Weighted and sensory items or a robotic pet: how the low-cost AT rules apply
How NDIS low-cost AT rules apply to weighted blankets, fidget and sensory items and robotic pets, with 10 points on risk, advice and evidence.
A weighted blanket, a fidget or sensory kit and a robotic pet can each be bought as NDIS low-cost assistive technology when the item costs less than $1,500, is low risk, relates to the participant’s disability and supports a goal in their plan. They differ on three things: risk, how close each sits to the supports lists exclusion for toys, and the research behind them. With a weighted item, get an OT’s advice before buying and agree how it will be used, because a device used to restrict someone’s movement to manage behaviour can be a regulated restrictive practice.
The same low-cost AT tests for both
The NDIS low-cost assistive technology page, current as of 31 August 2026, applies one set of tests to every item under the limit. In short, the item needs:
- a clear link to the participant’s disability
- a goal in the plan that it helps with
- a place within what NDIS rules allow
- to be safe for this person
- some evidence behind it, such as a recommendation from an allied health professional
When the item is low risk and under the limit, the NDIS does not need quotes, evidence or assessments sent to it, and no approval is needed before buying. Payment usually comes from the Consumables budget. A weighted blanket and a robotic cat go through exactly the same steps. What changes between them is the risk and the wording.
Side by side: 10 points compared
- Weighted blanket, vest or lap pad: what it does: Puts steady weight on part of the body; price check: Varies with size and weight; check it is under $1,500; low-cost AT tests: The same five; safety check: Ask the OT whether it counts as higher risk for this person; advice before buying: Needed if it is higher risk; restrictive practice risk: Used to hold someone still to manage behaviour, it can meet the mechanical restraint definition; invoice wording to avoid: Bedding, doona, throw; published research we cite: Reviews on anxiety and sleep, with limited evidence; upkeep: Washing or cover care; example plan note: Weighted blanket for bedtime, OT recommended, Jo can take it off unaided.
- Fidget and sensory items: what it does: Gives the hands something to squeeze, stretch, roll or press; price check: Check the total if buying a kit; low-cost AT tests: The same five; safety check: Small parts, for young children; advice before buying: Suggested, as for any first AT purchase; restrictive practice risk: Low on its own; invoice wording to avoid: Toy, game, stocking filler; published research we cite: Not reviewed on this page; upkeep: Replace when worn or broken; example plan note: Hand fidget set for waiting rooms and appointments, OT recommended.
- Robotic pet: what it does: Responds to touch with movement, sound and, on some models, a heartbeat; price check: Companion cat $259 to $300, MetaCat $349 to $399; low-cost AT tests: The same five; safety check: Battery covers and small parts; advice before buying: Suggested, as for any first AT purchase; restrictive practice risk: Taking it away to manage behaviour can be environmental restraint; invoice wording to avoid: Toy, pet, gift; published research we cite: Randomised trials in dementia; upkeep: Batteries or charging; example plan note: Robotic cat kept within Jo’s reach in the evening, to hold when distressed.
Risk: why weighted items need more care
Two separate rules point in the same direction.
First, the NDIS page on how to buy low-cost AT says that for a higher-risk item you need advice to make sure it is safe before you buy it. The NDIS example list of low-cost AT does not mention weighted items either way, so ask the OT directly whether a weighted blanket, vest or lap pad is higher risk for this person at the weight being considered, and keep their answer with the invoice.
Second, the NDIS restrictive practice rules define mechanical restraint as the use of a device to prevent, restrict or subdue a person’s movement for the primary purpose of influencing their behaviour, and they exclude devices used for therapeutic or non-behavioural purposes. The NDIS Commission’s sub-type definitions add that such devices should be prescribed by a qualified health or allied health professional, meet relevant Australian safety standards and only be used for the purpose they were prescribed for. The same weighted item could therefore fall on either side of that line depending on why and how it is used. A behaviour support practitioner, not the family or the supplier, should make that call.
A robotic pet carries a different risk. It is not a device for holding a person still, but taking it away or locking it up to manage behaviour can be environmental restraint. Our page on robotic pets in behaviour support plans covers what that means in practice.
Toys, fidgets and the supports lists
Item 4(g) in Schedule 2 of the NDIS supports rules puts standard recreational equipment and tools, including toys, in its list of lifestyle costs that are generally not NDIS supports. Many fidget items are sold in toy shops and described as toys on the receipt, and a robotic cat can look like a toy on an invoice too. Item 1(i) of the same schedule covers standard household items, which is where an ordinary blanket or throw would sit.
