An occupational therapy (OT) assessment is the evidence base for most NDIS funding requests. Whether you are applying for assistive technology, home modifications, smart home technology or Specialist Disability Accommodation, the OT report is usually what the NDIA reads before deciding. This guide covers what happens during the assessment, how to prepare for it, and what separates a report that gets approved from one that does not.
What an OT assessment is
An occupational therapy assessment is a structured evaluation carried out by a qualified occupational therapist. The goal is to document how your disability or health condition affects your ability to do everyday activities: getting dressed, preparing meals, moving around your home, and taking part in your community.
The findings are written up in a report, which can be used to:
- Justify NDIS funding for assistive technology or home modifications
- Support an application for SDA or Supported Independent Living (SIL)
- Guide the development of your NDIS plan
- Provide clinical evidence for other health and disability services
One principle sits underneath all of it: the NDIS funds based on function, not diagnosis. Your report is not really about what condition you have. It is about what you cannot do because of it, and what a support would let you do instead.
What happens during the assessment
Intake and referral
Your assessment is usually arranged by your support coordinator, NDIS planner, or GP. You do not need a doctor's referral to see an NDIS occupational therapist, although one can strengthen your case if you have a specific medical condition affecting daily function. Most NDIS-registered OTs in Perth accept self-referrals and will gather medical information from your treating team directly.
If you have not chosen an OT yet, our guide to finding the right OT for your NDIS plan in Perth covers credentials, questions to ask, and the red flags worth avoiding.
The session itself
Most assessments run between one and three hours. Home modification and smart home assessments sit at the longer end, because the OT needs to measure spaces and watch you use them.
The assessment may be conducted:
- In your home: the most common setting, and the only useful one if you are seeking modifications or technology
- At a clinic: suitable for some specialised assessments
- Online: available for a limited range of assessment types
During the session, your OT will ask about your daily routines and what you find difficult, observe you performing everyday tasks where appropriate, assess your physical, cognitive and sensory function, review your home for barriers, and discuss what you want to be able to do.
Standardised tools
Your OT may use validated measures to put objective numbers against your functional abilities. Common ones include:
- FIM (Functional Independence Measure)
- COPM (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure)
- AMPS (Assessment of Motor and Process Skills)
The report
Writing up usually takes two to four weeks. The report sets out your functional limitations, the assessment findings, recommendations for supports, equipment or modifications, and quotes or specifications for any assistive technology recommended.
| Stage | Typical timing | What you should do | |---|---|---| | Referral to first appointment | 2 to 6 weeks | Gather medical reports and your current plan | | Assessment session | 1 to 3 hours | Have your goals and daily challenges written down | | Equipment trials, if needed | 1 to 4 weeks | Give honest feedback on what does not work | | Report written | 2 to 4 weeks | Ask to review the draft before submission | | NDIS decision | 4 to 8 weeks for mid to high cost AT | Follow up through your plan manager |
Tip: When the OT asks how you are coping, describe your worst days, not your best. The assessment should reflect the real impact of your disability, not how you manage on a good day.
What each type of assessment looks at
The process above is broadly the same whatever you are applying for, but the focus shifts depending on the support in question.
| Assessment type | What the OT focuses on | Typical length | |---|---|---| | Assistive technology | What you cannot do, what the device enables, trial results | 1 to 2 hours | | Home modifications | Kitchen, bathroom, access, trip hazards, turning space, compliance | 2 to 3 hours | | Smart home technology | Reach, grip, fatigue, emergency response, fit with the interface | 2 hours plus a home visit | | SDA | Support needs, suitable design category, long-term housing goals | Often multiple sessions |
Home modification assessments
Your OT observes how you use each area of your home, then measures it. In the kitchen, they watch how you reach cupboards, operate taps, and keep your balance while cooking. In the bathroom, the focus is transfers: on and off the toilet, in and out of the shower, and access to the basin.
They also look for hazards you may have stopped noticing, such as uneven surfaces, loose carpet, step changes, narrow pathways, and poor lighting on the route you take at night. Emergency egress matters too, particularly if you use mobility equipment.
Recommendations have to comply with Australian building standards and local Perth council requirements. Grab rails rarely need approval; doorway widening and bathroom renovations usually do. If you rent or live in a strata property, your OT will work out what is possible within your lease or bylaws and may recommend portable alternatives instead. The NDIS home modification funding rules for WA set out what the scheme typically pays for.
