NDIS early childhood price limits 2026-27

Early childhood price limits by profession

Every direct service item in Schedule 5, with the provider travel (_PT) price. The other claim types (_CA, _NF, _RR, _TH) have the same price as the direct service: see NDIS claim type codes explained.

How these items are claimed

• The support is an early childhood capacity building support (including key worker support) for a child younger than 9 with developmental delay or disability and their family or carers, at home, in the community or in early childhood education settings. It is expected to follow the NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators for Early Childhood Supports.
• Where a support item exists for the professional’s discipline, claim with that item, not “Other Professional” or another discipline’s item.
• Health services covered by Medicare or private health insurance are claimed there, not from the NDIS plan, even if they relate to the disability.
• Provider travel: worker travel time to the participant, up to 30 minutes each way in MMM1–3 areas and up to 60 minutes each way in MMM4–5 areas (no time limit in remote and very remote areas), plus return travel from the last participant to the usual workplace if the worker must be paid for it, within the same limit. It applies when the support itself is face to face, the participant agreed to the travel costs in advance and the provider has to pay the worker for the travel (or is a sole trader). Travel shared between participants is split between them by agreement. For therapy supports the price limit for travel time is 50% of the item’s price limit.
• Non-labour travel costs, such as parking, tolls or up to $0.99 a kilometre for a vehicle, can be agreed with the participant and are claimed with a separate non-labour travel item, only where travel time can be claimed.
• Short notice cancellation: if the participant gives less than 2 clear business days’ notice or does not show up, the provider can claim up to 100% of the agreed fee, as long as it could not find other billable work for the worker, has to pay the worker for that time (unless it is a sole trader or partnership), and the service agreement sets out the cancellation terms. Providers can waive the fee or offer better terms.
• NDIA requested reports: only when the NDIA asks for the report (a report at the start of a plan, a plan review report on functional outcomes, or another report the plan says is required) and the participant agreed in advance.
• Telehealth: when delivering the support by telehealth is appropriate, it is part of this support, and the participant agreed in advance in the service agreement. The provider must give the same standard of care as in person.
• Non-face-to-face work: only for activities that are part of delivering this support to this participant (not general administration such as service agreements, rostering, service bookings or payment claims), explained to the participant and agreed in advance in the service agreement.
• Delivered to a group at the same time: the price limit for each participant is the item’s price limit divided by the number of people in the group, and the provider claims for each participant for the full time of the support.
• Therapy assistants: Level 1 assistants work under the direct supervision of a therapist at all times; Level 2 assistants can work under indirect supervision. During handover, the time of both the therapist and the assistant can be billed.
• Providers in registration group 0118 can include one-to-one supports in a program of support, but only together with group supports.

Rules on this page: NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26 (current until the 2026-27 edition is published), version 1.1, pages 20–27, 31–32, 36–37 and 92–94. Prices: NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (version 1.2, 22 July 2026, effective 1 July 2026).

Price change from 2025-26

Of the 23 items in both the 2025-26 price tables and the 2026-27 schedule, 18 kept the same price limit. These changed:

Went up

Went down

New in 2026-27 (not in the 2025-26 price tables): 15_626_0118_1_3 (ECI Professional – Orientation Mobility Specialist – Direct Service).

Professions that appear in both Schedule 4 (therapy) and Schedule 5 have the same price limits in both. The early childhood “Other Early Childhood Professional” items are $193.99 an hour, against $156.16 for “Other Professional” therapy items.

Worked examples

Work it out with a calculator

• NDIS therapy cost calculator 2026-27: sessions, provider travel, telehealth and reports at 2026-27 price limits, by MMM area.
• NDIS short notice cancellation calculator: whether a cancellation counts as short notice, how much can be claimed and with which code.
• NDIS invoice generator 2026-27: a printable NDIS invoice with code search, claim types and price limit warnings.
• NDIS remote area and MMM checker 2026-27: check whether a town is on the isolated towns list and what loading and travel limits apply.

FAQs

What is the NDIS early childhood therapy rate for 2026-27?

A psychologist is $252.99 an hour (15_001_0118_1_3), an occupational therapist or speech pathologist $193.99, a physiotherapist $183.99 and a level 1 therapy assistant $56.16 (national price limits).

What age are NDIS early childhood supports for?

Children younger than 9 with developmental delay or disability, and their families or carers. From age 9, therapy is claimed with the Schedule 4 therapy items.

Can early childhood providers charge for travel?

Yes, with the item’s provider travel (_PT) code at half the hourly price limit, for example $97.00 an hour for a speech pathologist, within the 30-minute (MMM1–3) or 60-minute (MMM4–5) limits each way. There is no time limit in remote and very remote areas.

Sources

• NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (NDIA), version 1.2 (22 July 2026), effective 1 July 2026
• NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26 (current until the 2026-27 edition is published), version 1.1, valid from 24 November 2025

Related guides

• NDIS therapy price limits 2026-27
• NDIS claim type codes explained
• NDIS remote and very remote price limits 2026-27
• What changed in the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27
• All NDIS support item codes 2026-27
• NDIS therapy cost calculator 2026-27