I-CAN v6 for People with Communication Difficulties

Your rights, reasonable adjustments, and how to prepare effectively

Disclaimer: This article reflects publicly available information about the I-CAN v6 assessment framework as at August 2026. It does not constitute professional disability support or legal advice. For personalised guidance, contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 or a disability advocacy organisation.

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For most people, the I-CAN v6 assessment is a structured conversation. But for people for whom communication itself is a disability-related challenge — people who are non-speaking, AAC users, people with significant speech difficulties, people with aphasia, or people whose communication is affected by autism, intellectual disability, or neurological conditions — the assessment process itself can be a barrier.

This guide addresses that challenge directly: what adjustments you are entitled to, how to prepare your communication supports for the assessment, how a support person can appropriately assist, what the Communication domain specifically measures, and what evidence from speech pathologists carries the most weight.

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The Assessment Process Is Designed to Be Flexible — and You Have Rights

The I-CAN v6 assessment is not a standard clinical interview that everyone must navigate in the same way. Assessors are trained to adapt their approach to participants' communication needs.

You have the right to:

Use your preferred communication method. If you use an AAC device, communication board, Auslan, written communication, or any other alternative communication method, you can use it during the assessment. The assessor should accommodate this — it is not a workaround, it is the appropriate way to access the assessment.

Request specific accommodations in advance. Before your assessment is scheduled, request through the NDIA or your Support Coordinator:

• An assessor with experience in your specific communication method
• A longer assessment, or an assessment split across more than one session
• A familiar communication partner to be present as a facilitator
• A familiar environment (home or regular day service) rather than an unfamiliar clinic
• Written questions in advance so you can prepare responses

Bring a trained communication partner. If you have a regular communication partner — a speech pathologist, family member, or support worker who knows your AAC system well — you can request their presence as a facilitator. Their role is to help you communicate your own responses, not to speak on your behalf.

Take the time you need. AAC-mediated communication is typically slower than spoken communication. A standard 90-minute assessment may not be adequate. Request extended time explicitly.

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The Communication Domain: What It Actually Measures

The Communication domain in I-CAN v6 has four sub-areas:

1. Receiving Basic Communication — Can you understand what others are communicating to you? Do you need information presented in a particular format (simpler language, visual supports, reduced complexity)?

2. Expressing Basic Communication — Can you reliably express your basic needs, wants, and daily communication? What method do you use? How reliably does it work?

3. Expressing Feelings and Emotions — Are you able to communicate how you feel to others? This sub-area is often under-documented — even people with good functional AAC use may struggle to communicate emotional states.

4. Conversation & Complex Communication — Can you manage longer, more complex exchanges — appointments, planning conversations, formal settings? This is where many people with communication difficulties experience their greatest gaps.

For preparation: Think about each of these four areas specifically. Your performance in a structured one-on-one assessment with a skilled assessor may not represent how you communicate in high-demand settings, unfamiliar environments, or when tired. Document the gap between your best communication (in ideal conditions) and your typical communication (across daily life).

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AAC Users: Specific Preparation Guidance

Check and charge your device before the assessment

Your AAC device should be fully charged and loaded with your current vocabulary before the assessment. If your device requires software updates, apply them before the assessment — an update prompt during an assessment is a significant disruption.

Prepare relevant vocabulary in advance

Think through the domains the assessor will ask about and ensure your device includes vocabulary for describing daily life, health, support needs, and the specific challenges in each I-CAN domain. If there are topics you anticipate covering that your current vocabulary doesn't support well, prepare them in advance.

Practice describing your situation with your device

If you don't regularly use your device for extended narrative communication (some AAC users primarily use it for requests and basic communication), practice before the assessment. Describe how your disability affects different areas of your daily life. This builds familiarity with the type of communication the assessment will require.

Prepare a written backup

A written preparation document covering your support needs across all 12 domains provides a safety net if your device has problems, if fatigue affects your AAC use during the session, or if the assessor struggles to understand you in certain moments. Having your key points in writing — either on the device or on paper — is valuable.

Tell the assessor how you communicate best

At the start of the assessment, explain how your communication works: what method you use, how long responses typically take, how you signal yes/no, and how the assessor can best support your communication. Assessors are trained to accommodate different communication styles, but a brief orientation at the start helps.

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Non-Speaking Participants: Your Rights Are Clear

If you are non-speaking — whether due to autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, MND, or any other cause — you have the same right to an I-CAN v6 assessment as anyone else.

The assessment does not require speech. It requires communication. The assessor can gather information through:

• Your AAC system
• Written communication
• Yes/no responses combined with assessor-led questioning
• Observations from you, your communication partner, and your support person
• Written preparation documentation

You do not need to perform verbal communication to have an accurate assessment. The assessor's job is to gather accurate information about your support needs — through whatever means you can reliably communicate.

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How a Support Person Can Help — and What to Avoid

The line between appropriate support and unhelpful substitution matters in the assessment.

Appropriate support: Facilitating your communication — holding your device in a comfortable position, pointing to options you indicate, providing familiar context that helps you communicate your meaning, clarifying your responses when the assessor asks for clarification.

What to avoid: Speaking for you without your direction; interpreting your behaviour as communication when the assessor should be observing directly; answering questions on your behalf without checking with you first; answering follow-up questions that are directed to you.

The assessment needs to capture your support needs — not your support person's description of your support needs. A carer statement can be provided separately, and it is a valuable contribution. But during the assessment itself, the support person's role is to help you communicate, not to replace your voice.

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What a Speech Pathology Report Should Include

A speech pathology report for the I-CAN v6 should describe functional communication capacity, not just vocabulary or language assessment scores.

What to ask your speech pathologist to include:

• Your primary communication method and how reliably it works
• Communication capacity in different contexts — familiar versus unfamiliar, quiet versus noisy, calm versus stressed or fatigued
• Communication fatigue: how your communication changes after sustained effort
• What happens when your preferred communication method is not available
• The difference between what you can communicate in optimal conditions and what is typical across daily life
• Any specific safety risks related to communication difficulty (inability to communicate pain, distress, or emergencies)
• Your receptive communication: what you understand and any gaps

Currency: Should be current (within the past two years). Communication needs change, particularly for progressive conditions, children's development, and AAC users whose vocabulary is actively expanding.

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Preparing If You Cannot Write Your Own Preparation Document

For participants who cannot write their own preparation documentation due to communication difficulties, a trusted person can help in a supported way:

Option 1: A family member or carer who knows you well documents your daily support needs based on their direct observations. This becomes a carer statement, not your personal statement — but it is still valuable evidence.

Option 2: A Support Coordinator interviews you using your AAC system or preferred communication method, and documents your responses in a preparation document. The content comes from you; the format and words are organised by the SC.

Option 3: A speech pathologist prepares a communication profile and functional summary as part of their assessment, which serves as supporting evidence.

ICANReady can be used with a support person or family member — you work through the domain prompts together, with your responses (however you communicate them) forming the basis of the preparation document.

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Try ICANReady free →

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Sources: Centre for Disability Studies I-CAN v6 framework, Communication Access Australia, Speak Out Association, AAC Australia, Disability Advocacy Network Australia (dana.org.au)