The person who checks a low-cost AT claim sees a product name, a price and whatever note comes with it. Ask the supplier to describe the item by what it does, keep the OT’s note with the invoice, and use the participant’s goal wording. Our guide to the NDIS supports lists shows how the wording changes the picture.
What does the evidence cover for each?
None of the studies below tested these items as NDIS low-cost AT, and none of them predicts how one person will respond.
- Weighted blankets. A 2020 systematic review in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy found only 8 studies. It concluded weighted blankets may be an appropriate tool for reducing anxiety, but found not enough evidence that they help with insomnia. A 2024 meta-analysis of 9 studies with 553 psychiatric inpatients and outpatients, including people with ADHD and autism, found improvements in anxiety symptoms compared with placebo, and noted small samples and few well designed trials.
- Weighted vests. A 2009 review from Macquarie University of 7 studies with children with autism and other disabilities found that, on balance, weighted vests appeared ineffective and could not be recommended for clinical use at that time.
- Robotic pets. A 2025 meta-analysis of 15 randomised trials with 705 people living with dementia found robot interventions reduced agitation and anxiety, with no significant effect on cognitive function, depression or quality of life. The trials were run with people living with dementia, not with autistic people or other disability groups.
- Fidget and sensory items. We have not reviewed research on these for this page.
Which may suit which need?
This is not a clinical guide. It is a list of things worth telling the OT, so their recommendation starts from what you see at home.
| What you notice | Worth raising with the OT |
|---|---|
| Settles with firm pressure, tight hugs or heavy bedding | Whether a weighted item is suitable and safe, and at what weight |
| Needs something to do with their hands while waiting or listening | Fidget or tactile items |
| Calms by stroking an animal or talks to pets | A robotic cat or pup |
| Startles at sudden sounds | Silent items, or a pet with a silent mode such as MetaCat |
| Needs something small to carry when out | Pocket-sized fidget items; the robotic pets on this site weigh 1.5 to 1.9 kg |
Some participants use more than one, at different times of day.
Buying more than one item from one budget
The NDIS describes low-cost AT as items under $1,500, so the limit applies to each item. A weighted blanket and a robotic cat can each be low-cost AT, but both come out of the same Consumables budget, alongside continence products and anything else bought from it. Check the balance before ordering. If Consumables runs short, the NDIS says core funding can be used flexibly.
Each item needs its own goal link. Two items supporting the same goal is fine when the plan note explains what each one does and when it is used.
What to do next
- For a child, work through the robotic pet safety checklist for children.
- For autistic participants, read robotic pets for autism and anxiety.
- Compare current prices on the product picks page.
- Ask for a quote on a robotic cat or pup to compare with a weighted or sensory item, and mention the goal it is for.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I buy a weighted blanket with NDIS Consumables funding?
It can be bought as low-cost assistive technology if it costs under the low-cost limit, relates to the participant's disability, supports a plan goal and is safe for them. If an OT considers it higher risk for that person, the NDIS expects you to get advice before buying. Keep the OT's note and the goal wording with the invoice.
- Is a robotic pet lower risk than a weighted blanket for a child?
They carry different risks rather than more or less. A weighted item puts weight on the body, so its size and weight need to suit the child. A robotic pet has batteries, small parts and seams to check. Neither should be bought for a child without looking at those details, and an OT who knows the child is the best person to compare the two.
- Are fidget toys an NDIS support?
Standard toys are on the supports rules list of things the NDIS generally does not fund. A fidget item can still be considered as low-cost AT when it meets a disability-related need and supports a goal, but it should be described by what it does, with an allied health recommendation on file, rather than as a toy.
- Can a weighted item be a restrictive practice?
It can, depending on how it is used. The NDIS rules treat a device used to prevent, restrict or subdue movement for the main purpose of influencing behaviour as mechanical restraint, and exclude therapeutic uses. If anyone suggests using a weighted item to keep a person still during an incident, stop and talk to a behaviour support practitioner first.
- Should an OT recommend sensory items before we buy?
The NDIS suggests getting advice before buying any assistive technology for the first time, even low-cost items, and it is required for higher-risk items. An OT can also check the item suits the person's sensory needs and write the short recommendation that helps if the purchase is queried later.