Services · Functional Capacity Assessments
Functional Capacity Assessments
A Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA) looks at how a person’s disability, mental health, neurodevelopmental differences or other health conditions affect everyday life.
It explores what a person can manage independently, where they experience difficulty, what support they currently receive, and what assistance may help them participate safely and as independently as possible at home, in the community, at work or study, and in relationships.
At The Psychology Hub, our psychologists take a comprehensive and individualised approach. An FCA is not simply a questionnaire or score. It brings together detailed clinical interviews, real-world examples, relevant existing information, input from other people where appropriate and consented to, and standardised measures where these add useful information.
Functional Capacity Assessments are commonly requested for NDIS purposes but may also be useful where detailed evidence of everyday functioning and support needs is required for another service, organisation or clinical purpose.
Starts with a 90-minute appointment
Every Functional Capacity Assessment begins here, and this appointment is part of the assessment itself.
No GP referral needed
You can book directly. Tell us at the start if the report has been requested for a particular purpose.
Online or in person
Online appointments across Australia, and in-person appointments at our North Lakes clinic in North Brisbane.
Quoted after the first appointment
The psychologist recommends what further interviews and measures are needed, then provides a quote. You pay for each stage as you go.
What is a Functional Capacity Assessment?
A Functional Capacity Assessment examines how a person manages everyday activities and participation in real life.
It is not simply about whether someone can technically perform a task. We may need to understand:
- whether they can do it independently
- whether they need prompting, supervision or physical assistance
- whether they can do it safely
- whether they can do it consistently
- how long it takes
- how much effort it requires
- whether they can manage it in different environments
- whether their functioning changes depending on stress, fatigue or symptoms
- what happens when support is unavailable
- whether their current support is sufficient.
For example, saying that someone “can cook” does not tell us whether they can plan a meal, organise ingredients, shop, use appliances safely, follow several steps, recognise when food is cooked, clean up afterwards and repeat the process consistently without another person prompting or supervising them.
A Functional Capacity Assessment is about real life
People can sometimes demonstrate a skill in a structured appointment but find it much harder to use that skill independently in everyday life.
For this reason, we want to understand what happens on an ordinary day — not only what someone can demonstrate once when they are being supported, prompted or observed.
Examples might include:
- someone can make an appointment but repeatedly forgets to attend without reminders
- someone can prepare a simple meal but needs supervision to do so safely
- someone knows how to use public transport on one familiar route but cannot plan an unfamiliar journey
- someone can manage money for small purchases but cannot budget or pay bills independently
- someone can communicate well with familiar people but becomes unable to explain their needs when overwhelmed
- someone can complete a household task when prompted but rarely initiates it independently
- someone can work effectively for short periods but cannot maintain the organisation, concentration or emotional regulation required across a whole workday.
What areas does a Functional Capacity Assessment look at?
The areas explored will depend on the person, their circumstances, the purpose of the assessment and the questions the assessment needs to answer.
A comprehensive FCA may consider the six functional areas commonly considered by the NDIS:
- communication
- social interaction
- learning
- mobility
- self-care
- self-management.
It may also consider broader areas of everyday functioning, including:
- cognition, attention, memory and executive functioning
- emotional and psychological functioning
- mental health symptoms and their impact on daily life
- household tasks and domestic responsibilities
- work, education or other productive activities
- relationships and family responsibilities
- community access and participation
- recreation and leisure
- safety, judgement and decision-making
- managing appointments, finances, health needs and other daily responsibilities
- the impact of fluctuating or episodic difficulties
- the amount of prompting, supervision, emotional support or practical assistance required.
A closer look at everyday functioning
Communication is about how someone understands information, expresses their needs and communicates with other people.
This may include:
- understanding spoken instructions
- explaining needs or concerns
- communicating when upset or overwhelmed
- reading and understanding written information
- writing messages, emails or forms
- asking for help
- communicating with unfamiliar people
- understanding complex or abstract information
- using alternative communication methods where relevant.
Learning includes taking in new information, remembering it, practising new skills and using what has been learned in everyday situations.
This may include:
- understanding new information
- remembering instructions
- learning new routines
- problem-solving
- applying a skill in a new situation
- reading, writing or numeracy where these affect everyday functioning
- maintaining attention long enough to learn
- remembering what has been learned later
- needing repetition, modelling or visual support.
