If you've recently been through a plan review or change of situation and received an approval of around $5,000 in your Capital - Assistive Technology budget for a "Communication Device", you might be expecting that funding to cover an iPad and an AAC app like Proloquo, LAMP Words for Life, or Grid for iPad.
It almost certainly won't, and we want to explain why before you place an order.
What "Communication Device" actually means in your plan
When the NDIS approves a Communication Device line in your Capital - AT budget, they are funding a dedicated communication device. That's a specific category of assistive technology: purpose-built hardware that does nothing except run a manufacturer's communication software. It's locked down, it's not a general-purpose tablet, and it's priced accordingly.
Dedicated communication devices typically start above $7,000. Examples include:
- Liberator Accent - from $7,495
- Liberator Nova Rugged - from $7,495
- Tobii Dynavox TD I-Series - from $7,995
- Smartbox Grid Pad - from $6,990
If you order one of these, your Capital - AT funding can be used directly. No further approval is needed.
Why an iPad and AAC app is treated differently
In November 2024, the NDIS introduced the Replacement Supports framework. Under this framework, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, and apps for accessibility or communication are no longer automatically funded under standard plan budgets. They sit on a separate approved list and require their own application, even when you have funding allocated for a Communication Device.
This means an iPad with an AAC app, no matter how clinically appropriate, requires a Replacement Support approval before it can be purchased using your plan funds. The application is reviewed against five statutory criteria under section 10(6) of the NDIS Act covering whether the item is on the approved list, whether it replaces an existing support, whether the cost is the same or lower, whether the outcome is the same or better, and whether it is safe to use.
This is true even if your plan already has a Communication Device line item. The funding is there, but the legal pathway to use it for a tablet-based solution runs through Replacement Supports.
One important detail. If your iPad is going to be used as an AAC device, it must be the participant's dedicated device. A shared family iPad won't meet the criteria. This is taken from the NDIA's own published worked example on AAC tablet applications.
The products that have been engineered around the framework
This is where the framework gets deliberately undermined. Several products are sold as dedicated communication devices but are, when you open the box, an Apple iPad in a branded case running a third-party communication app.
The products in this category include:
- Smartbox TalkPad - from $3,990 (iPad in a Smartbox case)
- Tobii Dynavox Navio - from $4,995 (iPad in a Tobii case)
- Liberator Via Series - from $7,495 (iPad in a Liberator case)
These manufacturers know exactly what's inside their products. They also know that a "dedicated communication device" sits outside the Replacement Supports framework while a "tablet running an app" sits squarely inside it. The product naming, the case branding, and the customer-facing marketing all work to obscure the fact that the underlying device is a consumer iPad. Families, clinicians, and plan managers end up purchasing what is functionally an iPad-and-app bundle without being clearly told that's what they're buying, or that a Replacement Support application should have come first.
This is not a labelling oversight. It is a commercial decision that allows these manufacturers to charge two to five times the price of a compliant equivalent bundle, while sidestepping a process the rest of the market has to follow. The regulatory risk doesn't disappear, it shifts onto the participant. If NDIS audit activity tightens around these supplies in future, it is the family who bought the product, not the manufacturer who sold it, who will be asked to justify the spend.
At Assistive Tech we follow the strictest interpretation of the legislation. If the device is a tablet running an app, it requires a Replacement Support approval, regardless of what the case looks like, what the product is called, or how the manufacturer chooses to market it.
The cost comparison most families don't see
When you separate the hardware from the case and the app, the price differences are significant. Here's how a few common pairings stack up:
| What you might be looking at | Equivalent Assistive Tech bundle |
|---|---|
| Smartbox TalkPad - $3,990 | Grid AAC Bundle in GoNow case + PODD PageSets - $1,728.99 |
| Liberator Via Series - $7,495 | LAMP WFL AAC Communication Bundle - $1,529.99 |
| Liberator Via Series - $7,495 | Proloquo 3-Year AAC Communication Bundle - $1,499.99 |
These bundles deliver the same functional outcomes (often the same software) on the same underlying hardware, at a fraction of the price. The difference is the case and the brand on the box. You can browse our full range of iPad AAC bundles for more options.
