Most families and participants who ring us have the same question in a few different forms. What actually happens on the day? Do we need to bring anything? Will my child have to perform? This is the honest run sheet for a first exercise physiology session under the NDIS at Integral Movement in Epping.
Before you arrive
We ask for two things ahead of time: a copy of the NDIS plan (or the goals page at least) and a short phone call. The call is ten minutes. We want to know what the participant enjoys, what a good week looks like, and what has not worked before. If the plan is agency managed we check the funding line with the NDIA before the first visit so there are no surprises. Plan managed and self managed participants just bring the plan manager’s details or an email address for invoices.
Exercise physiology usually sits under Capacity Building, Improved Health and Wellbeing. If you are not sure which bucket applies, send the plan through and we will tell you what we can use.
Who is in the room
One Accredited Exercise Physiologist, the participant, and whoever they want with them. Parents and carers stay for the whole session, support workers are welcome, and siblings are fine if that makes the visit easier. You will see the same clinician start to finish, not a rotating roster.
Our clinic is a converted unit in an industrial estate, so the space is big, quiet and feels more like a lounge room with a gym attached than a medical clinic. There is free parking at the door and no waiting room full of strangers.
The first twenty minutes: talking, not testing
For kids this is play. Balls, a scooter board, the climbing frame, whatever they gravitate to. We are watching how they move, how they follow instructions and what motivates them, but from their side it is just a big room with fun stuff in it. There is no test to pass and no one is asked to sit still.
For adults it is a conversation. What do you want to be able to do? Get up from a chair without pushing off. Walk to the shops. Keep working. Get back to the gym. We turn those into goals that match the wording in the NDIS plan, because that is what the plan review will be judged on.
The middle: measurement
Every plan here starts with numbers. For adults that means force plates for balance and leg strength, grip strength, a sit to stand test and a walk test. For kids it is age appropriate: hopping, jumping, balance, catching, and a look at how they manage stairs and getting up from the floor. It takes fifteen to twenty minutes and it gives us a baseline we can retest against.
The numbers matter for two reasons. They tell us where to start so the first program is neither boring nor overwhelming. And they give the participant, the family and the support coordinator objective evidence of change at the plan review, rather than “seems to be going well”.
The last part: a plan you can read
Before you leave we agree on two or three goals, how often sessions will run (weekly or fortnightly is typical) and where (clinic, home or community). We write a service agreement in plain English that shows the hourly rate, the number of sessions, travel if any, and report writing. It is usually in your inbox the same day. Nothing is billed until you have signed it.
What it costs the plan
We bill exercise physiology at the current NDIS price limit for therapy supports, which is set nationally each July. Report writing is billed at the same therapy rate and agreed in advance. Travel to home or school visits follows the NDIS travel rules and is written into the service agreement. There are no extra charges for the first visit being longer than a normal session.
What to bring
- The NDIS plan or goals page
- Comfortable clothes and closed shoes
- A water bottle
- Any recent reports from other therapists, if you have them handy
- For kids, a favourite toy or snack helps with the first visit
After the first session
You get a short written summary of what we measured and the goals we agreed. The support coordinator gets a copy if you want them to. Sessions start the following week, and at six weeks we repeat the measurements so everyone can see what has changed.
The OT and dietetics side of the clinic runs the same way. If the first exercise physiology visit shows that daily living skills or eating are part of the picture, we can bring in the occupational therapist or the dietitian without you finding another provider.
Ready to start?
Exercise physiology can usually start within a week or two. Read more about NDIS support at Integral Movement, call us on 03 7047 6261, or book online. Send the plan through and we will tell you exactly what we can use.
