The 12 I-CAN v6 Domains Explained

What you need to know before your NDIS assessment

Disclaimer: This article is based on the publicly available I-CAN v6 framework developed by the Centre for Disability Studies (CDS). The NDIA uses a customised version of I-CAN v6 for the NDIS Support Needs Assessment, which is not fully published. This guide reflects the closest publicly available reference and may differ from the NDIA''s final implementation. It does not constitute professional disability support advice.

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The NDIS I-CAN v6 assessment measures your support needs across 12 distinct life domains. Each domain represents a different area of daily functioning — from how you move and care for yourself, to how you communicate, participate in community life, and manage your health.

Understanding what each domain covers helps you prepare clear, specific descriptions before your assessment — ensuring your genuine needs are accurately captured.

Updated June 2026: This guide has been updated to reflect the correct CDS official I-CAN v6 domain structure. Earlier versions of this article used domain names that mixed I-CAN v6 assessment domains with NDIS funding categories (such as "Employment" and "Support Coordination"). Those are funding categories, not I-CAN assessment domains. The correct 12 domains are listed here.

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The 12 I-CAN v6 Domains

Domain 1: Mobility

What it covers: How you move yourself and objects within and between environments — including transfers and positioning, carrying and handling objects, walking and moving, and using transport.

Sub-areas: Transfers & Positioning · Carrying, Moving & Handling Objects · Walking & Moving · Transport

What to think about:

• How do you transfer between surfaces — chair, bed, toilet, wheelchair?
• Can you walk independently, and for how long or how far before fatigue or pain sets in?
• Can you carry groceries, bags, or other objects while moving?
• Can you use public or private transport independently?

Evidence that helps: Physiotherapy or occupational therapy reports describing mobility capacity; details of mobility aids in use; description of fall history or fall risk.

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Domain 2: Domestic Life

What it covers: Managing your home environment — shopping for food and household items, cooking, cleaning and domestic tasks, and household maintenance.

Sub-areas: Shopping · Cooking · Cleaning & Domestic Tasks · Household Maintenance

What to think about:

• Can you shop for groceries independently, including navigating a supermarket and managing payments?
• Can you safely prepare and cook meals?
• Can you manage regular cleaning, laundry, and general household tasks?
• Can you manage basic home maintenance — changing a light bulb, reporting maintenance issues?

Evidence that helps: Occupational therapy home assessment reports; descriptions of past incidents (fires, falls, food spoilage due to unsupported living); support worker log entries.

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Domain 3: Self Care

What it covers: Caring for your body — eating and drinking, personal hygiene and grooming, toileting, and dressing.

Sub-areas: Eating & Drinking · Personal Care · Toileting · Dressing

What to think about:

• Do you need help eating or drinking safely?
• Can you shower, bathe, and groom yourself independently?
• Do you require assistance or supervision for toileting?
• Can you dress and undress independently, including managing fasteners like buttons and zippers?

Evidence that helps: Occupational therapy or physiotherapy reports; personal care plans from support workers; descriptions of assistance currently provided.

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Domain 4: Community, Social & Civic Life

What it covers: Engaging in community and social life — including leisure activities, community participation, managing finances and economic affairs, and the ability to advocate for yourself.

Sub-areas: Money & Economic Life · Community Life · Leisure & Recreation · Advocacy

What to think about:

• Can you manage your own finances — banking, paying bills, making purchases, budgeting?
• Do you participate in community activities, sport, cultural or religious events?
• Do you have leisure activities you enjoy — and can you access them independently?
• Are you able to speak up for your own needs and rights, or do you need someone to advocate on your behalf?

Evidence that helps: Financial management assessments; descriptions of current community participation (or lack thereof); documentation of advocacy needs; occupational therapy or social work reports.

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Domain 5: Communication

What it covers: Understanding and being understood — receiving basic communication, expressing your own needs and wants, communicating your feelings and emotions, and managing complex or formal conversations.

Sub-areas: Receiving Basic Communication · Expressing Basic Communication · Expressing Feelings and Emotions · Conversation & Complex Communication

What to think about:

• Do you have difficulty understanding what others say or communicate to you?
• Can you reliably express your basic needs and wants?
• Do you find it hard to express how you are feeling emotionally?
• Can you manage complex conversations — appointments, planning meetings, formal settings?

Evidence that helps: Speech pathology assessments; AAC device documentation; reports noting communication breakdowns in high-stakes situations; descriptions of communication failures and their consequences.

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Domain 6: Learning & Applying Knowledge

What it covers: Acquiring and applying knowledge in formal or structured learning settings — understanding information, retaining and applying what you have learned, completing educational tasks, and transitioning between learning environments.

Sub-areas: Formal Education Participation · Retaining and Applying Information · Completing Educational Tasks · Transitioning Between Settings

What to think about:

• Do you currently participate in any formal education or structured learning?
• Do you have difficulty retaining or recalling new information?
• Do you need support to complete assignments, assessments, or learning tasks?
• Do you find transitions between different classrooms, schools, or learning settings difficult?

Evidence that helps: School or TAFE reports; learning support plans; educational psychologist assessments; descriptions of support required in educational settings.

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Domain 7: General Tasks and Demands

What it covers: Managing daily routines, medications, and personal safety — including following regular routines, managing medications, and navigating risks of abuse or exploitation.

