NDIS · Telehealth & Mount Hutton
NDIS Dietitian
Nutrition support for NDIS participants, families and support teams from Accredited Practising Dietitians. Self-managed and plan-managed participants, by telehealth anywhere in Australia or in person at Mount Hutton.
What an NDIS dietitian does
An NDIS dietitian works on the parts of eating and nutrition that a disability makes harder, with the aim of more independence and safer, calmer mealtimes. It is capacity building, not a meal plan handed over and forgotten.
Common reasons people come to us through the NDIS:
- Mealtime assessment and mealtime support plans, written so the people who actually serve the meals can follow them. Where there is swallowing difficulty or choking risk, we work alongside a speech pathologist, who leads on texture and swallow safety.
- Nutrition where a disability affects eating, such as limited intake, a very narrow range of accepted foods, or difficulty planning and preparing meals.
- Sensory and neurodivergent eating, approached in a neuroaffirming way: building on the foods someone already accepts rather than forcing change.
- Appetite and weight changes from medication, which are common with some mental health medicines and are rarely explained to the person taking them.
- Skills for independent living: shopping, planning, budgeting and cooking at a level that suits the person.
- Training for support workers and SIL teams, so mealtime support is consistent across every shift. See our SIL and support-worker training.
Self-managed, plan-managed and agency-managed plans
How your plan is managed decides who you can see, so it is worth checking first.
- Self-managed: you can book with us directly and pay from your plan.
- Plan-managed: you can book with us directly; we invoice your plan manager.
- Agency-managed (NDIA-managed): the NDIS requires you to use a registered provider, so we are not able to see you under that arrangement. A support coordinator can help you find one, and our free tools remain open to you.
No referral is needed to book with us under a self-managed or plan-managed plan. We confirm our fee and how it will be claimed before the first appointment, so there are no surprises for you or your plan manager.
Which part of the plan pays for a dietitian
Dietetics is usually funded from Capacity Building: Improved Daily Living, often shown on plans as CB Daily Activity. That budget pays for therapy and assessment that builds skills and independence, which is what nutrition support does.
The NDIS does not fund day-to-day food costs, general weight-loss programs, or care that the health system is meant to provide, such as acute hospital nutrition. The test is whether a support is reasonable and necessary and relates to the disability. Plans differ, so if a support matters to you, ask for it and explain how it links to your goals.
Our free NDIS nutrition funding explainer works out which budget is likely to apply and gives you goal wording to take to your planner or support coordinator. Support teams can use the SIL Mealtime Plan Builder to draft a mealtime plan for review.
NDIS appointments by telehealth
Telehealth suits a lot of NDIS dietetics work. We can see the real kitchen, the foods in the pantry and how a mealtime actually runs at home. A parent, carer, support worker or support coordinator can join the same call from wherever they are, which makes it far easier to agree on one plan that everyone follows.
We see NDIS participants by video anywhere in Australia, and in person at our rooms in Mount Hutton, Lake Macquarie. If the screen is a barrier rather than a help, tell us and we will work out a format that suits.
Eating disorders and the NDIS
Where an eating disorder sits alongside a disability, care needs to be careful and coordinated. Our team includes a Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician, and we work with the participant’s GP, psychologist and wider treating team rather than in isolation. See our eating disorder support.
When to see a GP or get support now
Some situations need medical care before, or alongside, dietetics. Contact a GP promptly if there is rapid or unexplained weight loss, ongoing refusal of food or fluids, repeated choking or coughing at meals, or signs of dehydration. If someone is unwell or at immediate risk, call 000 or go to your nearest emergency department.
Common questions
Is a dietitian covered by the NDIS?
Yes, dietetics is a funded support, most commonly under Capacity Building: Improved Daily Living. Whether it is funded in a particular plan depends on the participant’s goals and whether the support is considered reasonable and necessary.
Do I need a referral to see an NDIS dietitian?
No. If your plan is self-managed or plan-managed you can book with us directly. A GP letter can still be useful background, but it is not required.
Can I see you if my plan is agency-managed?
Not under that arrangement. Agency-managed participants must use an NDIS-registered provider. If your plan is changing to plan-managed or self-managed, we can see you from then.
Can NDIS dietitian appointments be done by telehealth?
Yes. We see NDIS participants by video anywhere in Australia, and carers, family or support workers can join the same call. In-person appointments are available at Mount Hutton.
Can you train our support workers or SIL team?
Yes. We deliver nutrition and mental health training for SIL and NDIS teams, covering mealtime support, medication-related appetite changes and recognising early risks, onsite or online.
Do you write mealtime plans?
Yes, from a mealtime assessment, written for the people who serve the meals. Where there is swallowing difficulty or choking risk, we work with a speech pathologist, who leads on texture and swallow safety.
Ready when you are
Book with Felicity or Tahnia
No referral needed to book. Medicare and private health rebates for eligible clients. See us in Mount Hutton or by telehealth, Australia-wide.
Tahnia Middleton
Accredited Practising Dietitian, Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician
Book with TahniaNot sure who to see? Call 02 4091 9889 or send us a question.
