Preparing for Your NDIS Occupational Therapy Review
An NDIS occupational therapy review is more than a form to complete before your plan changes. It is a practical opportunity to show what is working, identify where daily life has become harder, and make sure your supports still reflect the life you want to lead. Whether you are preparing for an NDIS plan reassessment, checking progress with your therapist, or seeking evidence for new supports, the most useful review starts with your own goals and experience.
What an NDIS occupational therapy review can cover
Occupational therapists support people to take part in everyday activities with greater safety, confidence and independence. That may include getting ready in the morning, preparing meals, moving around the community, managing sensory needs, taking part in school or work, or creating routines that support mental health and wellbeing.
A review gives your occupational therapist the chance to understand what has changed since your last assessment or report. Some changes may be positive, such as building skills or needing less assistance with a task. Others may show that your current support is no longer enough. A change in health, housing, family circumstances, behaviour, mobility or caring arrangements can all affect the help you need.
It is helpful to separate a therapy review from an NDIS plan review, although they are often connected. Your therapist may review your progress regularly as part of ongoing therapy. They may also prepare a functional assessment or report that can be used as evidence when the NDIA reviews your plan. The purpose, timing and level of detail will depend on your circumstances.
When to arrange an occupational therapy review
There is no single right schedule for everyone. Some participants benefit from regular reviews because their goals are changing quickly, while others may only need a comprehensive review before a plan reassessment or after a major life event.
Consider speaking with an occupational therapist if you have recently moved home, started or finished school, changed jobs, experienced a decline in function, had a hospital stay, or are considering different accommodation. A review can also be valuable when a piece of equipment no longer meets your needs, when informal supports have changed, or when daily tasks are taking more time and energy than before.
Do not wait until the final days before a plan reassessment if you can avoid it. A thorough assessment, observation and report can take time. Starting early allows you to talk through your priorities properly rather than rushing to gather information when deadlines are close.
How to prepare for your NDIS occupational therapy review
You do not need to have perfect records or know the right NDIS language. Your real-life experience is the starting point. Before the appointment, spend some time thinking about an ordinary week: what you can do independently, what takes significant effort, and where another person needs to step in.
It can help to write down a few recent examples. Rather than simply saying showering is difficult, describe what happens. Perhaps standing causes pain or fatigue, the bathroom layout feels unsafe, sensory overload makes the task difficult, or a family member must be nearby in case you slip. Specific examples help your therapist understand the functional impact and consider practical options.
Bring relevant documents if you have them, such as your current NDIS plan, previous occupational therapy reports, equipment quotes, discharge summaries, letters from specialists, school information or behaviour support plans. Your therapist can also work with other members of your support network, with your consent, to build a clearer picture of your needs.
It is equally important to discuss what is going well. If you have developed a useful routine, become more confident catching public transport, or learned to use a support safely, that progress matters. Good evidence should show both your capacity and the support required to maintain, strengthen or build on it.
If a parent, carer, nominee or support coordinator knows your day-to-day situation well, consider inviting them to contribute. Their perspective can be especially useful where support needs vary across the week. At the same time, the review should remain participant-led. Your preferences, culture, communication style and idea of a good life need to guide the conversation.
What happens during the appointment?
An occupational therapy review may involve discussion, questionnaires, observation of daily tasks, and standardised assessment tools. Your therapist will ask about your goals, your current environment and the barriers that make activities harder. They may look at how you complete a task, but this should be done respectfully and at a pace that works for you.
For example, a review about meal preparation could consider more than cooking skills. It may include safe access to the kitchen, planning and sequencing steps, fatigue, fine motor skills, sensory needs, transport to the shops, budgeting, and whether someone else is currently providing support. This broader view is why occupational therapy can be valuable when supports need to reflect everyday life rather than a single diagnosis.
A therapist may recommend capacity-building therapy, assistive technology, home modifications, support worker strategies, skill development programs or further assessment. Recommendations should be linked clearly to your disability-related functional needs and NDIS goals. They should also be realistic for your circumstances. A recommendation that sounds helpful but cannot work in your home, budget or routine needs further discussion.
Understanding the occupational therapy report
If a report is needed for the NDIA, it should explain your functional capacity in clear, evidence-based language. It may outline your strengths, current support arrangements, risks, goals, assessment findings and recommendations. The report can help demonstrate why a support may assist you to pursue goals, increase independence or maintain safety.
A report is important evidence, but it does not guarantee that every recommendation will be funded. NDIS decisions take account of the relevant legislation and funding criteria, including whether a support is related to your disability and considered reasonable and necessary. Your therapist should be open about this distinction and explain the purpose of each recommendation.
Before the report is finalised, ask whether you can check key details for accuracy. Names, diagnoses, living arrangements and daily support hours all need to be correct. More importantly, make sure the report reflects your goals rather than assuming what independence should look like for you. For one person, independence may mean completing a task without help. For another, it may mean choosing how and when support is provided.
Turning review findings into practical next steps
After your review, ask your therapist what should happen next and who is responsible for each step. You may need to provide the report to the NDIA, discuss recommendations with your support coordinator, request quotes for equipment, or arrange therapy sessions to work towards a goal.
Where recommendations involve several services, coordination matters. A new home modification, for instance, may require input from an occupational therapist, builder, support coordinator and plan manager. When everyone understands the goal and their role, there is less risk of delays or duplicated work.
Keep a copy of your reports and a simple record of changes in your daily life. This does not need to be formal. Notes about falls, cancelled activities, additional support hours, new skills or changes in fatigue can be useful at future reviews. They help show the difference between a one-off difficult day and a continuing functional need.
For participants and families in Western Australia, choosing a provider with occupational therapy alongside coordination and practical supports can also make communication easier. Arise Services takes a person-centred approach, helping participants consider therapy recommendations in the context of their daily routines, support network and longer-term goals.
A review should leave you clearer, not more overwhelmed
The best occupational therapy reviews are honest, practical and built around what matters to you. You do not have to prove that every part of life is difficult to deserve support. You simply need a clear picture of how disability affects your everyday activities, what support is already in place, and what could help you live with greater choice, safety and confidence.
Take the time to ask questions, share your priorities and speak up if a recommendation does not feel right. Your NDIS journey is strongest when your supports reflect your life as it is now, while giving you room to grow into the life you want.