What occupational therapy is
In occupational therapy, an occupation is anything you need or want to do in your day: looking after yourself, running a home, going to school or work, and joining in with your community. An OT looks at the task, at you and at your surroundings, then works out how to make the task possible or easier.
That might mean building a skill through practice, changing how a task is done, recommending a piece of equipment, or changing the space you live in. Under the NDIS, OTs must hold current registration as an occupational therapist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
What an NDIS OT can help with
NDIS occupational therapy is about the impact of your disability on daily life. Common reasons people see an OT include:
- Personal care skills such as showering, dressing, eating and toileting
- Household tasks like cooking, cleaning and managing a routine
- Fine motor and handwriting skills, often for children
- Sensory processing and regulation, at home, school or work
- Assistive technology such as wheelchairs, seating, hoists, beds and shower chairs
- Home modifications, from grab rails to bathroom redesigns
- Getting back to study or work, and workplace adjustments
- Training family members and support workers so strategies carry on between sessions
Assessments and reports OTs write
Much of the evidence the NDIA uses comes from OTs. The best known is the functional capacity assessment, which describes how your disability affects everyday life and recommends the supports you need. OTs also write assistive technology assessments, home modification assessments, sensory assessments, home and living reports and progress reports before a plan reassessment.
Report writing is billable time. A good OT will tell you up front how many hours a report is likely to take and put it in your service agreement.
How much OT costs in 2026/27
The NDIS price limit for occupational therapy is $193.99 an hour in most of Australia, $271.59 in remote areas and $290.99 in very remote areas. These limits came into effect with the 2026/27 Pricing Schedule. OTs can charge less than the limit, but providers working with agency managed or plan managed participants cannot charge more.
OTs can also claim for some time that is not face to face, such as writing reports, plus travel to you and short notice cancellations, as long as the rules in the Pricing Arrangements are followed and you agreed to it in your service agreement. Self managed participants are not bound by price limits, but the limits are a useful benchmark.
Which budget pays for OT
OT is usually paid from the improved daily living skills part of your Capacity Building budget. Since 1 October 2026 that budget is reduced by 10% when your plan is created, reassessed or renewed, under a support determination, so check what is left before you book a big piece of work such as a full assessment.
Equipment and home modifications an OT recommends are funded from different parts of your plan, usually Core for low cost items and Capital for mid and high cost items. Those are not part of the October 2026 reset.
OT or the health system?
The NDIS funds therapy that relates to your disability and helps you build or keep everyday skills. Rehabilitation after an accident, injury or surgery, and treatment for a medical condition, is generally the health system's job, for example through a hospital, community health service or a Medicare chronic condition management plan. Some people use both, for different reasons.
How to choose an occupational therapist
OTs often specialise, so look for someone who works with your age group and type of disability, and who does the kind of work you need. An OT who prescribes complex power wheelchairs every week is not always the best person for a child's sensory needs, and the other way round.
- Ask whether they visit your home, school or workplace, or only work from a clinic
- Ask about wait times. Popular OTs can have long waitlists
- Ask for an estimate of hours before any assessment or report
- If you are agency managed, you need a registered provider. Plan managed and self managed participants can also use unregistered OTs
- Ask to read reports before they are sent to the NDIA