How Can I Help My Loved One Set Meaningful NDIS Goals?

Setting meaningful NDIS goals can transform your loved one's journey toward greater independence and a fulfilling life. This guide will help you support them through the goal-setting process, ensuring their NDIS plan truly reflects their aspirations and needs.

Think About What Matters Most to You

Start by understanding what genuinely matters to your loved one. The NDIS recognises that goals should be personal desires about what someone wants to do. Take time to have conversations about:

• What activities bring them joy or satisfaction

• Areas where they want more independence

• Skills they're interested in developing

• Social connections they value or want to build

• Future aspirations for work, education, or lifestyle

Your loved one's goals might include building their skills and doing more things themselves, working or studying now or in the future, doing social and recreation activities, or building friendships and connecting with family. The key is ensuring these goals come from their own desires rather than what others think they should want.

Remember that goal setting is not about the supports themselves, but about the outcomes your loved one wants to achieve. Focus on what they want their life to look like rather than specific services they might need.

Make Your Goals Clear and Specific

Vague goals make it difficult for NDIS planners to understand your loved one's needs and allocate appropriate supports. Instead of saying "I want to be more independent," help them articulate something more specific like "I want to learn how to prepare my own meals so I can cook for myself three times a week".

Clear and specific goals: Reflecting what your loved one wants to achieve, not what others think they should be.

• Outcomes-focused: Concentrating on the end result rather than specific services

• Flexible: Broad enough to allow for different types of support while working toward the goal

When helping your loved one express their goals, ensure they will be written in their own words when recorded in their NDIS plan. The NDIS can help choose the right words if your loved one has difficulty describing their goals due to their disability.

SMART Goal Meaning and Formula

The SMART goal framework provides structure and clarity for NDIS goals. SMART stands for:

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve

• Measurable: Make sure you can track progress

• Achievable: Set goals that are realistic and possible

• Relevant: Ensure they align with personal needs and aspirations

• Time-bound: Set a timeframe for achieving them

For example, instead of "I want to be healthier," a SMART goal would be: "I want to go for a 30-minute walk with my support worker twice a week to improve my fitness and mental health over the next six months".

This framework helps break down complex aspirations into manageable, trackable objectives that demonstrate clear progress toward meaningful outcomes.

Be Clear About Your Support Needs

Help your loved one identify the disability-specific barriers that might prevent them from achieving their goals. The NDIS funds supports that help overcome these barriers. When discussing support needs:

• Consider what daily challenges they face due to their disability

• Think about what assistance would help them work toward their goals

• Identify skills they need to develop or maintain

• Discuss environmental modifications that might be helpful

The supports funded by the NDIS should enable your loved one to pursue their goals and aspirations. However, remember that setting a goal doesn't guarantee specific funding - the NDIS will consider whether the requested supports are reasonable and necessary to help overcome disability-related barriers.

Align Goals with NDIS Funding Categories

Understanding NDIS support categories helps ensure goals connect to appropriate funding. The three main categories are:

Core Supports help with everyday activities and include:

• Assistance with Daily Living

• Transport

• Consumables

• Assistance with Social and Community Participation

Capacity Building Supports help build independence and skills:

• Support Coordination

• Improved Living Arrangements

• Increased Social and Community Participation

• Finding and Keeping a Job

• Improved Relationships

• Improved Health and Wellbeing

• Improved Learning

• Improved Life Choices

• Improved Daily Living

Capital Supports fund one-time purchases:

• Assistive Technology

• Home Modifications

• Specialist Disability Accommodation

When setting goals, consider how they might align with these categories. For example, a goal about independent living might connect to both Core Supports (daily living assistance) and Capacity Building (improved daily living skills).

Review and Updating Your Goals As Required

NDIS goals aren't fixed - they can and should evolve as your loved one's needs and circumstances change. Regular review ensures goals remain relevant and achievable.

The NDIS typically conducts plan reviews annually, but you can request an unscheduled review if circumstances change significantly. When preparing for reviews:

• Reflect on what worked well and what didn't

• Assess progress toward existing goals

• Consider whether goals need modification or new ones should be added

• Gather evidence from healthcare providers or support workers about your loved one's progress

If your loved one's goals change before their plan review, contact their support coordinator or the NDIA as soon as possible. They can provide guidance on whether the current plan remains adequate or if a reassessment is needed.

Example Goals

Here are practical examples of meaningful NDIS goals across different life areas:

Daily Living Skills:

• "I want to develop independent daily living skills, including meal preparation and cooking"

• "I want to build my confidence with shopping by myself"

Social and Community Participation:

• "I want to engage in weekly social and recreation activities"

• "I want to increase participation in model train club to foster social connections"

Communication and Relationships:

• "I want to improve verbal communication skills to engage in meaningful conversations with family and peers"

• "I want to manage my emotions better so I can become more involved in my community"

Employment and Education:

• "I want to finish a TAFE course in hospitality in the next 12 months"

• "I want to explore vocational interests and identify potential career paths based on personal strengths and preferences"

Health and Wellbeing:

• "I want to develop coping strategies for managing anxiety and reducing meltdowns”

• "I want to improve my coordination and strength to walk independently"

Independence and Mobility:

• "I want to increase independence and confidence in navigating trains and rail network"

• "I want to build my confidence to catch public transport”

Each example focuses on outcomes rather than specific services, uses positive language, and describes achievable steps toward greater independence and community participation.

The goal-setting process is collaborative and ongoing. Your role as a supporter is to help your loved one articulate their aspirations clearly while ensuring their goals align with NDIS principles and funding categories. With meaningful goals in place, your loved one will be better positioned to access the supports they need to live their best life.