Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy at HandinHand helps you do the everyday things that matter, with more ease and confidence. Our AHPRA-registered occupational therapists work on daily living, school, work, movement, and sensory needs, building real skills for real life.
Occupational therapy delivered by AHPRA-registered occupational therapists at home, school, in clinic, and via telehealth across Australia.
Evidence-based occupational therapy that meets the standards the profession is held to, not shortcuts.
NDIS-registered. AHPRA-registered occupational therapists, registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia. Trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, strengths-based practice.
What occupational therapy looks like in practice
Three kinds of OT support people come to us for.
OT is about the activities that fill your day: getting dressed, getting to school, joining in, staying steady. We help you build the skills and confidence to do them your way.
Practical help with the everyday: self-care, routines, cooking, mobility, and managing sensory needs. This fits anyone wanting more independence at home, work, or in the community. Delivered by AHPRA-registered occupational therapists.
Functional Capacity Assessments and NDIS Reports
Clear, evidence-based assessments of what you can do and where support helps, written for NDIS plans and reviews. This suits participants who need strong evidence for funding. Completed by qualified OTs and reviewed before release.
Occupational Therapy for Children
Playful, goal-focused support for kids: motor skills, handwriting, sensory regulation, and joining in at school and home. This fits families who want early, practical help. Delivered where children grow and learn.
Occupational Therapy for Children
Playful, goal-focused support for kids: motor skills, handwriting, sensory regulation, and joining in at school and home. This fits families who want early, practical help. Delivered where children grow and learn.
Some days, the small things take everything you have. Occupational therapy is about making those things feel possible again.
You know the moments. The morning routine that turns into a battle. The handwriting that will not come. The shower that feels like too much. The shopping centre that is suddenly overwhelming. These are not small things when they happen every day, and they are exactly what OT helps with.
You might be the person who has held it together for everyone else and has nothing left over for yourself. You might be the parent watching a teenager withdraw and not knowing how to reach them. You might be the NDIS participant who has tried supports before and wants something that actually fits this time. Different starting points, same first step.
Good therapy does not just help you feel better for an hour. It changes how you carry the hard things, so the next hard day is a little easier to meet.
That is the work our occupational therapists are here for, whether it is daily living skills, a functional capacity assessment, or developmental support for a child. Our AHPRA-registered OTs are trauma-informed and neuro-affirming, working at home, school, clinic, or by telehealth, and they will tell you honestly if another service would help more.
What does good occupational therapy involve?
Occupational therapy built around your goals, not a checklist of exercises.
Good OT starts with what you want to be able to do, then works backwards. Your occupational therapist watches how a task actually plays out, finds where it breaks down, and builds a plan to bridge the gap. That might be a new way to approach a routine, a small change to your environment, a piece of assistive technology, or skills practised step by step. Everything is practical, and everything is explained in plain language you can use at home.
Our occupational therapists work with clients at home, school, in the community, in clinic, and online across every state in Australia.
An OT plan usually includes
- A first session to understand your goals and daily life
- Observation of the tasks that matter to you
- A practical plan you helped shape
- Skills practised in the places you use them
- Assistive technology or small changes where they help
- Coaching for the people who support you
- Clear reports and reviews when your plan needs them
What this means for you
OT built to change your everyday, not just your appointment diary.
It should make daily life work better, for you and the people around you. Here is what that looks like in how we work.
Not sure if OT is what you need, or another support? A free 15-minute call will sort it out.
What getting started looks like
From your first call to your first session, here is how we get you started.
- Book call
1
Tell us what you are hoping to change. We will say honestly whether occupational therapy is the right fit, talk through the funding that applies, and answer your first questions. There is no commitment at this stage.
2
We confirm funding and match your OT
We sort your pathway, whether that is NDIS, Medicare, private health, or private pay. We handle any referral paperwork and match you with an occupational therapist suited to your goals, whether that is daily living, an assessment, or children’s support.
3
We plan your first session or assessment
Together we set your goals, choose where to meet, at home, at school, in clinic, or online, and explain what the first session looks like, so you know exactly what to expect.
- First session
Start with a conversation
The clearest first step is usually a short call.
Fifteen minutes, no cost, no paperwork to fill in first. Tell us what has got harder and we will tell you honestly whether OT is the right move, which funding fits, and what realistic timing looks like. If another service would serve you better, we will point you there.
Or call us directly: 1300 853 293
Mon-Fri 8am–6pm, Sat 9am–1pm AEST
40+ practitioners across Australia
AHPRA-registered · NDIS-registered · Telehealth nationally
In their own words
How families, participants, and Support Coordinators describe our OT team.
Shared with permission, in line with NDIS and AHPRA guidelines. These reflect people’s experience of working with us, not clinical outcomes or NDIA decisions.
Trusted across Australia by families, participants, and Support Coordinators who rely on OT.
Servicing QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, and via telehealth nationally.
Where we deliver occupational therapy across Australia.
We deliver OT in person from our centres in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, Morayfield in Moreton Bay, North Strathfield in Sydney, Melbourne, and Mandurah in Western Australia. These centres serve the broader catchments, including Brisbane, Ipswich, Caboolture, Sydney metro, and Perth.
Because everyday skills are built in everyday places, our occupational therapists also work in homes, schools, and the community, and deliver sessions by telehealth across every state and territory in Australia.
