Introduction: Many Australians with disability require Speech Pathology services through personalised funding schemes (e.g., NDIS). These schemes aim to promote choice and control for participants, but there are known barriers to initial access. This research draws on self-determination theory to identify barriers and facilitators for users to gain access to personalised funding schemes and subsequently access Speech Pathology.

Methods: Arksey & O’Malley’s 5-stage methodological framework guided this scoping review. An initial search strategy produced broad results from various databases in December 2021 and August 2022. This search yielded 1034 results. Following the title, abstract, and full-text screening, 55 articles were included in this review that focused on the phenomena of initial access.

Results: Quantitative analysis identified the data set characteristics. Most articles were published in Australia, even though the strategy was designed for global reach. Qualitative analysis identified mixed experiences of contextual and personal factors including relevant information, understanding information provided, and users effectively communicating their needs. This impacted the user’s ability to gain initial access to personalised funding support, meet eligibility requirements, and then access Speech Pathology services.

Conclusion: Personalised funding schemes such as the NDIS are available for users who require intervention and support from Speech Pathologists. This review identified separate and intersecting factors which influence a user’s ability to access personalised funding schemes. These factors impact a user’s autonomy, and ability to self-determine, access the scheme, and exercise choice and control to access and coordinate their own Speech Pathology services.

How personalised disability funding schemes are conceptualised in the literature.
How the separate and intersecting factors which influence a user’s ability to access personalised funding schemes
How these factors impact a user’s autonomy, and ability to self-determine, access the scheme, and exercise choice and control to access and coordinate their own Speech Pathology services.