NDIS plans fund supports that help you achieve your goals. Poorly written goals lead to insufficient funding or rejected support requests. Well-crafted goals justify the supports you need and demonstrate how NDIS funding improves your life.

Key Points

  • NDIS goals should follow SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
  • Goals must relate to life areas NDIS funds: employment, education, social participation, daily living, health, home, or relationships
  • Every funded support should clearly link to at least one stated goal
  • Vague goals (“be more independent”) are less effective than specific goals (“prepare 3 simple meals independently each week”)
  • Short-term goals (6-12 months) and long-term goals (2-5 years) both belong in your plan
  • Goals should reflect your priorities and aspirations, not what you think NDIS wants to hear

Understanding NDIS Goal Categories

NDIS funds supports across defined life areas. Your goals should span relevant categories.

The Eight Outcome Areas

Daily Living

  • Independence in self-care (showering, dressing, toileting)
  • Household management (cleaning, laundry, meal preparation)
  • Managing health and wellbeing
  • Using assistive technology and equipment

Employment

  • Finding paid work
  • Maintaining employment
  • Developing job skills
  • Volunteering and work experience

Learning

  • Completing education (school, university, vocational training)
  • Developing literacy and numeracy skills
  • Learning independence and life skills
  • Participating in educational activities

Social and Community Participation

  • Attending community activities and events
  • Developing and maintaining friendships
  • Pursuing hobbies and interests
  • Accessing community facilities and services

Relationships

  • Building family connections
  • Developing romantic relationships
  • Improving communication with others
  • Expanding social networks

Health and Wellbeing

  • Managing physical health
  • Improving mental health and emotional wellbeing
  • Increasing mobility and fitness
  • Reducing health complications from disability

Home

  • Living independently or with support
  • Maintaining safe and stable housing
  • Accessing appropriate accommodation
  • Managing tenancy and household responsibilities

Choice and Control

  • Making informed decisions about supports
  • Directing your own life
  • Exercising rights and autonomy
  • Self-advocacy and representation

Goals in multiple areas create comprehensive plans addressing all aspects of life participation.

The SMART Goal Framework

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Specific

Vague: “Improve my social life”

Specific: “Attend a community social group for people with disability twice per month”

Specific goals clearly state what you want to achieve. Anyone reading the goal understands exactly what success looks like.

Measurable

How will you know when you have achieved the goal? Include numbers, frequencies, or observable outcomes.

Unmeasurable: “Get better at cooking”

Measurable: “Prepare 3 simple meals independently each week by end of plan”

Measurable goals allow you and your team to track progress objectively.

Achievable

Goals should stretch you but remain realistic given your current capacity and disability impact.

Unrealistic: “Run a marathon” (when severe mobility impairment prevents walking)

Achievable: “Increase community mobility by walking 100 meters with walker assistance three times weekly”

Achievable goals balance aspiration with reality. Overly ambitious goals set you up for failure and frustration.

Relevant

Goals must relate to areas NDIS funds and connect to your disability.

Not relevant: “Pay off my mortgage” (financial goal unrelated to disability)

Relevant: “Maintain employment 20 hours per week with workplace support, enabling financial independence”

Relevant goals demonstrate why NDIS should fund supports achieving them.

Time-bound

Include timeframes so progress can be assessed.

No timeframe: “Find a job someday”

Time-bound: “Secure part-time employment within 12 months through job coaching and workplace support”

Time-bound goals create urgency and allow plan reviews to measure whether supports are working.

Goal Examples by Disability Type

Different disabilities require different goals reflecting specific challenges.

Physical Disability Goals

Daily living:

  • “Shower and dress independently 5 days per week using equipment and grab rails installed in bathroom”
  • “Transfer safely from wheelchair to bed, chair, and toilet using ceiling hoist by month 6 of plan”

Community access:

  • “Access public transport independently using wheelchair twice per week to attend community activities”
  • “Drive modified vehicle to work, shops, and social activities with hand controls fitted by month 3”

Employment:

  • “Maintain full-time office employment with ergonomic workplace setup and fatigue management strategies”

Intellectual Disability Goals

Daily living:

  • “Prepare simple breakfast and lunch independently 5 days per week with visual task guides”
  • “Manage personal hygiene independently with picture schedule and verbal prompts”

Social participation:

  • “Attend community social skills group weekly to develop conversation and friendship skills”
  • “Participate in supported community activities (cinema, cafes, parks) fortnightly”