Smart home technology assessments
Here the OT is matching an interface to your abilities, not just picking devices. They assess whether voice control, a smartphone app, switch access or eye-gaze suits you best, and whether you can learn and retain the system.
Environmental factors carry real weight. Older Perth suburbs often have electrical capacity limits, and larger homes may need extra wireless coverage before anything will work reliably. Your OT should document these constraints rather than discovering them at installation.
Expect the assessment to quantify what the technology replaces: current support hours for tasks like answering the door, managing lights, or calling for help. Wherever possible, they should arrange a trial first. Trialling assistive technology before you buy explains how trials work and why they strengthen an application. For device-by-device detail, see the smart home technology guide and preparing for your smart home assessment in Perth.
How to prepare
Preparation is the part you control, and it changes the quality of the report more than most participants expect.
Before the assessment:
- Write down your daily challenges. Work through your day from waking to bed, and note what is hard and how long it takes.
- Keep a two-week diary if you can, recording the times when a task went badly, not just the times it went well.
- List your current equipment, including anything you tried and abandoned, and why.
- Know your goals. What do you want to be able to do that you cannot do now?
- Have your NDIS plan handy, along with recent reports from other health professionals.
- Note any restrictions, such as rental or strata rules that limit what can be installed.
During the assessment:
- Be honest about your worst days. Some people downplay difficulties out of pride. It works against you here.
- Ask questions if something is unclear.
- Bring a support person if you would like one. A family member, carer or support coordinator is welcome.
After the assessment:
- Ask to review the draft report and check it reflects what you actually said.
- Follow up if the report has not arrived in the expected timeframe.
- Share it with your NDIS planner or support coordinator.
How your OT report drives the funding decision
Planners rely on the report to make an evidence-based decision, so its structure matters as much as its content. Reports that get approved tend to share four features.
Specific functional detail. "Client has difficulty with mobility" tells a planner nothing. "Client uses a power wheelchair and cannot reach the front door within five minutes" tells them exactly what needs solving.
Baseline measurements. Current transfer times, fall frequency, missed deliveries, or support hours give the planner something concrete to compare against.
An explicit link between the support and the function. The connection is never as obvious to a planner as it is to the person who did the assessment.
Cost-benefit over time. Supports that reduce future care needs or prevent hospital admissions are easier to approve. Quantified support hour reductions are the strongest version of this argument.
If you are applying at a plan reassessment, NDIS plan reviews for smart home and AT funding covers the timing, and how to get NDIS funding for assistive technology in 2026 covers the application itself.
If you disagree with the findings
If the assessment does not accurately reflect your needs, you have options. Request a meeting with the OT to talk through your concerns first, as many issues are simple misunderstandings that can be corrected before submission. You can also seek a second opinion from another OT, or raise the issue with your NDIS planner or Local Area Coordinator.
If a funding decision has already been made and you believe it is wrong, that is a separate process. See how to appeal an NDIS decision for the internal review and AAT pathways.
Common questions about OT assessments
How long does an NDIS OT assessment take?
Most run between one and three hours. Assistive technology assessments sit at the shorter end. Home modification and smart home assessments usually take two to three hours, because the OT needs to measure spaces and watch you use them. Complex SDA assessments may be split across several sessions.
Who pays for an OT assessment under the NDIS?
OT assessments are funded from your Capacity Building budget, usually under Improved Daily Living. You need that line item in your plan before booking. If you do not have OT funding, your support coordinator or Local Area Coordinator can help you request it at your next plan reassessment.
Do I need a doctor's referral to see an NDIS occupational therapist?
No. You can self-refer directly to an OT practice. A GP or specialist referral is not required, though it can strengthen your case if you have a specific medical condition affecting daily function. Most NDIS-registered OTs in Perth accept self-referrals and will gather medical information from your treating team.
What is a functional capacity assessment?
A functional capacity assessment, or FCA, is the part of an OT assessment that measures what you can and cannot do independently across daily activities: personal care, mobility, communication and community participation. It is the core evidence the NDIA uses to decide what supports are reasonable and necessary, and it is what the new NDIS functional assessment tool will standardise from January 2028.
How long does it take to get the OT report?
Two to four weeks after the final session is typical. Detailed home modification reports can take longer, because the OT often needs quotes from builders first. Ask for a timeframe at your appointment, and ask to review the draft before it is submitted.
What happens if the NDIS rejects my OT's recommendation?