Mobility is about moving around safely and accessing home and community environments.
Where mobility difficulties are primarily physical or there are questions about equipment, physical access or complex mobility needs, assessment by an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or another appropriate professional may also be recommended.
Depending on the person, this may include:
- moving around the home
- walking
- transferring
- using stairs
- accessing the community
- using public transport
- navigating unfamiliar places
- using mobility aids.
Self-care includes the everyday tasks involved in looking after personal needs.
This may include:
- showering or bathing
- dressing
- grooming
- toileting
- eating
- personal hygiene
- managing medication or health routines
- recognising when help is required.
We also consider whether these activities occur consistently without another person prompting, reminding, supervising or organising them.
Self-management is about organising and managing everyday life.
This can include:
- making decisions
- organising daily activities
- starting and completing tasks
- managing time
- attending appointments
- managing money
- paying bills
- managing medication or health needs
- planning meals or shopping
- household responsibilities
- managing emotions and behaviour
- responding to changes or unexpected problems
- recognising when help is needed
- making safe decisions.
Social interaction looks at how someone relates to other people and participates socially.
This may include:
- starting and maintaining conversations
- forming and maintaining relationships
- understanding social expectations
- recognising other people’s intentions
- resolving disagreements
- social judgement
- recognising unsafe situations
- setting boundaries
- participating in social or recreational activities
- communicating in workplace, educational or community settings.
Cognition and executive functioning can affect a person’s ability to organise, plan, initiate, monitor and complete everyday tasks.
This may include:
- attention and concentration
- memory
- planning and organising
- prioritising tasks
- managing time
- starting tasks
- following through and completing tasks
- switching between activities
- problem-solving
- adapting when plans change
- keeping track of appointments, bills or deadlines
- managing several demands at once.
A person may understand what needs to be done but still have significant difficulty carrying it out consistently without support.
Mental health and emotional difficulties can significantly affect functional capacity, even where a person may otherwise have the physical or cognitive ability to complete a task.
We may consider how symptoms affect:
- motivation and task initiation
- self-care and routines
- emotional regulation
- coping with stress or unexpected change
- leaving the house
- attending appointments
- maintaining work or study
- relationships
- community participation
- decision-making
- safety
- maintaining everyday responsibilities.
We also consider fluctuating or episodic functioning. Someone may manage relatively well at some times but require substantially more support during periods of increased symptoms.
The focus is on functional impact, rather than simply whether someone has a particular diagnosis.
Participation in everyday life matters too
We also consider how a person’s functional difficulties affect their ability to participate in everyday life.
This may include:
- employment
- education
- volunteering
- relationships
- parenting
- hobbies and recreation
- community participation
- accessing services
- living independently
- maintaining health and wellbeing.
Someone may be able to perform individual tasks but still have significant difficulty combining those skills consistently enough to manage broader roles and responsibilities.
We look at what support is actually required
A Functional Capacity Assessment should not only describe what is difficult. It should also explain what support the person currently needs and what happens without that support.
We may consider whether the person needs:
- prompting
- supervision
- physical assistance
- emotional support
- help with decision-making
- help with planning or organisation
- written or visual prompts
- another person to assist with communication
- support to access the community
- regular support-worker assistance
- assistive technology or environmental supports where relevant
- support from family or other informal carers.
We also consider the frequency and intensity of support required. Needing occasional assistance is very different from needing prompting, supervision or practical assistance several times each day.
Informal support can hide the level of difficulty
Sometimes a person’s everyday life appears to be functioning only because family members, partners or carers are providing a large amount of unpaid support.
For example:
- a parent manages appointments
- a partner handles bills and correspondence
- family members provide transport
- someone else plans meals and shopping
- a carer provides regular reminders
- another person resolves problems whenever something changes
- family members supervise safety or decision-making.
During the assessment, we consider what the person could manage if those supports were not available, as well as whether the current level of informal support is sustainable.
What happens during a Functional Capacity Assessment?
A Functional Capacity Assessment is highly individualised. The assessment process may involve several stages depending on the person, their circumstances and what the assessment needs to address.
Initial assessment appointment
Every Functional Capacity Assessment at The Psychology Hub begins with a 90-minute initial appointment. This appointment is part of the assessment itself.
