Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapists are allied health professionals who assess and assist people living with disability, injury or illness which may impact their ability to complete activities of daily living. Daily living activities encompass all the tasks we do in everyday life, including self-care, household tasks, community access, education and work, recreation, and leisure.
We evaluate a range of domains including mobility, energy and endurance, cognition, mental health, communication, and social interaction. Occupational therapy can help people of all ages with physical, neurological, cognitive, and psychological conditions.
To address barriers to everyday activities, occupational therapists might:
- Prescribe assistive equipment to help you complete the activities you are having difficulties with.
- Modify environmental access to increase independence and safety when completing activities.
- Complete assessments to identify areas of difficulty and make recommendations for a range of supports to overcome these barriers and increase independence.
- Deliver tailored services to build capacity and skills to complete activities more independently.
Why Is It Called ‘Occupational’ Therapy?
Occupational therapy is named for its focus on helping individuals engage in meaningful daily activities, or “occupations,” which include everything from self-care tasks to work and leisure activities. The goal is to promote independence, improve quality of life, and enhance overall well-being despite any challenges individuals may face.
Our occupational therapists are able to provide evidenced-based therapy due to their extensive training and qualifications, wide range of experiences, and our internal professional development program. For more specific information about our occupational therapists’ individual experience and areas of expertise, you can view our expertise.
Occupational therapists frequently work closely with other allied health professionals to provide complementary services to achieve a participant’s goals.
For anyone seeking occupational therapy services and assessments, please see our list of services below.
Rob's Story
After a bad car accident, Robert was in a coma for around four and a half months, in hospital for over a year, and had to undertake two years of rehab with not being able to walk or talk. See how occupational therapy helped Rob achieve his goals.
Services available
Assistive technology assessment and report outlining recommendations
An assessment of a participant’s environment to recommend and prescribe suitable assistive technology, e.g. wheelchairs, hearing and vision technologies, ramps and hoists, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Assistive technology assessment and report outlining recommendations
An assessment of a participant’s environment to recommend and prescribe suitable assistive technology, e.g. wheelchairs, hearing and vision technologies, ramps and hoists, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Functional assessment and report outlining recommendations
An assessment of a participant’s functional capacity to perform daily living tasks including mobility, strength, movement, cognition, sensory processing, visual perception, and mental health, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Functional assessment and report outlining recommendations
An assessment of a participant’s functional capacity to perform daily living tasks including mobility, strength, movement, cognition, sensory processing, visual perception, and mental health, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Home and living assessment (Supported Independent Living / Specialist Disability Accommodation / Independent Living Options) and report
Assessments to determine a participant’s capacity to perform daily living tasks and suitable supports and funding for SIL, SDA and ILO, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Home and living assessment (Supported Independent Living / Specialist Disability Accommodation / Independent Living Options) and report
Assessments to determine a participant’s capacity to perform daily living tasks and suitable supports and funding for SIL, SDA and ILO, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Home modification assessment and report outlining recommendations - basic
An assessment of a participant’s home environment to recommend suitable modifications to improve independence and safe living, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Home modification assessment and report outlining recommendations - basic
An assessment of a participant’s home environment to recommend suitable modifications to improve independence and safe living, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Home modification assessment and report outlining recommendations - complex
An assessment of a participant’s home environment to recommend suitable modifications to improve independence and safe living, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Home modification assessment and report outlining recommendations - complex
An assessment of a participant’s home environment to recommend suitable modifications to improve independence and safe living, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Manual handling assessment, report and training
An assessment of manual handling practices and training of support networks to ensure safe practices with a participant’s mobility and postural support needs, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Manual handling assessment, report and training
An assessment of manual handling practices and training of support networks to ensure safe practices with a participant’s mobility and postural support needs, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Sensory assessment and report
An assessment of a participant’s sensory-related concerns with recommendations of strategies to meet their goals, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Sensory assessment and report
An assessment of a participant’s sensory-related concerns with recommendations of strategies to meet their goals, and a report outlining the recommendations.
Skill building therapy
Ongoing therapy to build functional skills in a range of daily living tasks including self-care, coordination, and community engagement.
Skill building therapy
Ongoing therapy to build functional skills in a range of daily living tasks including self-care, coordination, and community engagement.
Recommendation Letter to inform NDIS Plan Review
Recommendation Letter to inform NDIS Plan Review
How are these services funded and accessed?
A range of funding options are available for our occupational therapy services.
The funding types and NDIS support categories that may cover these services include:
- Improved Daily Living
- Early Childhood Intervention
- Privately paid
- NSW schools funding
Occupational therapy services can be provided in person or via Telehealth for certain services across Australia.
T occupational therapist for your first appointment.
Frequently asked questions
How long will my assessment take?
This will vary depending on the type of service you are referred for. Some assessments can be completed, and a report provided, within 2-4 weeks. Others require several assessment sessions, and multiple trials of equipment or collaboration about modifications, and is likely to take over a month. Your occupational therapist will discuss anticipated timeframes with you during the assessment process.
How long will it take me to get my Assistive Technology or home modifications approved?
Typically, Assistive Technology is approved within a month, and home modifications within 1-2 months, however, this is dependent on the NDIS, and timeframes can be significantly longer.
Where can you provide services?
We are able to provide services at home, in schools, the workplace, in our offices, at supported accommodation centres and via Telehealth.
Do you use Allied Health Assistants?
Yes, we have AHAs available. AHAs hold a Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance, or are 3rd or 4th year students in a relevant allied health degree e.g. occupational therapy. They are closely supervised by an occupational therapist who prescribes and reviews activities for the AHA to complete with a participant to help them to build skills to complete daily living activities.
There are many benefits to working with an AHA, including access to cost effective servicing, as AHAs charge a lower rate than occupational therapists.
What is the difference between a Supported Independent Living (SIL) and Functional Assessment?
A Functional Assessment assesses a person’s capacity for functional daily living tasks including mobility, home and community access, self-care, household management, social and economic participation, cognition, and mental health. A SIL Assessment includes a Functional Assessment and addresses NDIS’ reasonable and necessary criteria to determine a participant’s eligibility for specialist supports (support workers) for more than 6 hours per day.
Am I eligible for funding from the NDIS?
NDIS support categories that may cover these services include Improved Daily Living. To find out more, head to the National Disability Insurance Scheme website.
If I would like to access ongoing therapy or intervention services, do I need a Functional Assessment?
No, you don’t. Our occupational therapists will still complete an assessment to determine a participant’s intervention needs and help to develop an individually tailored intervention plan to build daily living skills, however, we don’t provide a report until the end of services. You can request a Functional Assessment report to be provided at the beginning of services if you wish.
What areas of occupational therapy do you specialise in?
Occupational therapists work broadly across the ages and types of conditions our participants might present with. We have occupational therapists who are highly experienced in working with particular age groups and participant presentations, and this varies between our teams. Please refer to Our Expertise to find out more about our teams’ experience.
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