You can request an internal review within three months of the decision. Most rejections come down to documentation rather than the support itself, so ask the NDIA for its specific reason and have your OT address that gap directly. The most common reasons are that the item was treated as a standard household product, that the functional justification was too general, or that cheaper alternatives were not ruled out.
Can an OT assessment be done online?
Some assessment types can be conducted by telehealth, and this is common for intake or follow-up sessions. If you are seeking home modifications or smart home technology, insist on a home visit. An OT cannot measure turning space, check electrical capacity or observe how you move through your home over a video call.
For occupational therapists: writing assessments that get approved
The rest of this guide is written for practitioners. Rejection is usually not about the technology itself, but about how it was documented.
Document what the participant cannot do
Lead with function, not diagnosis. Compare these two openings:
"Client has multiple sclerosis and has difficulty with mobility and daily tasks."
against:
"Client has multiple sclerosis with the following functional impairments. Mobility: uses a power wheelchair, cannot reach the front door intercom within five minutes, difficulty turning door handles due to reduced grip strength. Vision: optic neuritis episodes with temporary vision loss, cannot visually identify visitors through a peephole. Fatigue: significant fatigue after 10pm, cannot safely manage front door access during evening hours."
The second version gives the planner a barrier to fund against. Use measurable language wherever you can: frequency, duration, number of attempts, current support hours and their cost.
Always document the safety domain. The NDIS prioritises supports that reduce risk, so record what happens when the participant cannot respond, the consequences of opening the door to unidentified visitors, and any limits on their ability to call for help.
Make the technology-to-function link explicit
Never assume the connection is obvious. For each item, state what it addresses, what it enables, and the independence outcome:
Smart lock. Addresses: reduced grip strength (3/5 bilaterally) preventing reliable key manipulation, and fatigue affecting key management in the evening. Enables: PIN entry with no physical key, fingerprint recognition during fatigue periods, remote unlocking for support worker access. Outcome: independent home entry, reduced reliance on support workers for evening access, no lockout risk during a symptom flare.
Address the "standard household item" objection
This is the most common rejection reason for smart home AT. Answer it directly by describing the custom configuration, the integration with the participant's other equipment, and the disability-specific features. Mainstream products can be funded when they are adapted to address a disability-related need. Can the NDIS fund mainstream smart home products? covers the reasoning and the precedent in detail.
Show you considered alternatives
Name the cheaper options and explain why each is inadequate for this participant, then justify the recommended solution against them. A short payback calculation is worth including: current support hours for the task, projected reduction, and the annual value.
The five most common rejection reasons
| Rejection reason | Why it happens | How to avoid it | |---|---|---| | "Standard household item" | Report does not explain the adaptation | Describe configuration, integration and disability-specific features | | "Insufficient functional justification" | Report leads with diagnosis | Use the "what they cannot do" framework with measurable detail | | "Alternative not addressed" | Cheaper options not acknowledged | Include an alternatives section with reasons each is inadequate | | "Unclear link to function" | Report assumes the connection is obvious | State the addresses/enables/outcome chain for every item | | "Cost-effectiveness not demonstrated" | No value shown over time | Quantify support hour reduction and the payback period |
Language that helps and language that hurts
Avoid "would be nice to have", "could help with", "might be useful", "client wants", and "convenience". Each frames the request as a preference rather than a need. Use "enables", "addresses", "required for", "eliminates barrier", "reduces reliance on", "prevents risk", and "cannot".
Before you submit
- Functional impairments are specific and measurable, not general
- Every item is linked to a named functional need
- The "standard item" question is answered directly
- Alternatives are considered and ruled out with reasons
- Support hour reductions are quantified and the payback period calculated
- Safety benefits are documented
- The participant's own voice appears in the report
- Quotes are current, and include installation, configuration and training
- The implementation plan and expected outcomes are measurable
Documentation standards are also shifting. OT assessment changes after the 2026 NDIS reform covers the new functional assessment tool, the transition period, and what to change in your templates now. Further practitioner resources are collected in our OT Resource Centre.
Getting help with your assessment
If you are an Innogreen SDA resident or NDIS smart home client, we can help connect you with experienced occupational therapists in Perth. We also work directly with OTs across Western Australia, providing technical specifications, NDIS-compliant quotes covering installation and training, and input on appropriateness and alternatives for AT recommendations.
Contact our team to discuss an assessment, or to talk through a report you are preparing.
This guide reflects NDIS practice as of July 2026. For advice specific to your situation, consult your support coordinator or LAC. For official information, visit the NDIS website.