Learning:

  • “Complete Certificate II in Hospitality through supported training”
  • “Improve money handling skills to make purchases independently at familiar shops”

Autism Spectrum Disorder Goals

Social communication:

  • “Use communication app to express needs and preferences in 80% of interactions”
  • “Participate in social skills therapy fortnightly to develop peer relationships”

Sensory management:

  • “Attend sensory integration therapy weekly to reduce sensory overwhelm and improve community participation”
  • “Use sensory room at home daily to regulate arousal and reduce meltdowns”

Community access:

  • “Access community with support worker using visual schedules and sensory supports twice weekly”

Psychosocial Disability Goals

Mental health:

  • “Attend psychology weekly to manage anxiety and develop coping strategies”
  • “Reduce hospital admissions for mental health crisis through consistent support coordination”

Daily living:

  • “Maintain personal hygiene and household tasks during depressive episodes with support worker assistance 3 times weekly”

Social participation:

  • “Attend peer support group monthly to reduce isolation and build recovery network”

Acquired Brain Injury Goals

Rehabilitation:

  • “Improve memory and executive function through occupational therapy twice weekly”
  • “Regain independence in meal preparation with OT support over 6 months”

Mobility:

  • “Improve walking speed and endurance with physiotherapy twice weekly, aiming for 500m unassisted walk”

Communication:

  • “Participate in speech pathology twice weekly to improve word-finding and conversational fluency”

Linking Goals to Supports

Every support funded in your plan should clearly relate to a goal.

Example Linkages

Goal: “Find part-time employment working 10-15 hours per week within 12 months”

Supports justification:

  • Employment support worker: Helps with job search, resume, applications
  • Support Coordination: Links to employment services and DES providers
  • Transport: Gets to job interviews and work shifts
  • Psychology: Manages work-related anxiety

Goal: “Live independently in my own apartment with daily living support”

Supports justification:

  • Support Worker 10 hours per week: Assistance with cooking, cleaning, personal care
  • Home modifications: Grab rails, accessible shower for safety
  • OT assessment: Develops independent living skills
  • Support Coordination: Coordinates multiple providers

Goal: “Reduce social isolation by attending community activities twice weekly”

Supports justification:

  • Community access support: Worker accompanies to activities
  • Transport: Specialized transport to events
  • Social skills therapy: Builds confidence in social situations
  • Core Supports funding: Pays for activity admission and costs

Planners assess whether requested supports are reasonable and necessary to achieve stated goals. Clear linkages strengthen funding justification.

Common Goal-Writing Mistakes

Avoid these errors that weaken your plan.

Mistake 1: Goals Too Vague

Bad: “Be more independent”

Better: “Prepare simple meals independently 4 days per week using kitchen safety equipment and occupational therapy-developed recipes”

Vague goals give planners no clear picture of what you want to achieve or what supports you need.

Mistake 2: No Timeframe

Bad: “Find a job eventually”

Better: “Secure part-time employment within 12 months through DES provider support and workplace modifications”

Without timeframes, goals cannot be measured at plan review.

Mistake 3: Unrealistic Goals

Bad: “Become completely independent and need no support” (when you have high support needs)

Better: “Maximize independence in daily tasks through skill development while maintaining necessary supports for safety and wellbeing”

Unrealistic goals are not achievable, violating SMART criteria.

Mistake 4: Too Many Goals

Having 20+ goals overwhelms plans and dilutes focus. Prioritize 5-8 key goals across life areas rather than listing every possible aspiration.

Bad: “Buy a house” (general life goal)

Better: “Maintain stable housing through supported tenancy and home modifications” (disability-related housing goal)

NDIS funds disability-related supports, so goals must connect to disability impact.

Mistake 6: Only Long-Term Goals

Plans need both short-term (6-12 months) and long-term (2-5 years) goals. Short-term goals show immediate priorities; long-term goals demonstrate aspiration and trajectory.

Short-term: “Complete hygiene routine independently with grab rails and shower chair”

Long-term: “Live independently with minimal support through continued skill development and assistive technology”

Mistake 7: Focusing on Supports Instead of Outcomes

Bad: “Get 10 hours of support worker each week”

Better: “Maintain personal care and household management with 10 hours weekly support to live independently in my home”

Goals should describe what you want to achieve (outcomes), not the supports you want (inputs). Supports are justified by goals, not goals themselves.

