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Assistive Technology Assessments
An assistive technology assessment is a session with an Occupational Therapist who works out which equipment, devices or technology will help you do everyday tasks more easily, more safely, and more on your own terms. We match the assistive technology to your goals, your home, and your daily life, and we help you try it before anything is recommended.
Assistive technology covers a lot of ground. It can be as simple as a modified cup or a rail by the shower, or as involved as a powered wheelchair, custom seating, or a device that helps you communicate.
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Funding Your Assistive Technology Assessment
Most assistive technology assessments are funded through the NDIS. If you’re a participant, the assessment time usually sits under Capacity Building, and the equipment itself is funded as assistive technology when it links to a goal in your plan.
Simple, low-cost items can often be bought straight from your plan. More involved or higher-cost equipment usually needs a written assessment from a qualified Occupational Therapist, along with quotes, before it’s funded. We write the report and handle the paperwork.
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Assistive Technology We Assess
01
Getting Around (Mobility)
Assistive technology is anything that helps you do a task more easily or more safely. Here are the areas our Occupational Therapy team most often assesses.
Manual and powered wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, and transfer aids. We look at how you move through your home and your community, what’s working, and where the right equipment would make getting around easier and safer. The goal is for the equipment to fit how you want to live, not the other way around.
02
Everyday Tasks and Self-Care
Dressing, showering, cooking, and the small jobs that make up a day. This can mean a shower stool or rail, a modified kitchen tool, or equipment that takes the strain out of a task you do every day.
We start with a focus on the parts of the day you want to do more independently, then match the equipment to them.
03
Communication (AAC)
Speech isn’t the only way to communicate. Communication devices and apps, often called augmentative and alternative communication or AAC, give people another way to get their message across. Our Speech Pathologists assess communication AT, and our Occupational Therapists work alongside them on how you reach and use the device.
Read more about communication and AAC.
04
Seating, Posture and Pressure Care
Custom seating, cushions, and positioning equipment that support comfort, posture, and skin health through the day. We assess how you sit and rest, the pressure points that matter, and the seating that helps you stay comfortable for longer. For complex seating we work with the supplier and, where needed, a rehabilitation engineer.
05
Home and Environment Access
Equipment that helps you move around and use your home, from ramps and rails to door and tap changes. Where the answer is a built change rather than a piece of equipment, an assistive technology assessment often runs alongside a home modifications assessment, so the two fit together.
06
Daily Routine, Memory and Sensory Supports
Technology that supports memory, routine, focus, and sensory needs, such as reminder systems, timers, and tools that make a busy environment more manageable. We look at the tasks and settings where these supports help, and match them to how you take in and organise your day.
What an Assistive Technology Assessment Looks Like
Your first appointment we focus on getting to know you and your goals. We look at what a typical day looks like, what you would like to do more easily or more safely, and where the current setup gets in the way.
We look at your tasks, you environment, and the equipment you already use. By the end of that first session, we’ll have a clearer sense of the options worth trying.
From there, trying the equipment is part of the process, especially for anything complex or higher-cost.
We organise trials with suppliers so you can test different options in real settings, not from a brochure. You see what feels right before anything is recommended.
We then write the assistive technology assessment report to set out your goals, the environment, what was trialled, and our recommendation. For NDIS and most funders, that report and the supplier quotes are what gets the equipment approved. Once it arrives, we help with set-up and training, we will also review how it’s going, because your needs may change.
Assistive Technology Assessments Through the NDIS
If you’re an NDIS participant, assistive technology has to link to a goal in your plan and meet the reasonable and necessary test. That means the equipment helps you do something that matters, in daily life, in your community, or at work, and it represents value for money. Our Occupational Therapists write the assessment in language a planner or plan reviewer can use, connecting the equipment to your goals and to the difference it makes day to day.
Simple, low-cost items can often be purchased directly from your plan without a long report. More involved or higher-cost equipment, such as a powered wheelchair, custom seating, or a communication device, usually needs a written assessment and supplier quotes first. We work with self-managed, plan-managed, and NDIA-managed plans, and we handle the service agreement and the paperwork. If you’re not sure how your plan covers assistive technology, contact us and we’ll walk you through it before you commit to anything.
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14 clinics across NSW & Tasmania
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Common Questions About Assistive Technology Assessments
What is an assistive technology assessment?
What counts as assistive technology?
Who can do an assistive technology assessment?
How does the NDIS fund assistive technology?
Do I need to trial the equipment first?
What is AAC, and is it assistive technology?
How long does the assessment take, and what happens after?
Can I get an assistive technology assessment without the NDIS?
What are some examples of low-cost assistive technology covered by the NDIS?
SARAH-LOUISE HIGGINS
BSc (hons) Occ Thy
OPTIMUM HEALTH SOLUTIONS
With over 10 years of clinical experience practicing in the United Kingdom and Australia, Sarah-Louise is an Occupational Therapist with a strong background in mental health, assistive technology, and home modifications.
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