What this means in practice
If you have a Communication Device approval and you want to use it for an iPad-based AAC solution, there are now two ways to get approval:
The faster route: ask your planner
If you're currently in a plan review, reassessment, or variation conversation, ask your planner to approve the Replacement Support directly at plan stage. The NDIA's own published guidance now confirms that planners can do this without a separate application. If your Speech Pathologist provides a recommendation letter as part of the planning conversation, this is by far the fastest route to approval.
The dedicated-device-then-replacement-support round trip that used to be the norm is no longer the only option, and in most cases it's no longer the right option.
The mid-plan route: a separate Replacement Support application
If your plan is already in place and you need a Replacement Support approval mid-plan, the process runs through the National Contact Centre and the Technical Advice and Practice Improvement Branch (TAPIB):
- A Speech Pathologist's recommendation letter is prepared. Note that the NDIA does not formally require a recommendation letter (a participant can apply with only their own description), but a well-structured letter from a Speech Pathologist materially improves the chances of approval and reduces decision time. We've published a full guide on how NDIS assesses Replacement Support applications that walks through what good looks like.
- The application is submitted. The participant, their nominee, or their plan manager can lodge the application by email to enquiries@ndis.gov.au, through their Local Area Coordinator, or via the myNDIS portal.
- NDIS assesses the application. This usually takes 6 to 8 weeks.
- Once approved, the order can proceed and your Capital - AT funding can be used.
A dedicated communication device does not require any of this. If timing is critical and a dedicated device is clinically appropriate, that's a faster path. If a tablet-based bundle is the right clinical choice (and for many participants it is), the Replacement Support pathway is unavoidable, but it does open the door to a far more cost-effective solution.
To make the supporting paperwork easier, our self-service service agreement tool at easyas.assistivetech.com.au lets you generate a quote ready to submit with the application, with all costs (including shipping) already included.
What if the application is declined?
This is worth knowing before you apply. If a Replacement Support application is declined, there is no internal review, no external review, and no Administrative Review Tribunal pathway. The participant must wait 12 months before reapplying for the same Replacement Support. A different Replacement Support can be requested at any time, and if circumstances change and the plan is reassessed, the 12-month bar does not apply.
Because there is no review mechanism, the quality of the application matters more than it would in most other NDIS processes. It's worth investing the time up front to get the supporting paperwork right.
A note for plan managers
If a participant brings you an invoice for a TalkPad, Navio, or Via Series product without a Replacement Support approval letter, the supply is not compliant with current NDIS guidance. The risk of paying it without approval sits with the participant if a future audit queries the spend. We recommend asking for the approval letter before processing payment, the same as you would for any other Replacement Support purchase.
A note for Speech Pathologists
The clinical case for an iPad-based AAC system is often stronger than for a dedicated device, particularly for participants who benefit from familiar consumer hardware, integration with family devices, or the broader app ecosystem. The barrier to approval is almost never clinical, it's how the recommendation letter is structured. Our guide to Replacement Support applications sets out the assessment framework and what each of the five criteria requires, with a downloadable Decision Guide and worked example letter.
Need help?
If you're unsure whether your plan funding covers what you're trying to buy, or whether you need to apply for a Replacement Support, contact our team:
- Phone: 1300 088 222
- Email: support@assistivetech.com.au
We'd rather spend ten minutes on a call now than have you place an order, wait for delivery, and then discover the funding pathway wasn't right.
This article reflects NDIS guidance current at time of publication, including the framework set out in FOI 25/26-1041, released by the NDIA on 28 November 2025. For the most up-to-date information on Replacement Supports, refer to ndis.gov.au.
