Using WHODAS 2.0 in an NDIS Functional Capacity Assessment
WHODAS 2.0 is one of the more useful standardised tools to include in an NDIS functional capacity assessment, because it measures function on the same ICF basis the NDIS thinks in. Used well, it turns a subjective impression into a defensible score. Used badly, it is a number with no bearing on your findings.
Here is what WHODAS 2.0 measures, why it fits an FCA, and how to report the results so they support the rest of your assessment. It is written for OTs and allied health clinicians in the Australian NDIS.
Contents
What WHODAS 2.0 is
WHODAS 2.0 is the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, version 2.0. It is a generic measure of functioning and disability, built directly on the ICF, and it applies across health conditions rather than being tied to one diagnosis. That general, function first design is exactly what makes it sit well in an NDIS assessment. I-CAN v6, the NDIA’s coming assessment tool, is built on the same framework.
The six domains
WHODAS 2.0 measures function across six domains:
- Cognition: understanding and communicating
- Mobility: moving and getting around
- Self-care: hygiene, dressing, eating and staying alone
- Getting along: interacting with other people
- Life activities: domestic responsibilities, work and school
- Participation: joining in community activities
The versions, and which to use
WHODAS 2.0 comes in a 36-item version for a full picture, a 12-item version for a quick screen, and a 12+24-item hybrid. It can be self-administered, interviewer-administered, or completed by a proxy who knows the person. Choose the version and mode that fit the client and the depth your FCA needs, and state clearly which you used.
How to report the scores
A score on its own is not evidence. Report which version and mode you used, give the domain scores and the summary score, and then interpret them against what you observed and what the person reported. When the WHODAS result lines up with your clinical findings, say so, because that agreement is what makes the number persuasive. When it does not, explain why, rather than leaving the reader to guess.
Cautions
WHODAS 2.0 is a measure of functioning, not a diagnosis, and the self-report version reflects the person’s own view, which is a strength and a limitation at once. Use it alongside observation and history, not instead of them, and be careful comparing scores across time unless the same version and mode were used.
Where Carearoo fits
Once you have administered WHODAS 2.0, the results still have to be written into the report and tied to your findings, domain by domain, in the structure set out in how to write an NDIS FCA. Carearoo drafts the full FCA from your notes and assessment results onto your own template in about five minutes, weaving standardised scores into the narrative so they support your conclusions. It is a draft you review, edit and sign, with clinical responsibility staying with you.
Frequently asked questions
What does WHODAS 2.0 measure?
Functioning across six domains: cognition, mobility, self-care, getting along with people, life activities, and participation, all built on the WHO ICF framework.
Which version of WHODAS 2.0 should I use in an FCA?
The 36-item version for a full picture, the 12-item for a quick screen, or the 12+24 hybrid. Choose to suit the client and the depth your FCA needs, and state which you used.
Is WHODAS 2.0 a diagnostic tool?
No. It measures functioning and disability, not diagnosis, and should be used alongside observation and history rather than on its own.
How this guide was written
Carearoo researches and drafts its guides with AI assistance, working from the primary sources linked in the text, and a person checks every fact against those sources before it is published. Last checked 7 September 2026.
Have this report drafted in about five minutes
Carearoo drafts the report from your notes on your own Word template. You review and sign off. We'll draft one of your de-identified cases for free so you can judge the output yourself. No cost, no pitch. After that it's $99 a report.