During this appointment, the psychologist will talk with the person about their disability or health condition, strengths, everyday difficulties, living situation, current supports, goals and what the assessment has been requested to address.
After the initial appointment, the psychologist will recommend what further information, interviews or measures are needed and provide a quote for the remaining assessment before proceeding.
A detailed clinical interview is one of the most important parts of the assessment.
The psychologist will explore how the person manages the areas of functioning relevant to them, including what they can do independently, where they experience difficulty, what support is already in place, and what happens when support is unavailable.
We are interested not only in whether someone knows how to perform a task, but whether they:
- initiate it
- remember to do it
- complete it safely
- complete it consistently
- manage it within a reasonable amount of time and effort
- adapt when circumstances change
- manage it without another person organising or prompting them.
The areas explored will depend on the individual and the purpose of the assessment.
With consent, the psychologist may also speak with family members, carers, partners, support workers or other people who know the person’s everyday functioning well.
This can be particularly useful where another person provides substantial support or sees aspects of functioning that are difficult to capture during an appointment.
The person’s own perspective remains important. Information from others is used to build a fuller picture rather than replace the person’s voice.
Previous information can provide important context. With consent, the psychologist may review:
- previous psychological assessments
- diagnostic reports
- occupational therapy reports
- speech pathology reports
- medical reports
- previous Functional Capacity Assessments
- adaptive functioning assessments
- school or educational reports
- workplace information where relevant
- support-worker information
- relevant NDIS, funding or service documents
- relevant correspondence from services or providers
- other reports that help explain functioning or support needs.
Reviewing existing information can also reduce unnecessary repetition and help the psychologist understand how the person’s needs have changed over time.
Standardised questionnaires and measures may be used where they add useful information. They support the assessment but do not replace the detailed interview and real-world information.
WHODAS 2.0 — World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule
The WHODAS 2.0 is a measure of health and disability developed by the World Health Organization. It looks at functioning across six broad areas:
- understanding and communicating
- mobility
- self-care
- getting along with others
- life activities
- participation.
Depending on the assessment, a self-report, interview or proxy version may be used.
Adaptive functioning measures
Where relevant, an adaptive functioning assessment may also be included using a measure such as:
- Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition (Vineland-3)
- Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3).
These can provide useful information about everyday conceptual, social and practical skills.
Other measures
Other measures may be used depending on the person’s presentation and the questions being explored.
These might assess areas such as:
- executive functioning
- everyday life skills
- emotional or psychological functioning
- behavioural functioning
- cognitive functioning
- other relevant areas.
We do not give every person the same battery of tests. Measures are chosen because they are relevant to the individual’s needs and the purpose of the assessment.
Feedback, draft report and final report
Feedback appointment
Once the assessment information has been brought together, the psychologist will meet with you to explain the findings, strengths, functional difficulties and recommendations.
Draft report for review
A draft report is provided so factual information can be checked and any questions or corrections raised before the report is finalised.
Final report
Following feedback and review of the draft, the psychologist finalises the report, bringing together the assessment findings, functional impact, support needs, strengths and recommendations.
A diagnosis does not tell us everything about functional capacity
Two people with the same diagnosis can have very different support needs.
A diagnosis such as autism, ADHD, Intellectual Disability or another psychological or developmental condition can provide important information, but it does not tell us exactly how that individual manages daily life.
A Functional Capacity Assessment focuses on the individual person’s functioning and support needs rather than assuming that everyone with the same diagnosis experiences the same difficulties. You can see the full range of our assessment services if you are not yet sure which assessment you need.
Functional Capacity Assessments also identify strengths
An FCA is not only about difficulties.
A person may need significant support in some areas while functioning very independently in others.
The assessment may identify:
- activities the person manages independently
- existing skills and strengths
- strategies that already work
- environments in which they function best
- supports that are effective
- areas where greater independence may be achievable.
Understanding strengths helps recommendations build on what is already working.
What might recommendations include?
Recommendations depend on the individual, their disability or health condition, their goals and the findings of the assessment.
They may include recommendations relating to:
- support-worker assistance
- building daily-living skills
- routines and visual supports
- executive-functioning strategies
- psychological therapy
- communication support
- social participation
- support to access work or study
- community participation
- assistance with managing appointments or health needs
- budgeting or daily organisation
- family or carer support
- further assessment by another professional where appropriate.
