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Turning 18

As your child who is deaf or hard of hearing approaches adulthood, important actions may need to be taken to assist them in moving forward as an independent adult.

  • Individual Transition Plan – for school leavers is a tool used in some states to assist students with disabilities and additional learning needs in preparing for life after school. It involves a collaborative planning meeting with the student, parents, teachers, and support teachers to gather information on the student’s post-school goals, pathways, and support needs. This can then be shared with organisations like the NDIS (see plan review below), employment services, and other education and training providers to ensure a smooth transition for the student.
  • NDIS Plan Review – it may be a good time to request this as your child may be transitioning from school to tertiary education and/or employment and therefore their goals and budget will change.
  • Appointing a Nominee – if your child’s NDIS plan is self-managed, and your child still wants your assistance in managing their plan, then they will need to appoint you as their nominee. To do this, contact your Local Area Coordinator to organise the signing of some forms and undergo a nominee ID check. It is best to do this before they turn 18 so that you will still have access to their plan via the NDIS Portal.
  • Managing own NDIS plan – start teaching your child how to use the portal and manage their own NDIS funding. Also, contact your LAC for an NDIS activation code so your child can link the NDIS service within MyGov.
  • Apply for a Proof of age card if not have a driver’s licence.
  • Set up their own MyGov account and link relevant services.
  • Organise a Centrelink nominee form if necessary.
  • Apply for Youth Allowance if eligible.
  • Medicare – download the App, apply for their Medicare card & update bank details.
  • Transition from paediatric to adult healthcare.
  • Enrol to vote – or complete an exemption form.
  • Talk to your child about other matters such as tertiary education, employment, finance and healthcare.

Download the Real Life Tips infographic.

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