Sub-areas: Daily Routines · Medication Management · Safety & Risk of Abuse

What to think about:

• Can you follow a daily routine independently, or do you need prompts, reminders, or a structured schedule?
• Do you need assistance with medication — reminders, administration, monitoring for side effects?
• Are there safety concerns or risks of harm or exploitation in your daily life?

Evidence that helps: Medication management plans; incident reports; support worker daily notes; cognitive or neuropsychological assessments describing executive function capacity.

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Domain 8: Life Long Learning

What it covers: Career-oriented and lifelong learning goals — vocational development, building new skills, and pursuing meaningful learning interests beyond formal education.

Sub-areas: Unlike other domains, Life Long Learning is presented in goal-oriented terms rather than a fixed list of sub-areas. The focus is on describing your aspirations, the barriers your disability creates, and what support would help you achieve your goals.

What to think about:

• Do you have employment or career goals that your disability makes it difficult to pursue?
• Are there skills or interests you want to develop but face barriers accessing?
• Have disability-related factors prevented you from pursuing training or vocational pathways?

Evidence that helps: DES (Disability Employment Service) reports; vocational assessments; descriptions of employment history and disability-related barriers; statements of aspirations and what prevents achieving them.

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Domain 9: Interpersonal Interactions & Relationships

What it covers: Navigating social interactions and relationships — social skills, the ability to seek assistance when needed, and cooperating with others.

Sub-areas: Social Skills · Seek Assistance & Cooperate

What to think about:

• Do you find social interactions difficult — for example, greetings, turn-taking, reading social cues?
• Can you ask for help from others when you need it — including approaching unfamiliar people?
• Do you find it difficult to cooperate with support workers, professionals, or family members?

Evidence that helps: Psychological or behavioural assessments; social skills reports; descriptions of relationship difficulties and their causes; observations from support workers about social functioning.

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Domain 10: Behaviours of Concern

What it covers: Behaviours that may pose a risk to the participant or others — the nature, frequency, and severity of these behaviours, any formal Behaviour Support Plan in place, and the safety risks they create.

Sub-areas: Disruptive or Offensive Behaviour (including physical aggression, self-injurious behaviour, property destruction, verbal aggression, or behaviours that place anyone at risk of harm)

What to think about:

• Are there behaviours that could be harmful — to yourself or to others?
• How often do these behaviours occur, and how severe are they?
• What triggers these behaviours?
• Is there a current Behaviour Support Plan? Who developed it?

Evidence that helps: Behaviour Support Plans; incident reports; specialist behaviour support practitioner assessments; detailed descriptions of the behaviour, its frequency, and current management strategies.

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Domain 11: Mental & Emotional Health

What it covers: Managing your emotional wellbeing and mental health — mood regulation, managing mental health conditions, and the support needed to maintain emotional stability in daily life.

Sub-areas: Mood and emotional regulation (the impact of mental health conditions on daily functioning, the support required, and any safety risks)

What to think about:

• Do you have a mental health condition that affects how you function in daily life?
• Do you have significant difficulty managing your mood or emotional state?
• What support do you need to maintain your mental and emotional wellbeing?
• Are there times when your mental health puts you at risk — for example, during crises?

Evidence that helps: Psychiatric or psychological reports; GP mental health treatment plans; crisis support records; descriptions of how mental health symptoms affect daily functioning.

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Domain 12: Physical Health

What it covers: Physical health conditions and their impact on daily life. This domain has 10 sub-areas — more than any other domain — to capture complex physical health needs accurately.

Sub-areas: The complete list of sub-areas for this domain is part of the accredited I-CAN v6 assessor tool and has not been publicly released. Based on CDS's published sample report and general references in public literature, the domain covers areas including skin and related functions, continence, respiratory health, seizure management, pain, sleep, and nutrition. The specific sub-area names used in the official tool may differ from these descriptions.

What to think about:

• Do you have chronic physical health conditions that significantly affect your daily functioning?
• Do you need support with continence, skin care, or wound management?
• Do you experience seizures, respiratory difficulties, or other complex physical health needs?
• Do you experience significant chronic pain or fatigue that limits daily activity?

Evidence that helps: Specialist medical reports; GP letters; physiotherapy reports describing physical capacity; descriptions of how physical health conditions affect what you can do each day.

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Summary: The 12 I-CAN v6 Domains at a Glance

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How to Use This Guide to Prepare

For each domain that is relevant to you, think about:

1. What you cannot do independently — and what happens when you attempt it without support
2. What you can do with support — and what kind of support makes it possible
3. How often support is needed — daily, weekly, for specific tasks
4. What the consequences are if support is not available

Being specific is the most important thing. "I need help with personal care" tells an assessor much less than "I need a support worker for 90 minutes each morning for showering, dressing, and grooming because I cannot stand unsupported for more than 30 seconds."

ICANReady guides you through each of the 12 domains with plain-language prompts, helping you build a structured preparation document before your assessment.

Try ICANReady free →

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This guide is based on the publicly available I-CAN v6 framework developed by the Centre for Disability Studies (CDS). For more information about the I-CAN tool, visit cds.org.au. For official NDIA information about the support needs assessment, visit ndis.gov.au.