Where a person’s needs are outside the psychologist’s area of expertise — for example complex physical mobility, home modifications or specialised equipment — the psychologist may recommend assessment by an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or another appropriate professional.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Functional Capacity Assessment the same as an Adaptive Functioning Assessment?
No. They overlap, but they are not the same.
An Adaptive Functioning Assessment focuses specifically on everyday adaptive skills, often using measures such as the Vineland-3 or ABAS-3.
A Functional Capacity Assessment is broader. It brings together detailed interviews, real-world information, information from family or carers where appropriate, previous reports, relevant standardised measures and clinical interpretation to describe how the person’s disability or health condition affects everyday functioning and participation.
An adaptive functioning measure may form one part of a Functional Capacity Assessment where it is relevant.
Is an FCA just a questionnaire?
No.
Questionnaires and standardised measures can provide useful information, but they are only one part of a Functional Capacity Assessment.
A large part of the psychologist’s assessment involves understanding the person’s actual day-to-day functioning through detailed clinical interviews, review of relevant information and, where appropriate, information from family members, carers or support workers.
Who can complete a Functional Capacity Assessment?
The appropriate professional depends on the person’s disability or health condition and the questions the assessment needs to answer.
A psychologist may be particularly well placed where the person’s functioning is affected by psychological, cognitive, neurodevelopmental, behavioural or emotional difficulties.
Where physical functioning, equipment, home modifications or other discipline-specific needs are central, another professional or multidisciplinary assessment may also be appropriate.
Can a Functional Capacity Assessment be completed online?
Many parts of a psychologist-led Functional Capacity Assessment can be completed by telehealth, particularly interviews, review of information and standardised questionnaires.
Whether an online assessment is appropriate depends on the person, their circumstances and what needs to be assessed.
If in-person observation or another professional assessment is needed, the psychologist will discuss this with you.
The Psychology Hub provides online appointments across Australia and in-person appointments at our North Lakes clinic.
Do I need to have NDIS funding already?
Not necessarily.
Functional Capacity Assessments are not limited to NDIS participants. People may seek an FCA for different reasons where detailed information about their everyday functioning and support needs is required.
If the assessment is being requested for an NDIS-related purpose, please tell us what has been requested and provide any relevant information before the assessment begins.
Will an FCA guarantee NDIS access or funding?
No.
A Functional Capacity Assessment can provide evidence about a person’s everyday functioning and support needs, but decisions about NDIS access, funding and plan supports are made by the NDIA.
If the report is required for a particular NDIS purpose, please tell us at the beginning and provide any information or requirements you have received so the psychologist can consider these when planning the assessment.
How much does a Functional Capacity Assessment cost?
The cost depends on the person’s circumstances and what the assessment needs to include.
Every assessment begins with a 90-minute initial appointment. After this appointment, the psychologist can determine what further interviews, measures, information review and assessment work are required and provide a personalised quote before proceeding.
You pay for each stage as you progress rather than paying the entire assessment cost upfront. See fees and rebates for more information.
How long does a Functional Capacity Assessment take?
The time required varies depending on the complexity of the person’s needs, the number of people who need to be interviewed, the amount of previous information that needs to be reviewed and the measures required.
Following the 90-minute initial appointment, the psychologist will be able to provide a clearer plan for the remaining assessment.
What information should I provide?
If available, useful information may include:
- NDIS plan or relevant NDIS correspondence
- previous Functional Capacity Assessments
- diagnostic reports
- psychological reports
- occupational therapy reports
- speech pathology reports
- medical reports
- adaptive functioning assessments
- school or educational information
- workplace information where relevant
- support-worker information
- information from family or carers
- a list of current formal and informal supports
- details of what the report has been requested for.
Please do not delay making an enquiry if you do not have all of these documents. The psychologist can discuss what information is available and what may be useful.
Ready to take the next step?
To book an initial Functional Capacity Assessment or ask a question, contact The Psychology Hub or use our Clinician Matcher to find a suitable psychologist.
You do not need a GP referral.
Functional Capacity Assessments are available online across Australia and in person at our North Lakes clinic in North Brisbane.
Call 1300 366 614, email info@thepsychologyhub.com.au, or see your first appointment if you are new to the clinic.
