily life, the National Continence Helpline (1800 33 00 66) gives free, confidential advice from nurse continence specialists, including on funding such as the NDIS and the Continence Aids Payment Scheme.
Equipit sells continence products such as adult nappies and continence briefs. Equipit is the product-supply arm of Kinship Uniting Services, an NDIS registered and CHSP approved provider since 2017.
Disclosure: Equipit is part of the same family of businesses as Kinship, and Equipit itself is not NDIS registered. You’re free to buy from any supplier. Agency-managed NDIS funds can’t be spent with Equipit; if you’re self-managed or plan-managed, check with your plan manager first.
More free guides
Plain-English guides for the parts of the NDIS and caring that trip people up. Swipe to see them all.
How to apply for the NDIS
Eligibility, evidence and the application, step by step.
Read the guide →After you apply for the NDIS
What happens while you wait, and what to do with the decision.
Read the guide →Understanding your NDIS plan
Budgets, funding periods and how to read your plan.
Read the guide →Choosing an NDIS provider
Questions to ask, and how to check a provider’s registration.
Read the guide →Looking after yourself as a carer
Practical support for the people who are always there.
Read the guide →Questions families ask us
Does Kinship support adults with an intellectual disability?
Yes. We support NDIS participants with daily living and personal care, community participation and life skills. Call 0437 733 744 and tell us what’s going on. We’ll tell you plainly whether we can help.
Will the same support worker come each time?
That’s how we work. The same support worker every visit, and updates to the family as standard.
Do we need a formal diagnosis to apply for the NDIS?
The NDIS decides on evidence about the impairment and how it affects daily life. Inclusion Australia notes a diagnosis can help people access the NDIS. Your NDIS partner can explain what evidence you need.
What if the NDIS says no?
You can ask for a review of the decision, and there’s no limit on how many times you can apply. If you’re not eligible, your NDIS partner can connect you with community and mainstream supports.
Can families stay involved?
Yes, as much as the person wants. We keep families informed, so you hear about changes from us first.
Is this page medical advice?
No. It’s general information only. Talk to your GP or health team about your own situation.
How do we get started with Kinship?
Call 0437 733 744, or send an enquiry through our website. We’ll ask about the person first: what a good day looks like and what’s getting harder. Then we’ll tell you plainly whether and how we can help. If there’s an NDIS plan, have it nearby. If there isn’t one yet, we can still talk it through.
Where this information comes from
- Inclusion Australia: What is intellectual disability?
- Inclusion Australia: Data and statistics (citing ABS)
- Inclusion Australia: It’s Doctor Time! yearly health checks
- Inclusion Australia (home page: Everyone Can Work, resources in other languages)
- NSW Council for Intellectual Disability
- NDIS: What are the NDIS disability requirements
- NDIS: How to check your eligibility
- NDIS: How to apply
- NDIS: Securing the NDIS for future generations (new NDIS laws)
- NDIS: New way of planning
- Continence Health Australia: National Continence Helpline
The questions in “What people ask” reflect Google Australia search suggestions, checked 4 October 2026. Figures are quoted from the organisation named; check the source for the latest. General information only, not medical advice. Talk to your GP or health team about your own situation. Page reviewed October 2026.
Let’s talk about what you need
A short phone call is usually the easiest start. We’ll ask a few questions, tell you plainly whether we can help, and agree next steps together.
Registration 4-GWVHCEY. How to check any provider’s registration in two minutes.