20/02/2026
Understanding what a trauma sensitive practice looks like to ndis participants
We understand that navigating life with a disability can sometimes involve experiences of trauma. For many participants in the NDIS, past events can form many layers of trauma — whether from feeling like nobody cares, isolation, neglect, violence, occupational or relational trauma, years of being misunderstood, dismissal and non-inclusitivity, or other challenges — can leave a lasting impact. At ABLE 2 CARE AUSTRALIA, we are dedicated to providing support that is not only effective but also deeply compassionate and understanding.
All these layers can have long term affects.
Yet when people communicate with participants it can often sound like this:
"Move forward"
"Distract yourself from thinking about it"
"Focus on what you want to get done today, rather then sitting here chatting about your traumatic past".
This impression participants get can increase their feeling of isolation in their trauma and have long-term implications.
Service like that is not trauma aware.
It is pushing the trauma down and making it worse for the participant experiencing it.
Trauma aware support should recognise what the participant has gone through, understand how it shapes their behaviour, and provide support that supports their wellbeing with the awareness that the shift is supposed to be about empowering, not discouraging.
Here are some points on what a trauma-aware quality service looks like:
*The carer arrives focused, not disinterested and disengaged. They are grounded and don't add to the participant's stress levels. The calm presence sets the tone for the day.
Listen first.
Adjust to the participant's wavelengh so you understand where they are coming from with their perspective and provide empathy rather then judgement.
*Carer's phones are away during the shift unless its an emergency they have to deal with, or they are on their break. Texting casually while sitting with a participant is not going to make the participant feel like you are actually interested in doing your job or care about them.
*Choices are given.
"What would you like to do today?"
"What feels safe to do for your current emotional climate?" Plans should be flexible and changes should be made based on the participant's ability to cope. Not forced.
* Predictability is regulating.
Offer a routine so that the participant knows what to expect, who's coming to the shift, times and days, what to expect from the carer.
*Boundaries are set early.
If you as the carer want to keep a proffesional boundary, for example, not paying for the participant's meals when they are known to ask for carers to pay, then talk through that boundary early on before the situation arises so the participant knows what to expect. Avoid stressful situations that could have been avoided if the communication happened early.
*Meet the participant where they are at in the shift and adjust the pace. If they feel emotionally disregulated, ask them if they need some space or would like to talk about it.
If they feel overwhelmed and need a break from a task, sit down for a while until they are ready for the next step.
Their needs are more important then what gets ticked off. Often when you adjust the pace to them, it is a more productive day then if the participant is pushed to do something they aren't ready to do yet.
* Don’t expect huge progress without building trust first. Trust happens over time, so if you would like to help a participant improve daily routines and activities that support their wellbeing, be a trustworthy person that the participant can talk to. You can't expect a participant to be comfortable opening up and allowing you to help them achieve their goals without establishing some rapport first.
* A participant's behaviour is a way of communicating non-verbally. Shutting down, trying to overthink and complicate situations, or putting tasks off are their own way of saying something. Understand the behaviours as a opportunity to encourage them, not a problem to fix.
* Safety is more important then finishing a task.
If you were planning to go out but the participant starts to feel emotionally disregulated, you aren't going to go out untill they feel ready to do so. Allow for the participant to feel emotionally safe before suggesting activities that may be beneficial to them once they have calmed down.
* Understand what triggers their stress.
Avoid places that make the participant more stressed, avoid words that might trigger traumatic memories, or conversations that the participant escalates with.
*The carer tries to lighten the load off the participant from organising everything.
They help book appointments, set reminders, write down important notes that the participant needs, and helps put tasks into steps that the participant understands.
* Carers keep their proffesional face on.
Boundaries are kept. Carers don't talk to participants about their own life and personal traumas and overshare. When a participant opens up about their trauma it is not an invitation to talk about yourself and what's happened to you. It is not a place where you can change the role and expect the participant to listen to your emotional off-loading.
* Avoid pressurising the participant so that their behaviour escalates. Instead of saying "You should be able to do this because it's not that hard,"" it should sound like " I believe in you, take your time." Everyone's functional capacity is different.
* The support ends with clarity, bad days are not left up in the air for next time the carer rocks up. Instead of leaving the shift emotionally open, communicating key highlights of the day, plans for next time, communicating any misunderstandings, and how support can be provided better next time if there was an incident that could have been handled better is addressed.
That's how support stays consistent, safe, ethical, and meaningful to the participant.
If you would like this kind of support
feel free to contact able2careaustralia@gmail.com, or 0491 606 852.