Where a goal needs to be seen in real life, like a school routine or a home setup, we plan an in-person visit around your day.
How to fund occupational therapy
Four ways to fund occupational therapy at HandinHand
Most people access OT through one of four pathways. The connection call confirms which one fits your situation, and we check eligibility with you before anything starts. You will always know the cost before we begin.
Medicare Care Plan
Available through a GP Chronic Disease Management Plan, which covers up to five allied health sessions per calendar year with a Medicare rebate. A gap fee may apply.
Private health insurance
Many extras policies cover OT. Cover varies by fund and policy, so check with yours. We provide receipts in the exact format your fund requires.
NDIS-Managed
Funded through your NDIS plan, usually under Capacity Building for therapy, and Capital where equipment or assistive technology is involved. We work with Plan-Managed, NDIA-Managed, and Self-Managed plans, and invoice under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements.
Most common pathway
Private pay
For people not eligible for NDIS or Medicare, or who prefer to self-fund. The service agreement and fees are confirmed in writing before any work starts.
NDIS plan management: Plan, NDIA, or Self-Managed?
NDIA-Managed means the agency pays us directly. Plan-Managed means a Plan Manager handles our invoices on your behalf. Self-Managed means you pay and claim back yourself. If you are not sure which applies, your plan documents will say, or we can check on the call. You do not need to be self-managed to access occupational therapy with us. Only the payment route changes.
Not sure which pathway fits your situation?
Book a free connection call and we will check together.
Is this right for you?
Occupational therapy suits some situations and not others. Here is how to tell, before you spend time on a call.
If you are unsure, the connection call exists precisely to work this out with you, at no cost. We will help you figure it out together.
We work with you if...
- You or your child finds daily tasks harder than they should be, at home, school, or work.
- You want to build independence in self-care, routines, cooking, or getting around.
- Your child needs help with motor skills, handwriting, sensory regulation, or joining in.
- You are an adult relearning daily life after an injury, illness, or mental health setback.
- You need a functional capacity assessment or OT evidence for an NDIS plan or review.
- You are a Support Coordinator who needs reliable OT and clear reports for someone on your caseload.
- You are funded through NDIS, a Medicare care plan, private health, or private pay, anywhere in Australia.
- You would prefer support at home, school, or in the community, or by telehealth.
We may not be the right fit if...
- You need urgent medical or mental health crisis care. In an emergency, please call 000, or Lifeline on 13 11 14, who can help immediately.
- You are looking only for physiotherapy or hands-on rehabilitation of an injury. That is a physiotherapist's area, and we can point you in the right direction.
- You want a quick equipment sign-off with no assessment. Funded assistive technology needs proper assessment, so that step cannot be skipped.
- You want a guaranteed outcome or funding result. We will give you strong, honest evidence, but no provider can promise an NDIA decision.
Not sure which column you are in? That is exactly what the free connection call is for.
Book a free 15-minute call and we will work it out together.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The questions we hear most about occupational therapy.
Still unsure after reading these? The connection call is short, free, and there is no commitment afterwards.
Occupational therapy helps you do the everyday activities that matter to you, called occupations, from self-care and school to work and play. An occupational therapist finds what is getting in the way and builds practical ways around it, so daily life works better.
Physiotherapy focuses mainly on movement, strength, and physical recovery. OT is broader: it looks at the whole activity you are trying to do, the skills, the environment, and any equipment, and helps you take part in daily life. Many people benefit from both.
Our occupational therapists are registered with AHPRA through the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia. They bring training in areas like sensory modulation, functional assessment, and trauma-informed practice, and work under the NDIS Code of Conduct and senior clinical supervision.
No. You can come to us directly. A GP referral is only needed for a Medicare rebate under a Chronic Disease Management Plan. Support Coordinators often refer, but it is not required.
Yes. We deliver OT at home, at school, in the community, in clinic, and by telehealth nationally. For many goals, working in your real environment is the most effective option, so we often come to you.
Yes. We support children with motor skills, handwriting, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and joining in at school and home. Sessions are playful and goal-focused, and we coach parents and teachers so progress continues between visits.
NDIS sessions are billed under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. A Medicare care plan covers up to five rebated sessions a year, with a possible gap. Private and health-fund sessions are at our standard rate. You receive a clear quote and service agreement before any work begins.
A functional capacity assessment is a structured look at what you can do day to day and where support makes a difference. An occupational therapist gathers evidence through observation, conversation, and standardised tools, then writes it up clearly for your NDIS plan or review. It helps decision-makers understand your real needs.
Yes. Where a piece of equipment or a change to your environment would help, we assess what suits you, trial options where possible, and provide the evidence your funding needs. We focus on what is practical and genuinely useful, not the longest list.
Usually, yes. The NDIS funds OT under Capacity Building, and equipment or assistive technology under Capital. If you are not sure whether your plan covers it, we can check with you on the call and help you make the case at your next review.
It depends on the goal and the person. Some changes come quickly, like a new way to manage a routine. Others build slowly with practice. We set realistic goals at the start, review them with you, and are honest if something is not working, so we can adjust rather than keep going regardless.
Yes. With your consent, we update your GP, Support Coordinator, or your child’s school at the points that matter, and share reports on request. You decide who is included and how much is shared.