Paediatric OT, speech pathology and physio jobs after the NDIS changes: the official dates and what they may mean

Written by Callum Trevorrow. Last checked 28 October 2026 against official sources.

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Thriving Kids, a new program outside the NDIS for children 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs, started its phased rollout from 1 October 2026. From 1 January 2028, new applicants in that group will no longer be eligible for the NDIS, according to the government’s May 2026 timeline, while children with permanent and significant disability, or with high support needs, stay eligible.

If most of your paediatric caseload is NDIS-funded, those two dates matter for your next few years. I run a multi-site paediatric allied health practice in South East Queensland, so this is the part of the market I work in. Below are the official dates first, then, clearly labelled, my general reasoning about what they may mean.

The official dates

This table isn’t the full timeline. The official timeline has further dated changes that this table doesn’t cover. Read the current official timeline, and check the department’s pages for a newer version, before relying on any date here.

Children already in the NDIS. The government’s participant FAQ says children who are NDIS participants before 1 January 2028 keep the previous criteria and are reassessed under the new criteria once they turn 9.

Legislation. The timeline depends on the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) legislation. The 24 September 2026 pricing release refers to it as an Act, but we haven’t confirmed which parts of the timeline are legislated. Check the department’s pages before relying on a date.

What Thriving Kids is

• It’s the first phase of Foundational Supports, and it sits outside the NDIS.
• It’s for children 8 and under with developmental delay and/or autism and low to moderate support needs. No diagnosis is needed.
• Governments are investing A$4 billion over 5 years from mid-2026: A$2 billion Commonwealth and A$2 billion from states and territories.
• Families get support from allied health professionals where needed.
• State services begin no later than 1 October 2026 and are at scale from 1 January 2028. The government says there are no changes to NDIS access until 1 January 2028.

Queensland’s arrangements aren’t confirmed. When we checked on 28 October 2026, we couldn’t find an official page setting out how Queensland will deliver Thriving Kids, who will employ or fund the allied health work, or how it will be paid. Check the department’s Thriving Kids page for updates.

Who the NDIS early childhood approach covers today is on paediatric OT jobs in Queensland.

What it may mean for paediatric caseloads

This section is my general reasoning from the official dates above. It isn’t a forecast, and the Queensland detail isn’t published yet.

• The funding source for part of the under-9 caseload may change. Children 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate support needs who apply after 1 January 2028 won’t be eligible for the NDIS under the timeline, and Thriving Kids is the program designed for that group. How much of a practice’s caseload that touches depends on its client mix.
• Existing participants won’t move overnight. Under the FAQ wording, current child participants keep the old criteria until they turn 9, so any shift is gradual.
• Who delivers Thriving Kids in Queensland is the open question. Until Queensland publishes its arrangements, nobody can say whether that work will sit with private practices, public services or others.

If you’re weighing a move, the useful questions for a paediatric employer are: how much of the caseload is NDIS-funded and in which age groups, whether the practice is a registered provider, and how it’s planning for 2028.

By profession

• OTs: registered with the OT Board (Ahpra); the award minimum is A$1,308.80 a week at Level 1 year 1 (from 1 October 2026). At a registered NDIS provider, a risk-assessed role needs a Queensland NDIS Worker Screening Check; your Ahpra registration exempts you from a blue card but not from that check.
• Speech pathologists: assessed by Speech Pathology Australia, not Ahpra; the award pays by your degree, from A$1,308.80 (bachelor’s) to A$1,444.90 (master’s) a week at Level 1 year 1. Registered NDIS providers, and their employees and contractors, must hold Certified Practising (CPSP) status to deliver NDIS supports. State schools employ speech pathologists directly; see therapists in Queensland schools.
• Physios: registered with the Physiotherapy Board (Ahpra); the award minimum is A$1,308.80 a week at Level 1 year 1. The same NDIS screening rule applies as for OTs. Department of Education physio roles include work with students with disability.

Full pay tables, including Queensland Health grades, are on pay by setting in Queensland. NDIS registration and screening in detail: the NDIS for therapists.

Your next step

• OTs and physios: work out roughly what share of your caseload is NDIS-funded children 8 and under with developmental delay or autism and low to moderate needs, and which settings you’d consider if that changes.
• Speech pathologists: do the same, and keep your Certified Practising status current, because registered NDIS providers need it.

A confidential chat is the quickest way to talk through what the changes mean for your next role, without your employer knowing you’re looking. It’s free for clinicians, and I won’t promise you a role; I’ll tell you what I’d look for. We stay in touch after you start. Tell us what you’re after below.