Wednesday 10, September 2025
KidsXpress welcomes the government’s formal recognition of music and art therapy as evidence-based interventions under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), following a review commissioned in November 2024. This acknowledgement affirms the important role these therapies play — especially in supporting children and families.
At the same time, we are concerned that the newly announced cap of $156.16 per hour undervalues the rigour, clinical training and professional accreditation required of therapists in these fields. Art and music therapy are distinct allied health professions, comparable in their complexity and standards to other allied health disciplines which have a higher cap. They should be recognised accordingly in pricing to ensure sustainability and access for children and families through the NDIS.
At KidsXpress, we integrate art and music therapy with other creative modalities including drama, dance–movement and play therapy as part of our evidence-based Expressive Therapy program. This multimodal approach allows our therapists to flexibly adapt to each child’s needs, ensuring every child can find a safe and responsive way to heal, grow and thrive.
Since 2006, KidsXpress has supported thousands of children through Expressive Therapy. Our impact speaks for itself: 95% of children say KidsXpress was helpful, 97% of parents report benefits for their child, and 89% of teachers see improvements in their students following participation on our program.
As one parent recently shared: “We tried two other therapists but my child just couldn’t engage — he’s too young to find talking therapy helpful. The KidsXpress Expressive Therapy program was the only approach that really worked. It gave him a safe space to express what he couldn’t put into words, and the improvement has been phenomenal.”