Goal Setting Process

Develop goals through reflection and consultation.

Self-Assessment

Ask yourself:

  • What areas of my life am I happy with?
  • What areas need improvement?
  • What would I like to do that disability prevents?
  • What did I enjoy before disability that I want to resume?
  • What new skills or experiences do I want to develop?
  • Where do I want to be in 1 year? 5 years?

Consultation

Discuss goals with:

  • Family and friends: What do they observe about your priorities and challenges?
  • Current support workers: What goals would they recommend based on working with you?
  • Therapists: What functional improvements are realistic with therapy?
  • Previous teachers or employers: What strengths and interests could goals build on?

Multiple perspectives create well-rounded goals.

Prioritization

You cannot pursue all possible goals simultaneously. Choose priorities based on:

  • Urgency (safety issues, critical skill gaps)
  • Impact (goals dramatically improving quality of life)
  • Readiness (goals you are motivated and prepared to work toward)
  • Dependencies (foundational goals enabling other goals later)

Presenting Goals at Planning Meeting

Bring written goals to your planning meeting and explain each one.

Goal Presentation Template

For each goal, explain:

The goal: [State the specific goal]

Why this matters: [How achieving this goal improves your life]

Current situation: [Where you are now regarding this goal]

What you need: [Supports required to achieve the goal]

Evidence: [Professional recommendations supporting the goal]

Timeframe: [When you expect to achieve this]

Example:

Goal: “Attend community activities twice per week to reduce social isolation”

Why: “I currently have no friends or social connections due to autism and social anxiety. Isolation causes depression and makes my mental health worse. Social participation is essential for wellbeing.”

Current situation: “I stay home alone all week. I want to go out but cannot navigate social situations independently.”

Supports needed: “Community access support worker to accompany me to activities, social skills therapy to build confidence, transport to get to activities”

Evidence: “My psychologist recommends regular social participation and support worker assistance in her report [provide copy]”

Timeframe: “Build up to twice-weekly outings over first 6 months of plan”

Reviewing and Updating Goals

Goals evolve as you make progress or circumstances change.

At Plan Review

Assess each goal:

  • Achieved: Celebrate success and set new goal building on this
  • Progressing: Continue working toward goal, adjusting supports if needed
  • Not progressing: Identify barriers and either change approach or revise goal
  • No longer relevant: Remove and replace with current priority

Plan reviews provide natural checkpoints for goal revision.

Mid-Plan Changes

If goals become inappropriate mid-plan (changed circumstances, unexpected outcomes), request plan variation to update goals and realign supports.

FAQ

How many goals should I have?

Most effective plans have 5-8 goals covering key life areas. This is enough to justify comprehensive supports without overwhelming focus.

Can I have the same goals at every plan review?

If you have not achieved goals from previous plan, you can continue working toward them in next plan. However, lack of progress despite adequate supports may prompt questions about goal appropriateness.

What if my goals conflict with what my family wants?

Your goals should reflect your priorities, not family preferences. However, if family provides significant informal support, consider their sustainability. Goals requiring family to provide unsustainable support levels are less realistic.

Should I write goals myself or get help?

Both. Self-reflection ensures goals reflect your priorities. Support Coordinator, therapists, or advocates can help articulate goals in language NDIA understands.

Can I change my goals after my plan is approved?

Goals guide your plan but are not binding legal commitments. You can pursue different priorities as circumstances change. However, if goal changes require different supports, request plan variation.

What if I don’t know what goals to set?

Start with what is not working in your current life. What disability impacts frustrate you most? What activities did you enjoy before disability that you want to resume? What do peers without disability do that you want to access? These questions generate goal ideas.

How detailed should goals be?

Detailed enough that planners understand what you want to achieve and can assess whether requested supports will help achieve it, but not so detailed that goals become inflexible. Include specific outcomes and timeframes.

Can employment goals justify funding if I’m not currently working?

Yes. NDIS funds supports helping you pursue employment even if currently unemployed. Employment goals justify job coaching, skill development, workplace modifications, and transport to work.

Key Resources

Well-crafted goals transform NDIS plans from administrative documents to meaningful roadmaps for life improvement. Invest time developing SMART goals that genuinely reflect your aspirations and justify the supports you need to achieve them.

Ready to find providers who can help you achieve your NDIS goals? Browse Carevo’s directory to connect with support workers, therapists, and coordinators across Australia.